Bnei Yisroel traveled and camped in the western plains of Moav, across the Yardein from Yereicho.

And the children of Yisra᾽el set forward, and pitched in the plains of Mo᾽av on the far side of the Yarden by Yereĥo.

And the children of Israel journeyed, and they encamped in the plains of Moav across the Jordan from Jericho.

And Balak the son of Tzipor saw all that Yisroel had done to the Emorite.

And Balaq the son of Żippor saw all that Yisra᾽el had done to the Emori.

And Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that Israel had done to the Emori [He said: If these two kings (Sichon and Og) on whom we relied, could not withstand them, how much more so we alone! — wherefore:]

And Moav became terrified of the people [of Israel] because of their great numbers, and so, Moav detested the Bnei Yisroel.

And Mo᾽av was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Mo᾽av was seized with dread because of the children of Yisra᾽el.

And Moav greatly feared the people, for they were many, and Moav despaired [of their lives] before the children of Israel.

Moav said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will lick up everything around us, just as the ox laps up the herbs of the field.” Balak the son of Tzipor was King of Moav at that time.

And Mo᾽av said to the elders of Midyan, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balaq the son of Żippor was king of Mo᾽av at that time.

And Moav said to the elders of Midian: Now this horde will lap up everything around us as an ox laps up the greens of the field — and Balak the son of Tzippor [one of the princes of Midian] was [made] king of Moav at that time [because of the exigency of the time, though he was not of the royal line].

He sent emissaries to Bil’am the son of Beor, to Pesor—which is by the river, the land of his people—to call him, saying: “Behold, a nation came out of Egypt, behold they have covered the face of the earth, and is located across from me.

So he sent messengers to Bil῾am the son of Be῾or to Petor, which is by the river, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Miżrayim: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

And he sent messengers to Bilam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people to call for him [i.e., for his (Bilam's) benefit, Balak promising to enrich him], saying: Behold, a people has gone forth from Egypt; behold, it has covered "the eye of the land" [Sichon and Moav, who were our protectors — Israel rose against them and killed them], and it abides opposite me, [against me, to cut me off].

And now, please come and curse this nation for me, for it is too mighty for me, perhaps it will enable us to strike at him, and banish them from the land; for I know, that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”

come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: perhaps I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

And now, come, I pray you, and curse this people for me, for it is too strong for me. Perhaps I shall be able to smite it and drive it from the land. For I know [by your having helped Sichon to defeat Moav (see 21:27)] that what you bless is blessed and what you curse is cursed.

And the elders of Moav and Midian went with magic charms in their hands; they came to Bil’am and conveyed Balak's message to him.

And the elders of Mo᾽av and the elders of Midyan departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Bil῾am, and spoke to him the words of Balaq.

And the elders of Moav went, and the elders of Midian, with [all kinds of] charms in their hand [(so that Bilam not plead lack of "tools")], and they came to Bilam and they related to him the words of Balak.

He replied to them: “Spend this night here and then I will give you an answer according to what Adonoy tells me,’’ and the dignitaries of Moav remained with Bil’am.

And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you back word, as the Lord shall speak to me: and the princes of Mo᾽av abode with Bil῾am.

And he said to them: Lodge here this night [(The Holy Spirit reposes on the prophets of the nations only at night (as one "steals into" his concubine)], and I will return to you a word, as the L-rd speaks to me [(Perhaps He will consider it beneath His dignity to permit me to go with emissaries of your (lowly) rank)], and the officers of Moav abode with Bilam.

God appeared to Bil’am and said, “Who are these men with you?”

And God came to Bil῾am, and said, What men are these with thee?

And G-d came to Bilam and He said: Who are these people with you? [(G-d's purpose was to delude Bilam into thinking that there were some "gaps" in His knowledge and that he might seize upon one of them to curse Israel.)]

Bil’am replied to God: “Balak son of Tzipor, King of Moav, has sent them to me [saying]:

And Bil῾am said to God, Balaq the son of Żippor, king of Mo᾽av, has sent to me, saying,

And Bilam said to G-d: Balak the son of Tzippor, the king of Moav, sent to me [(I may not "rate" with You, but I do rate with kings)]:

‘Behold, the people that came out of Egypt has covered the face of the earth; come now, and curse him for me so that I will be able to wage war against him, and banish him’.”

Behold, the people that is come out of Miżrayim, covers the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; perhaps I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

Behold, the people that has gone forth from Egypt and covers the eye of the land. Now, go and curse (kavah) it for me [("kavah" is more "pointed" and explicit than Balak's "arah" (6)]. Perhaps I will be able to war against it and drive it out ["of the world," whereas Balak had said (6): "and drive it from the land," Balak desiring only to free himself of them.]

God said to Bil’am: “Do not go with them! You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

And God said to Bil῾am, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

And G-d said to Bilam: "Do not go with them." [Bilam: "If so, I will curse them in my place."] (G-d): "Do not curse the people" [Bilam: "If so, I will bless them." (G-d): "They do not need your blessing], for it is blessed." ["Neither your honey nor your sting!"]

Bil’am arose in the morning and said to Balak's dignitaries: “Go back to your land, for Adonoy refuses to allow me to go with you.”

And Bil῾am rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balaq, Go back to your land: for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you.

And Bilam arose in the morning and he said to the officers of Balak: Go to your land, for the L-rd refuses to allow me to go with you, [but only with men of higher station, (Bilam shrouding his impotence in his arrogance)].

Moav's dignitaries got up, and came to Balak and said: “Bil’am refuses to go with us.”

And the princes of Mo᾽av rose up, and they went to Balaq, and said, Bil῾am refuses to come with us.

And the officers of Moav arose and came to Balak and they said: Bilam refuses to go with us.

Balak persisted and sent dignitaries in greater number and of higher rank than these.

And Balaq sent again princes, greater, and more honourable than they.

And Balak sent officers yet again — more, and more honorable than these.

They came to Bil’am and said to him: “The following is a message from Balak the son Tzipor: ‘Please do not refuse to come to me.

And they came to Bil῾am, and said to him, Thus says Balaq the son of Żippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming to me:

And they came to Bilam and said to him: Thus said Balak the son of Tzippor: Do not, I pray you, refrain from going to me.

For I will honor you greatly and whatever you tell me, I will do, if you would just please come and curse this people for me.’”

for I will promote thee to very great honour, and I will do whatever thou sayst to me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

For I will honor you greatly [(I will give you more than you were wont to receive in the past)], and whatever you tell me I will do; but go, I pray you, and curse this people for me.

Bil’am answered and said to Balak's servants: “Even if Balak would give me silver and gold enough to fill his house, I cannot transgress the word of Adonoy my God, by doing anything small or great.

And Bil῾am answered and said to the servants of Balaq, If Balaq would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.

And Bilam answered and said to the servants of Balak: If Balak gives me his house full of silver and gold [— and he really should, for if he hired armies, he would have to pay them; and their success is in doubt, whereas mine is assured (Bilam here "gives away" his lust for the wealth of others)], I will not be able to countermand the word of the L-rd my G-d to do (anything) small or great [(Bilam here perforce reveals that he is not his own master and prophesies that he will not be able to annul the L-rd's blessings to the patriarchs)].

Now, you also, please remain here overnight, and I will get to know what more will Adonoy tell me.”

Now therefore, I pray you, tarry you also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say further to me.

And now, abide here, I pray you — you, too [(His mouth "foiled" him — "you, too," like the first, are destined to leave in frustration)], and I shall know what more the L-rd will say to me. [He will not change His blessings to curses — would that He would not bless them more! (Bilam here prophesies that He will!)]

God appeared to Bil’am that night and said to him: “If the men have come to call you, arise and go with them; however, whatever I will say to you, you will do.”

And God came to Bil῾am at night, and said to him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but only that word which I shall say to thee, shalt thou do.

And G-d came to Bilam at night and He said to Him: If the men came to call for you [i.e., if their calling is for your benefit; if you think you can turn it toward your profit], arise and go with them, but [perforce] what I speak to you that shall you do [ — in spite of which Bilam went, hoping to "win over" the L-rd].

Bil’am arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moavite dignitaries.

And Bil῾am rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Mo᾽av.

And Bilam arose in the morning and he [himself] saddled his donkey ["Hatred undermines the proprieties"], and he went [of one accord] with the officers of Moav.

God showed anger because he went, and an angel of Adonoy placed himself in the way to thwart him, as he was riding on his donkey accompanied by his two attendants.

And God’s anger burned because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

And the L-rd was wroth that He went [(for though Bilam saw that G-d objected (12), he persisted in going)], and an angel of the L-rd [an angel of mercy] stood in the way to turn him aside [to prevent him from sinning and going lost]; and he was riding on his donkey and his two youths with him [(whence it is derived that a man of eminence going on a journey should take two men to attend him (who relieve each other in turn)].

The donkey saw the angel of Adonoy standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; the donkey turned aside from the way and went into the field; Bil’am struck the donkey to get it back on the way.

And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Bil῾am smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

And the donkey saw the angel of the L-rd [(but Bilam did not, G-d allowing animals to see more than men, who, possessing intellect, would become "unhinged" at the sight of mazzikin (destructive agents)], standing on the way with his sword drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned aside from the way and walked in the field, and Bilam struck the donkey to turn it back upon the road.

But the angel of Adonoy stood in a narrow path of the vineyards with a barrier at either side.

But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

And the angel of the L-rd stood in the path of the vineyards, a [stone] fence on one side and a fence on the other.

When the donkey saw the angel of Adonoy, she was pressed against the wall and pressed Bil’am's foot against the wall; and he struck her even more.

And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Bil῾am’s foot against the wall: and he struck her again.

And the donkey saw the angel of the L-rd, and it pinned itself against the fence, and it pinned Bilam's leg against the fence, and he struck her again.

Adonoy’s angel passed further ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no room to turn [either] to the right or to the left.

And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

And the angel of the L-rd passed on [before him] again, and he stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left.

When the donkey saw the angel of Adonoy, it crouched beneath Bil’am; Bil’am became angry and beat the donkey with the stick.

And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Bil῾am: and Bil῾am’s anger burned, and he struck the ass with a staff.

And the donkey saw the angel of the L-rd, and it sank under Bilam, and Bilam was wroth, and he struck the donkey with the rod.

Adonoy opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Bil’am: “What have I done to you, that you have hit me these three times?”

And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Bil῾am, What have I done to thee, that thou hast struck me these three times?

And the L-rd opened the donkey's mouth and it said to Bilam: What have I done to you that you have struck me this three times? [Would you uproot a nation that celebrates three times (i.e., festivals) in the year?]

Bil’am said to the donkey: “Because you have ridiculed me; would that I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you now.”

And Bil῾am said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill thee.

And Bilam said to the donkey: Because you mocked me! Would there were a sword in my hand and I would slay you now!

The donkey replied to Bil’am: “Am I not the very same donkey that you have been riding on all your life until this very day? Was it ever my habit to do this to you?” And he said: “No.”

And the ass said to Bil῾am, Am not I thy ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life to this day? was I ever wont to do so to thee? And he said, No,

And the donkey said to Bilam: Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden from the very beginning until this day? Was I ever wont to do thus unto you? And he said: No.

Adonoy then enabled Bil’am to see, and he observed the angel of Adonoy standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand. He bowed his head and prostrated himself on his face.

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Bil῾am, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell on his face.

And the L-rd uncovered Bilam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the L-rd standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand, and he bowed down and prostrated himself on his face.

The angel of Adonoy said to him: “Why did you hit your donkey these three times? Behold, I came out to obstruct you, because your way is contrary to me.

And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why hast thou struck thy ass these three times? behold, I went out to waylay thee, because thy path is perverse before me:

And the angel of the L-rd said to him: Why did you strike your donkey this three times? Behold, I went out to turn [you] aside, for [I saw that] the [goer on the] way [i.e., you] hastened [(on the way] against me [i.e., in defiance of me].

And when the donkey saw me, it turned aside these three times; had she not turned aside before me as [she did] now I would surely have killed you and she, I would let live.”

and the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, I would now have slain thee, and saved her alive.

And the donkey saw me and turned aside before me this three times. Had it not turned aside before me, I would now [not only have delayed you, but] also have killed you and kept it alive, [but since it silenced you with its rebuke, I have killed it so that it not be pointed to as your "undoer" (the Holy One Blessed be He being solicitous of men's honor)].

Bil’am said to the angel of Adonoy: “I have sinned because I did not know that you were standing in the way before me; now therefore, if it is wicked in your eyes, I shall return.”

And Bil῾am said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou didst stand in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

And Bilam said to the angel of the L-rd: I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing against me on the way [(Bilam's own mouth here perforce "undoes" him — "I did not know," as opposed to (24:16): "And he (Bilam) knows, etc.")] And, now, if it is evil in your eyes, I will go back [(a "dig" at the Holy One Blessed be He, viz.: He Himself commanded me to go, and you a (mere) angel countermand His word!)]

The angel of Adonoy said to Bil’am: “Go with the men, but only the word that I will speak to you shall you speak” Bil’am then continued to go with Balak's dignitaries.

And the angel of the Lord said to Bil῾am, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt speak. So Bil῾am went with the princes of Balaq.

And the angel of the L-rd said to Bilam: Go with the men [("A man is led on the way he would travel")], but, perforce, the thing that I shall speak to you, that shall you speak. And Bilam went with the officers of Balak [(as happy as they to curse the Jews)].

When Balak heard that Bil’am was coming, he went out to meet him, to the city of Moav, which is on the boundary of Arnon—at the very edge of the boundary.

And when Balaq heard that Bil῾am was come, he went out to meet him to a city of Mo᾽av, which is in the border of Arnon, in the utmost border.

And Balak heard [through messengers sent by Bilam] that Bilam was coming, and he went out towards him to the city [i.e., the metropolis] of Moav [(by way of saying: "See what these Jews would uproot!")] which borders on Arnon at the edge of the boundary.

Balak said to Bil’am: “Did I not send so many [dignitaries] to invite you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really incapable of honoring you?”

And Balaq said to Bil῾am, Did I not earnestly send to thee to call thee? Why camest thou not to me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?

And Balak said to Bilam: Did I not send to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not, indeed, able to honor you? [(a prophecy that Bilam is destined to depart from him in shame)]

Bil’am replied to Balak: “Now that I have come to you, have I any power to say anything? Only the word that God puts in my mouth will I speak.”

And Bil῾am said to Balaq, Lo, I am come to thee: have I now any power at all to say anything? the word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.

And Bilam said to Balak: Behold, I have come to you now. Is there aught that I can speak? The thing that G-d shall put in my mouth, that shall I speak.

Bil’am went with Balak and they came to Kiryas Chutzos.

And Bil῾am went with Balaq, and they came to Qiryat-ĥużot.

And Bilam went with Balak, and they came to Kiryat Chutzoth [lit., "a city of (crowded) thoroughfares" — again, by way of saying: "See what the Jews would uproot!"]

Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and he sent some to Bil’am and to the dignitaries that were with him.

And Balaq offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil῾am and to the princes that were with him.

And Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep [a small amount], and he sent it to Bilam and to the officers who were with him.

In the morning, Balak took Bil’am and he led him up to Bamos Ba’al; from there he saw part of the people.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balaq took Bil῾am, and brought him up into Bamot-ba῾al, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.

And it was in the morning that Balak took Bilam and he brought him up to the heights of Ba'al [his deity], and he saw from there the edge of the people (of Israel).