22
1 The children of Israel [God prevails] traveled on and encamped in the plains of Moab [From father] beyond the Jordan [Descender] River, opposite Jericho [Fragrant, Moon].
Haftarah Hukkat ·Taking leave· ·Regulation·:
Shof'tim / Judges 11:1-33
B'rit Hadashah ·New Covenant·: Matt 21:1-17
Parashah 40: Balak ·Balak [Devastator, Wasting]· 22:2-25:9
Read with Parashah 39 in regular years; in leap years, read separately
2 Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel [God prevails] had done to the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers]. 3 Moab [From father] was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab [From father] was distressed because of the children of Israel [God prevails]. 4 Moab [From father] said to the elders of Midian [Strife], “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.”
Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab [From father] at that time. 5 He sent messengers to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt [Abode of slavery]. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. 6 Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may divorce them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab [From father] and the elders of Midian [Strife] departed with the rewards of divination * in their hand. They came to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], and spoke to him the words of Balak.
8 He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Adonai shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab [From father] stayed with Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people].
9 God came to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab [From father], has said to me, 11 ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt [Abode of slavery] covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse me them. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’ ”
12 God said to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.”
(RY:5, LY:2) 13 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Adonai refuses to permit me to go with you.”
14 The princes of Moab [From father] rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] refuses to come with us.”
15 Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they. 16 They came to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17 for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’ ”
18 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Adonai my God, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what Adonai will speak to me more.”
20 God came to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.”
(LY:3) 21 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab [From father]. 22 God’s anger burned because he went; and ha mal'ak Yahweh [the Angel of He sustains breathing] placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw ha mal'ak Yahweh [the Angel of He sustains breathing] standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field. Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] struck the donkey, to turn her into the way. 24 Then ha mal'ak Yahweh [the Angel of He sustains breathing] stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 The donkey saw ha mal'ak Yahweh [the Angel of He sustains breathing], and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people]’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.
26 Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 The donkey saw ha mal'ak Yahweh [the Angel of He sustains breathing], and she lay down under Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people]. Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people]’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Adonai opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said † to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
29 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?”
He said, “No.”
31 Then Adonai opened the eyes of Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], and he saw ha mal'ak Yahweh [the Angel of He sustains breathing] standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. 32 Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.”
34 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] said to ha mal'ak Yahweh [the Angel of He sustains breathing], “I have sinned ·deviated (from the standard goal)·; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.”
35 Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] said to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], “Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak.”
So Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] went with the princes of Balak. 36 When Balak sh'ma ·heard obeyed· that Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab [From father], which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. 37 Balak said to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], “Didn’t I earnestly send to you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?”
38 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.”
(RY:6, LY:4) 39 Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people] went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], and to the princes who were with him. 41 In the morning, Balak took Balaam [Not people, Destroyer of people], and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people.
* 22:7 . Quoted in 2 Pet 2:15 † 22:28 . Quoted in 2 Pet 2:16