1Israelitterne brød op fra Bashan og tog sydpå igen. Da de nåede Moabs højslette øst for Jordanfloden over for Jeriko, slog de lejr der.2På det tidspunkt var Balak, en søn af Zippor, konge over Moab. Da han blev klar over, hvor talrige israelitterne var, og hvordan de havde udryddet amoritterne, blev både han og hans folk skrækslagne. Balak klagede sin nød til midjanitternes ledere: „Denne enorme menneskemængde vil gøre det fuldstændig af med os, som når en stor flok køer spiser græsset på marken rub og stub.”5Derpå sendte Balak bud til Bileam, Beors søn, der boede i Petor* ved Eufratfloden, og bad ham komme og hjælpe. „Jeg er ved at blive rendt over ende af et mægtigt folk, der kommer fra Egypten,” forklarede han. „Skynd dig! Kom og forband dette folk, så jeg kan få held til at jage dem ud af landet. Jeg ved jo, at den du velsigner, er velsignet, og at den, du forbander, er forbandet.”7Kong Balaks sendebud, nogle af de mest betroede moabitiske og midjanitiske ledere, havde penge med for at betale Bileam for hans tjeneste. Da de nåede frem, satte de straks Bileam ind i situationen.8„Bliv her i nat,” sagde Bileam, „så skal jeg i morgen fortælle jer, hvad Herren til den tid har sagt til mig.” Så blev de der natten over.9Samme nat viste Gud sig for Bileam og spurgte: „Hvem er de mænd, der er hos dig?”10„De kommer fra kong Balak af Moab,” svarede han.11„Kongen siger, at et mægtigt folk fra Egypten er på vej mod hans land, og han har bedt mig komme og forbande dem, så han kan få held til at besejre dem.”12„Følg ikke med dem,” sagde Gud. „Du må ikke forbande dem, for jeg har velsignet dem.”13Næste morgen sagde Bileam til sendebudene: „I må hellere vende hjem, for Herren siger, at jeg ikke må følge med jer.”14Sendebudene vendte så tilbage til kong Balak med uforrettet sag.15Men Balak gav ikke op. Han sendte endnu flere af sine mest betroede ledere af sted.16Da de nåede frem, sagde de: „Kong Balak beder dig inderligt om at komme. Han lover dig store æresbevisninger og en god betaling. Ja, han vil give dig hvad som helst, du forlanger—bare du vil komme og forbande disse mennesker.”18Men Bileam svarede: „Om han så giver mig et helt palads fuldt af guld og sølv, har jeg ikke magt til at handle imod Herren min Guds vilje.19Men bliv her i nat—så skal jeg finde ud af, om Herren har noget at tilføje til det, han allerede har sagt.”20Samme nat sagde Gud til Bileam: „Når du er så opsat på at følge med disse mænd, så gør det bare—men du må ikke gøre andet end det, jeg siger til dig.”21Næste morgen sadlede Bileam sit æsel og fulgte med sendebudene tilbage.22Men Gud var vred over, at Bileam var så forhippet på at tage af sted—og derfor sendte han en engel i forvejen for at blokere vejen. Da Bileam og hans to tjenere nu kom ridende,23fik Bileams æsel pludselig øje på Herrens engel, der stod på vejen med draget sværd. Æslet drejede straks fra vejen og gik ind over marken, men Bileam slog æslet og tvang det tilbage på vejen.24Så stillede Herrens engel sig længere fremme på et sted, hvor vejen løb mellem to vingårdsmure.25Da æslet så englen, der blokerede vejen, prøvede det at klemme sig forbi langs muren, og Bileams ene fod kom i klemme. Endnu en gang slog han på æslet.26Herrens engel stillede sig nu længere fremme på vejen på et sted, der var så snævert, at æslet umuligt kunne komme uden om englen.27Så lagde æslet sig ned på vejen. Nu blev Bileam rasende. Han slog æslet værre end før,28men i det samme gav Herren æslet mund og mæle. „Hvad har jeg gjort, siden du nu har slået mig tre gange?” sagde æslet.29„Du har gjort mig til grin,” hvæsede Bileam. „Hvis jeg havde haft mit sværd med mig, havde jeg slået dig ihjel på stedet.”30„Du kender min trofasthed,” fortsatte æslet. „Har jeg før været ulydig imod dig?” „Nej,” indrømmede Bileam.31I det samme åbnede Herren Bileams øjne, så han fik øje på englen, der stod med draget sværd på vejen. Da kastede Bileam sig til jorden.32„Hvorfor slog du dit eget æsel så voldsomt?” spurgte englen. „Det var jo mig, der stod i vejen for at standse dig, fordi du var mere opsat på at gøre din egen vilje end Guds vilje.33Tre gange så æslet mig og veg tilbage. Det blev din redning, for var det ikke sket, havde jeg for længst slået dig ihjel og ladet æslet leve.”34Da indrømmede Bileam: „Jeg har syndet. Jeg vidste ikke, at det var dig, der forsøgte at standse mig. Jeg vil straks vende om, hvis jeg har handlet forkert.”35Herrens engel svarede: „Følg bare med mændene, men du må kun sige det, jeg giver dig lov til at sige.” Så fortsatte Bileam rejsen.36Da kong Balak fik at vide, at Bileam var på vej, forlod han byen og gik ham i møde ved landegrænsen langs Arnonfloden.37„Hvorfor kom du ikke med det samme, da jeg sendte bud efter dig?” spurgte han Bileam. „Tror du ikke, jeg har råd til at belønne dig rigeligt?”38„Nu er jeg her,” svarede Bileam. „Men jeg kan ikke sige andet end det, Gud giver mig lov at sige.”39Så fulgte Bileam med kongen til Kirjat-Hutzot,40hvor kong Balak ofrede køer og får og gav noget af kødet til Bileam og hans ledsagere.41Næste morgen førte Balak så Bileam op på toppen af Bamot-Ba’al, hvorfra de kunne se ud over hele* det israelitiske folk.
English Standard Version
Balak Summons Balaam
1Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.2And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.3And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel.4And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,5sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River* in the land of the people of Amaw,* to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me.6Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message.8And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.9And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”10And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,11‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”12God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”13So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”14So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”15Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these.16And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me,17for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’”18But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more.19So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.”21So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel
22But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him.23And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road.24Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.25And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again.26Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left.27When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.28Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”29And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.”30And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”31Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.32And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse* before me.33The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.”34Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.”35And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.36When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border.37And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”38Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.”39Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.40And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.41And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.
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