5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathethu this light bread.

6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

P.78.19. Ex.16.3. De.29.7.

17.3.

v Ps.68.6. c.11.6.

De.8.15. Jos.12.1,2.

1 Co. 10.9.

24.8. y Ps.78.34.

z ver.5.

a

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against Ex..8 28. thee; pray a unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. 10 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.

11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at " Ije-abarim, in the wilderness

De.9.20,26.

1 Sa.12.19.

1 Ki.13.6.
Job 42.8,10.
Je.15.1.
Ac.8.24.
Ja.5.16.

Ps. 106.23. 10 daughters.

c Ca.7.4.

Is.15.4.

d2 Ki.18.4.

Jno.3.14,15.

e lab.2.6.

The brazen serpent.

which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.

12 From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared."

13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, & and lieth 2 upon the border of Moab.

16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. 17 Then Israel sang this song, 3 Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:

4

h

3

18 The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the law-giver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:

19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:

20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the 5 country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh" toward Jeshimon.8

6

21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high-way, until we be past thy borders.

23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border; but " Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.

.

c.33.43,44. Is.15.1,2. 11 or, heaps

A De.2.9,18.

Abarim.

137

of

28 For f there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high-places of Arnon

Balak and Balaam.

Balaam's journey to Balak.

9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?

e

him.

c c.32.1.

d Ga.22.16-18. De.33.29.

33 And they turned and went up by e De.3.1, &c. the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.

34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.

If De.23.5.

De.29.7. Jos.13.12. Ps.135.10,11. 136.20.

2 Be not thou letted.

h c.33.48. i ver.6.

k c.24.13.

ward, and pitched in the plains of Moab, on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2 And Balak, the son of Zippor, saw i Ju.11.25. all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

1 Ex.15.15. De.2.25.

m 1 Ki.22.14. c.23.26.

24.13.

10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

d

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. 13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, 2 Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

k

i

18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, Im cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.

20 And • God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet ? the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

23 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 Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

24 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.

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

26 And the angel of the LORD went fur

Balaam's ass speaketh.

Balak's sacrifice

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

a ver.29.

c ver.14,30.

30 And the ass said unto Balaam, not I thine ass, 2 upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, 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 flat on his face.

32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse" before me:

ass

5

from had had

33 And the ass saw me, and turned me these three times: unless she turned from me, surely now also I slain thee, and saved her alive. 34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore if it displease thee, I " will get me back again.

6

only

ridden upon

me.

3 or, thou wast.

c.2.35.

De.18.18.
Je.1.9.

Ge.21.19. Lu.24.16,31.

2 Ki.6.17.

or,

i Ex.34.8. bowed himself. j ver.18. c.24.3,15,23. Job 27.1. 29.1. Ps.78.2. Eze.17.2. Mi.2.4. Hab.2.6. Mat.13.33, 35.

thee to

38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.

39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto 9 Kirjath-huzoth.

40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that

4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

6 And he returned unto him; and, lo, he stood by his burnt-sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse' me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

8 How P shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let 7 me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his? 11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?

13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray.thee, with me unto" another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.

14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built & seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here 9 or, a city of by thy burnt-offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

23 Surely there 28 no 1 enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

t

38.17. Mi.7.19. Ro.4.7,8.

8.1.

I c.23.24.

33.16.
Ps. 46.11.
Ps. 118.15.
Ge.12.3.

p c.21.8.
De.33.17.
Ps.92.10.

1 or, in.

Mat.12.25,27.

T Ne.13.2.

Ps.31.19.

t Ge.49.9.

u Ge.49.27.

24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young ... lion: he shall not lie down" until he cat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. 25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. 26 But Balaam answered and said unto ver.12,13. Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh that I must do?

27 And Balak said unto Balaani, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place: peradventure it will please God that thou maycst curse me them from thence.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon. 29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build. me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Predictions of Israel's prosperity.

6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign-aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the

waters.

7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.

k

9 He couched, he lay down as 'a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,

13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?

14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said;

16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

17 I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite 3 the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of 5 the nations; but his latter end shall be, 6 that he perish for