105 Jehovah spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, oh well; sing ye unto it: The well which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people hollowed out, With the wand of the ruler, and with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah: and from Mattanah to Nahaliel and from Nahaliel to Bamoth: and from Bamoth to the ravine, that is in the field of Moab, by the top of 110 Pisgah, which looketh toward the desert. 21.21. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 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 115 way, until we be past thy borders. 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. And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land 120 from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come ye to Heshbon, 125 Let the city of Sihon be built and restored : For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, 130 A flame from the city of Sihon : It hath consumed Ar of Moab, 135 140 The lords of the high places of Arnon. Woe to thee, Moab ! Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh : He hath given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, Unto Sihon king of the Amorites. We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, With fire, even unto Medeba. 21.31. Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there. And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei. 145 And Jehovah 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. So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive and they 150 possessed his land. LESSON XXIV BALAAM NUMBERS 22.2 to 23.10 22.2. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round 5 about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, 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 10 from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is 15 blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Jehovah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of 20 Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there 25 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. And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people for they are blessed. And Balaam rose up in the 30 morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you. And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us. And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they. And 35 they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me 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. And Balaam answered and 40 said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah my God, to do less or more. Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Jehovah will say unto me more. And God came unto Balaam 45 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. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went and the angel of 50 Jehovah stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah 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 55 her into the way. But the angel of Jehovah stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of Jehovah went further, 60 and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three 65 times ? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, 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, 70 Nay. Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out 75 to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me and the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive. And Balaam said unto the angel of Jehovah, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in 80 the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. And the angel of Jehovah said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he 85 went out to meet him unto the city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, even in the uttermost border. And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour? And Balaam said unto 90 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. And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath-huzoth. And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. 95 22.41. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into 1 Bamoth-baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people. (23.1) And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. And Balak did as Balaam 100 had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a 1 Bamoth means "High places." Baal in early times was a common name for God. 105 bullock and a ram. And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went away to a bare hill. And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. And he returned unto him, and, Io lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. And he took up his parable, and said, 115 120 Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, Saying, Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied? And from the hills I behold him : Lo, the people dwelleth alone, And is not reckoned among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, 125 And let my last end be like his ! LESSON XXV BALAAM NUMBERS 23.11 to 24.25 23.11. 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. And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah hath put in my 5 mouth? 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. And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built |