SECTION XL.

BALAK.

      AND Balak bar Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amoraah. And the Moabaah feared before the people greatly, because they were many; yea, the Moabaee were in distress before the sons of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this host consume all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the herbage of the field. And Balak bar Zippor was the king of Moab at that time. And he sent messengers to Bileam bar Beor unto Pethor[1] Aram which is upon the Phrat, the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: Behold, a people hath come out of Mizraim; lo, they cover the sunshine from the earth, and they are dwelling over against me. Come now, I entreat, curse this people for me, for they are stronger than I: if perhaps I may become able to fight with him, and drive him from the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou dost curse is accursed.

      And the elders of Moab and of Midian went, with the (price of) divinations in their hands, and came to Bileam, and told him the words of Balak. And he said to them, Lodge here for the night, and I will return you word, according as the Lord speaketh with me. And the princes of Moab tarried with Bileam.

      And a word from before the Lord came unto Bileam, and said, Who are these men who are with thee? And Bileam said before the Lord, Balak bar Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent to me. Behold, a people are come out of Mizraim, and hide the glance of the sun from the earth…. Now come, curse him for me, that I may be able to fight him, and drive him away. And the Lord said to Bileam, Thou shalt not go with them: thou shalt not curse the people, for he is blessed. And Bileam arose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go back to your country; for it is not pleasing before the Lord to permit me to go with you. And the princes of Moab arose and came to Balak, and said, Bileam refuseth to come with us.

      But Balak added to send princes more (in number) and nobler than those.

And they came to Bileam, and said to him: Thus saith Balak bar Zippor: Be not, I beseech thee, hindered from coming to me; for I will greatly honour thee with honour, and will do all that thou shalt bid me. Come, then, curse me this people.

Bileam responded, and said to the servants of Balak: If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I have no power to transgress the decree of the Word of the Lord my God, to do either little or great. But now I beg you tarry here this night, that I may know what yet the Lord will speak unto me.

      And word came from before the Lord unto Bileam by night, and said to him: If the men come to call thee, arise and go with them; nevertheless the word that I speak with thee, that thou shalt do.

      And Bileam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. But the displeasure of the Lord was provoked because he (so) went;[2] and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to withstand him: and he was riding upon his ass, and his two young men with him. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass started aside from the road, and went into the field. And Bileam struck the ass to make her to return into the road. And the angel of the Lord (again) stood in the way of the vineyards in a place where there was a fence here and a fence there. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord, and thrust herself to the wall, and drave Bileam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again. And the angel of the Lord yet passed on, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord, and fell down under Bileam; and Bileam's wrath was provoked, and he smote the ass with his staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass; and she spake to Bileam, What have I done to thee that thou bast smitten me these three times?

And Bileam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: would that there was a sword in my hand! for now would I kill thee. And the ass said to Bileam, Am I not thy ass, upon whom thou hast ridden from (the time that) I have been thine unto this day? Have I ever been used to do thus to thee? And he said, No. And the Lord unveiled Bileam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword unsheathed in his hand: and he bowed, and worshipped upon his face.

      And the angel of the Lord said to him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I have come out to withstand thee, because it is seen before me that thou art willing to go in a way contrary to me. But the ass discerned me, and turned from before me these three times: unless she had turned from before me, now should I have slain thee, and her would I have spared. And Bileam said to the angel of the Lord, I knew not that thou wast standing before me in the way. And now, if it be evil in thine eyes, I will return.

But the angel of the Lord said to Bileam, Go with the men; only the word that I shall speak with thee, that thou shalt say.

      And Bileam went with the princes of Balak. And Balak heard that Bileam was coming, and went forth to meet him, at a city of Moab which is upon the border of Arnon, on the side of the frontier. And Balak said to Bileam, Did not I sending send for thee to call thee? Why didst thou not come to me? Hast thou not indeed said that I am not able to do thee honour? And Bileam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to thee: but even now, have' I really any power to speak anything? The word which the Lord putteth into my mouth I will speak.

      And Bileam went with Balak, and they came to a city of his territory.[3] And Balak slaughtered oxen and sheep, and sent to Bileam and to the princes who were with him. And when it was morning, Balak took Bileam, and brought him up to the high places of his idol; and he saw from thence the extreme of the people.

      XXIII. And Bileam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak did as Bileam had spoken, and Balak and Bileam offered up a bullock and a ram upon every altar. And Bileam said to Balak, Remain by thy burnt offering; and I will go, if perhaps the Word may meet me from before the Lord; and the word that He showeth me I will disclose unto thee. And he went solitary.

      And the Word from before the Lord[4] met Bileam; and he said to Him; The seven altars have I set in order, and have offered a bullock and a ram upon every altar. And the Lord put a word upon Bileam's mouth, and said to him: Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. And he returned to him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the nobles of Moab. And he took up his parable, and said:

      Balak, king of Moab, hath brought me from Aram,

      From the mountains of the east:

      Come, curse me, Jakob,

      Come, hunt down[5] Israel for me.

      How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed?

      How shall I persecute whom God hath not?

      For from the top of the mountain I discern him,

      And look upon him from the heights;

      Lo, the people by themselves are to possess the world,

      And among the nations they shall not be judged with

            consumption.

      Who can number the dust of the house of Jakob,

      Of whom it is said, They shall increase as the dust of

            the earth,

      Or of one of the four camps of Israel?

      Let mine be the death of his truthful ones,

      And let my end be as theirs!

      And Balak said to Bileam, What hast thou done to me? I brought thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, blessing hast thou blessed them. But he said, That which the Lord hath put in my mouth must I not observe to speak? And Balak said to him, Come now with me to another place, from whence thou mayest see him, where thou canst see only the outer side, but not the whole, and curse him for me from thence. And he brought him to the field of the watch-tower on the top of the hill; and builded seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, and I will go yonder.

      And the Word from before the Lord met Bileam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus speak. And he came to him, and he was standing by his burnt offering, and the nobles of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the Lord spoken? And he took up his parable, and said:

      Arise, Balak, and hear,

      Listen to my words, Bar Zippor:

      The word of Eloha is not as the words of men;

      The sons of men speak, but lie;

      Nor is it as the works of the children of flesh,

      Who decree to do, but repent, and change their

            counsels.

      What He hath said He will perform,

      And His every word is steadfast.

      Behold, I have received benedictions to bless Israel,

      And I may not turn my blessing from him.

      I have seen that in the house of Jakob

      The worshippers of idols are not,

      Nor in Israel the workers of the work of lies.

      The Word of the Lord their God is their helper,

      And the Shekinah of their King is among them.

      God, who brought them out from Mizraim,

      Becomes his strength and exaltation.

      For no divinations can prosper against the house of

            Jakob,

      Nor enchantments against the myriads of Israel.

            According to the time it shall be said of Jakob and of

                        Israel,

            What hath Eloah wrought!

            Behold, the people shall dwell as a lioness,

            And as a lion shall he lift himself up;

            Until he hath slain with slaughter,

            He will not rest in his land,

            And inherit the treasures of the nations.

      And Balak said to Bileam, Neither cursing curse them, nor blessing bless them. But Bileam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do? And Balak said to Bileam, Come now, I will take thee to another place; perhaps it may be pleasing before the Lord, that thou mayest curse them for me from thence. And Balak conducted Bileam to the top of the high place that looketh toward the face of Beth Jeshimon. And Bileam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak did as Bileam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

      XXIV. And Bileam saw that it was appointed before the Lord to bless Israel; and he went not as at those former times to inquire by divinations, but set his face towards the calf that the sons of Israel had made in the wilderness. And Bileam lifted up his eyes, and beheld Israel dwelling by his tribes; and the Spirit of prophecy rested upon him from before the Lord. And he took up his parable, and said:

      Bileam, the son of Beor, hath said,

      The man who saw the Beautiful[6] hath said,

      He hath said who heard the Word from before God,

      Who saw the vision of the Almighty, prostrate when

            he saw:

      How goodly is thy land, O Jakob,

      And the house of thy habitation, O Israel!

      As rivers flowing onward; as the watered garden by

            Euphrates,

      As aromatics planted by the Lord; as cedars planted

            by the waters.

      The king anointed from his sons shall increase,

      And have dominion over many nations;

      His king shall be mightier than Agag, and his king-

            dom be exalted.

      God, who brought them from Mizraim, is mighty and

            high, and by Him

      Shall Israel use the wealth of the nations their foes,

      Enjoy the spoils of their kings, and inherit their lands.

      He reposed in his strength, as the lion and the

            lioness,

      And no kingdom may commove him.

      They who bless thee shall be blessed,

      And they who curse thee be accursed.

      And the anger of Balak was roused against Bileam, and he smote his hands together. And Balak said to Bileam, I called thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, blessing hast thou blessed them these three times! And now go to thy place. I said, Honouring I would honour thee; but, behold, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour. But Bileam said to Balak, Did I not also tell the messengers whom thou sentest to me, saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I have no power to transgress the decree of the Word of the Lord, to do good or evil of my own will; whatsoever the Lord shall sat that will I speak? And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come, I will give thee counsel what thou shouldst do; and will show thee what this people will do unto thy people at the end of the days. And he took up his parable, and said:

      Bileam, the son of Beor, speaketh,

      The man who saw the Beautiful speaketh,

      He speaks who heard the Word from before God,

      And who knoweth knowledge from the Most High,

      Who saw the vision of the Almighty, prostrate when

            he saw.

      I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh.

      When a king shall arise out of Jakob,

      And the Meshiha be anointed from Israel,

      He will slay the princes of Moab, and reign over all

            the children of men;

      And Edom shall be an inheritance,

      And Seir a possession of his adversaries;

      But Israel shall prosper in riches.

      One will descend from the house of Jakob,

      Who will destroy him that escapeth from the city of

            the peoples.

And he looked on the Amalkaah, and took up his parable, and said:

      Amalek was the beginning of the wars of Israel,

      But in his end he shall perish for ever.

And he beheld the Shalmaah, and took up his parable, and said:

      Strong is the house of thy dwelling,

      And in a strong fortress thou hast set thy abode;

      But yet Shalmaah shall be destroyed,

      For Athuria will make thee captive.

And he took up his parable, and said:

      Woe to the wicked who may live when God doeth this!

      And ships will come from the Kittaee,[7] 

      And afflict Athur, and subdue beyond the Phrat;

      But they also shall perish for ever.

And Bileam arose, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went upon his way.

      XXV. But Israel abode in Shittin; and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab; and they invited the people to the sacrifices of their idols, and the people did eat and bowed down to their idols. And Israel was joined unto Baala Pheor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

And the Lord said unto Mosheh: Take all the chiefs of the people, and judge, and slay him who is guilty of death before the Lord, over against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Mosheh said to the judges of Israel: Slay every man his men who have joined themselves to Baala Pheor.

      And, behold, a man of the sons of Israel came and brought to his brethren a Midianitha, in the eyes of Mosheh, and in the eyes of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance.

And Phinehas bar Elazar bar Aharon the priest saw, and arose from the midst of the congregation, and took a lance in his hand; and he went in after the man, the son of Israel, into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man, the son of Israel, and the woman, through her belly; and the pestilence was stayed from the children of Israel. But they who had died by the pestilence were twenty and four thousand.