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22:1  Then the ·people [L sons/T children of] of Israel went to the plains of Moab, and they camped near the Jordan River across from Jericho.
22:2  Balak son of Zippor saw everything the Israelites had done to the Amorites.
22:3  And Moab ·was scared of [dreaded] so many Israelites; truly, Moab was terrified by them.
22:4  The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “·These people [L This community/assembly/congregation] will ·take [lick up] everything around us like an ox ·eating [licking] grass.” Balak son of Zippor was the king of Moab at this time.
22:5  He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, near the Euphrates River in ·his native land [or the land of Amaw]. Balak said, “A nation has come out of Egypt that covers the land. They have ·camped [L settled] next to me,
22:6  and they are too powerful for me. So come and put a curse on them. Maybe then I can defeat them and ·make them leave [drive them from] the area. I know that if you bless someone, the blessings happen, and if you put a curse on someone, it happens.”
22:7  The elders of Moab and Midian went with ·payment [L fee for divination] in their hands. When they found Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
22:8  Balaam said to them, “Stay here for the night, and I will tell you what the Lord tells me.” So the Moabite leaders stayed with him.
22:9  God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
22:10  Balaam said to God, “The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, sent them to me with this message:
22:11  ‘A ·nation [people] has come out of Egypt that ·covers [spreads over] the land. So come and put a curse on them, and maybe I can fight them and force them out of my land.’”
22:12  But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. Don’t put a curse on those people, because I have blessed them.”
22:13  The next morning Balaam ·awoke [rose] and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your own country; the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
22:14  So the Moabite leaders went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
22:15  So Balak sent other leaders—this time there were more of them, and they were more ·important [distinguished].
22:16  They went to Balaam and said, “Balak son of Zippor says this: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to me.
22:17  I will ·pay you very well [make you wealthy; honor you], and I will do what you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”
22:18  But Balaam answered Balak’s servants, “King Balak could give me his palace full of silver and gold, but I cannot ·disobey [transgress] the Lord my God in anything, great or small.
22:19  You stay here tonight as the other men did, and I will find out what more the Lord tells me.”
22:20  That night God came to Balaam and said, “These men have come to ask you to go with them. Go, but only do what I tell you.”
22:21  Balaam got up the next morning and put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went with the Moabite leaders.
22:22  But God became angry because Balaam went, so the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord stood in the road to ·stop [challenge] Balaam. Balaam was riding his donkey, and he had two servants with him.
22:23  When the donkey saw the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, the donkey left the road and went into the field. Balaam ·hit [struck] the donkey to force her back on the road.
22:24  Later, the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord stood on a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides.
22:25  Again the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she walked close to one wall, ·crushing [squeezing; scraping] Balaam’s foot against it. So he ·hit [struck] her again.
22:26  The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord went ahead again and stood at a narrow place, too narrow to turn left or right.
22:27  When the donkey saw the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. This made him so angry that he ·hit [struck] her with his stick.
22:28  Then the Lord made the donkey talk, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to make you ·hit [strike] me three times?”
22:29  Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made me look foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!”
22:30  But the donkey said to Balaam, “·I am [L Am I not…?] your very own donkey, which you have ridden for years. Have I ever done this to you before?” “No,” Balaam said.
22:31  Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and let Balaam see the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord, who was standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand. Then Balaam bowed facedown on the ground.
22:32  The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord asked Balaam, “Why have you ·hit [struck] your donkey three times? I have stood here to ·stop [challenge] you, because what you are doing is wrong.
22:33  The donkey saw me and turned away from me three times [C it was more spiritually sensitive than Balaam]. If she had not turned away, I would have killed you by now, but I would have let her live.”
22:34  Then Balaam said to the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord, “I have sinned; I did not know you were standing in the road to stop me. If I am wrong, I will go back.”
22:35  The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s leaders.
22:36  When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at Ar in Moab, which was beside the Arnon, at the edge of his ·country [boundary].
22:37  Balak said to Balaam, “·I had asked you before [L Did I not send for you…?] to come quickly. Why didn’t you come to me? ·I am [L Am I not…?] able to ·reward you well [give you wealth].”
22:38  But Balaam answered, “I have come to you now, but I can’t say just anything. I can only say what God tells me to say.”
22:39  Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.
22:40  Balak offered cattle and sheep as a sacrifice and gave some meat to Balaam and the leaders with him.
22:41  The next morning Balak took Balaam to Bamoth Baal; from there he could see the edge of the ·Israelite camp [L people].