Nombres (NAB) 16
16 1 Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, (and Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, son of Pallu, son of Reuben) took 2 two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders in the community, members of the council and men of note. They stood before Moses,3 and held an assembly against Moses and Aaron, to whom they said, "Enough from you! The whole community, all of them, are holy; the LORD is in their midst. Why then should you set yourselves over the LORD'S congregation?"4 When Moses heard this, he fell prostrate.5 Then he said to Korah and to all his band, "May the LORD make known tomorrow morning who belongs to him and who is the holy one and whom he will have draw near to him! Whom he chooses, he will have draw near him.6 Do this: take your censers (Korah and all his band)7 and put fire in them and place incense in them before the LORD tomorrow. He whom the LORD then chooses is the holy one. Enough from you Levites!"8 Moses also said to Korah, "Listen to me, you Levites!9 Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has singled you out from the community of Israel, to have you draw near him for the service of the LORD'S Dwelling and to stand before the community to minister for them?10 He has allowed you and your kinsmen, the descendants of Levi, to approach him, and yet you now seek the priesthood too.11 It is therefore against the LORD that you and all your band are conspiring. For what has Aaron done that you should grumble against him?"
12 Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, but they answered, "We will not go. 13 Are you not satisfied with having led us here away from a land flowing with milk and honey, to make us perish in the desert, that you must now lord it over us?14 Far from bringing us to a land flowing with milk and honey, or giving us fields and vineyards for our inheritance, will you also gouge out our eyes? No, we will not go." 15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Pay no heed to their offering. I have never taken a single ass from them, nor have I wronged any one of them."16 Moses said to Korah, "You and all your band shall appear before the LORD tomorrow-you and they and Aaron too.17 Then each of your two hundred and fifty followers shall take his own censer, put incense in it, and offer it to the LORD; and you and Aaron, each with his own censer, shall do the same."18 So they all took their censers, and laying incense on the fire they had put in them, they took their stand by the entrance of the meeting tent along with Moses and Aaron.19 Then, when Korah had assembled all his band against them at the entrance of the meeting tent, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire community,20 and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,21 "Stand apart from this band, that I may consume them at once."22 But they fell prostrate and cried out, "O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will one man's sin make you angry with the whole community?"
23 The LORD answered Moses,24 "Speak to the community and tell them: Withdraw from the space around the Dwelling" (of Korah, Dathan and Abiram).25 Moses, followed by the elders of Israel, arose and went to Dathan and Abiram. 26 Then he warned the community, "Keep away from the tents of these wicked men and do not touch anything that is theirs: otherwise you too will be swept away because of all their sins."27 When Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing at the entrances of their tents with their wives and sons and little ones,28 Moses said, "This is how you shall know that it was the LORD who sent me to do all I have done, and that it was not I who planned it:29 if these men die an ordinary death, merely suffering the fate common to all mankind, then it was not the LORD who sent me.30 But if the LORD does something entirely new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them alive down into the nether world, with all belonging to them, then you will know that these men have defied the LORD."31 No sooner had he finished saying all this than the ground beneath them split open,32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their families (and all of Korah's men) and all their possessions.33 They went down alive to the nether world with all belonging to them; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the community.34 But all the Israelites near them fled at their shrieks, saying, "The earth might swallow us too!"
35 So they withdrew from the space around the Dwelling (of Korah, Dathan and Abiram). And fire from the LORD came forth which consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.
17 1 The LORD said to Moses,2 "Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to remove the censers from the embers; and scatter the fire some distance away,3 for these sinners have consecrated the censers at the cost of their lives. Have them hammered into plates to cover the altar, because in being presented before the LORD they have become sacred. In this way they shall serve as a sign to the Israelites." 4 So Eleazar the priest had the bronze censers of those burned during the offering hammered into a covering for the altar,5 in keeping with the orders which the LORD had given him through Moses. This cover was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no layman, no one who was not a descendant of Aaron, should approach the altar to offer incense before the LORD, lest he meet the fate of Korah and his band.
6 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "It is you who have slain the LORD'S people."7 But while the community was deliberating against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the meeting tent, and the cloud now covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.8 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent,9 and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,10 "Depart from this community, that I may consume them at once." But they fell prostrate.11 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, and bring it quickly to the community to make atonement for them; for wrath has come forth from the LORD and the blow is falling."12 Obeying the orders of Moses, Aaron took his censer and ran in among the community, where the blow was already falling on the people. Then, as he offered the incense and made atonement for the people,13 standing there between the living and the dead, the scourge was checked.14 Yet fourteen thousand seven hundred died from the scourge, in addition to those who died because of Korah.15 When the scourge had been checked, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the meeting tent.
16 The LORD now said to Moses,17 "Speak to the Israelites and get one staff from them for each ancestral house, twelve staffs in all, one from each of their tribal princes. Mark each man's name on his staff; 18 and mark Aaron's name on Levi's staff, for the head of Levi's ancestral house shall also have a staff. 19 Then lay them down in the meeting tent, in front of the commandments, where I meet you.20 There the staff of the man of my choice shall sprout. Thus will I suppress from my presence the Israelites' grumbling against you."21 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their princes gave him staffs, twelve in all, one from each tribal prince; and Aaron's staff was with them.22 Then Moses laid the staffs down before the LORD in the tent of the commandments.23 The next day, when Moses entered the tent, Aaron's staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth not only shoots, but blossoms as well, and even bore ripe almonds!24 Moses thereupon brought out all the staffs from the LORD'S presence to the Israelites. After each prince identified his own staff and took it,25 the LORD said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the commandments, to be kept there as a warning to the rebellious, so that their grumbling may cease before me; if it does not, they will die."26 And Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.
27 Then the Israelites cried out to Moses, "We are perishing; we are lost, we are all lost! 28 Every time anyone approaches the Dwelling of the LORD, he dies! Are we to perish to the last man?"
18 1 The LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons as well as the other members of your ancestral house shall be responsible for the sanctuary; but the responsibility of the priesthood shall rest on you and your sons alone. 2 Bring with you also your other kinsmen of the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, as your associates and assistants, while you and your sons are in front of the tent of the commandments. 3 They shall look after your persons and the whole tent; however, they shall not come near the sacred vessels or the altar, lest both they and you die.4 As your associates they shall have charge of all the work connected with the meeting tent. But no layman shall come near you. 5 You shall have charge of the sanctuary and of the altar, that wrath may not fall again upon the Israelites.6 "Remember, it is I who have taken your kinsmen, the Levites, from the body of the Israelites; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD for the service of the meeting tent.7 But only you and your sons are to have charge of performing the priestly functions in whatever concerns the altar and the room within the veil. I give you the priesthood as a gift. Any layman who draws near shall be put to death."
8 The LORD said to Aaron, "I myself have given you charge of the contributions made to me in the various sacred offerings of the Israelites; by perpetual ordinance I have assigned them to you and to your sons as your priestly share. 9 You shall have the right to share in the oblations that are most sacred, in whatever they offer me as cereal offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings; these shares shall accrue to you and to your sons.10 In eating them you shall treat them as most sacred; every male among you may partake of them. As sacred, they belong to you.11 "You shall also have what is removed from the gift in every wave offering of the Israelites; by perpetual ordinance I have assigned it to you and to your sons and daughters. All in your family who are clean may partake of it. 12 I have also assigned to you all the best of the new oil and of the new wine and grain that they give to the LORD as their first fruits;13 and likewise, of whatever grows on their land, the first products that they bring in to the LORD shall be yours; all of your family who are clean may partake of them.14 Whatever is doomed in Israel shall be yours. 15 Every living thing that opens the womb, whether of man or of beast, such as are to be offered to the LORD, shall be yours; but you must let the first-born of man, as well as of unclean animals, be redeemed.16 The ransom for a boy is to be paid when he is a month old; it is fixed at five silver shekels according to the sanctuary standard, twenty gerahs to the shekel.17 But the first-born of cattle, sheep or goats shall not be redeemed; they are sacred. Their blood you must splash on the altar and their fat you must burn as a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD.18 Their meat, however, shall be yours, just as the breast and the right leg of the wave offering belong to you.19 By perpetual ordinance I have assigned to you and to your sons and daughters all the contributions from the sacred gifts which the Israelites make to the LORD; this is an inviolable covenant to last forever before the LORD, for you and for your descendants." 20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall not have any heritage in the land of the Israelites nor hold any portion among them; I will be your portion and your heritage among them. 21 "To the Levites, however, I hereby assign all tithes in Israel as their heritage in recompense for the service they perform in the meeting tent.22 The Israelites may no longer approach the meeting tent; else they will incur guilt deserving death.23 Only the Levites are to perform the service of the meeting tent, and they alone shall be held responsible; this is a perpetual ordinance for all your generations. The Levites, therefore, shall not have any heritage among the Israelites,24 for I have assigned to them as their heritage the tithes which the Israelites give as a contribution to the LORD. That is why I have ordered that they are not to have any heritage among the Israelites."25 The LORD said to Moses,26 "Give the Levites these instructions: When you receive from the Israelites the tithes I have assigned you from them as your heritage, you are to make a contribution from them to the LORD, a tithe of the tithes;27 and your contribution will be credited to you as if it were grain from the threshing floor or new wine from the press.28 Thus you too shall make a contribution from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites, handing over to Aaron the priest the part to be contributed to the LORD.29 From all the gifts that you receive, and from the best parts, you are to consecrate to the LORD your own full contribution.30 "Tell them also: Once you have made your contribution from the best part, the rest of the tithes will be credited to you Levites as if it were produce of the threshing floor or of the winepress.31 Your families, as well as you, may eat them anywhere, since they are your recompense for service at the meeting tent.32 You will incur no guilt so long as you make a contribution of the best part. Do not profane the sacred gifts of the Israelites and so bring death on yourselves."
19 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:2 "This is the regulation which the law of the LORD prescribes. Tell the Israelites to procure for you a red heifer that is free from every blemish and defect and on which no yoke has ever been laid.3 This is to be given to Eleazar the priest, to be led outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the meeting tent. 5 Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight, with its hide and flesh, its blood and offal;6 and the priest shall take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet yarn and throw them into the fire in which the heifer is being burned.7 The priest shall then wash his garments and bathe his body in water. He remains unclean until the evening, and only afterward may he return to the camp.8 Likewise, he who burned the heifer shall wash his garments, bathe his body in water, and be unclean until evening.9 Finally, a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them in a clean place outside the camp. There they are to be kept for preparing lustral water for the Israelite community. The heifer is a sin offering.10 He who has gathered up the ashes of the heifer shall also wash his garments and be unclean until evening. This is a perpetual ordinance, both for the Israelites and for the aliens residing among them.11 "Whoever touches the dead body of any human being shall be unclean for seven days;12 he shall purify himself with the water on the third and on the seventh day, and then he will be clean again. But if he fails to purify himself on the third and on the seventh day, he will not become clean.13 Everyone who fails to purify himself after touching the body of any deceased person, defiles the Dwelling of the LORD and shall be cut off from Israel. Since the lustral water has not been splashed over him, he remains unclean: his uncleanness still clings to him.14 "This is the law: When a man dies in a tent, everyone who enters the tent, as well as everyone already in it, shall be unclean for seven days;15 likewise, every vessel that is open, or with its lid unfastened, shall be unclean.16 Moreover, everyone who in the open country touches a dead person, whether he was slain by the sword or died naturally, or who touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.17 For anyone who is thus unclean, ashes from the sin offering shall be put in a vessel, and spring water shall be poured on them. 18 Then a man who is clean shall take some hyssop, dip it in this water, and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the vessels and persons that were in it, or on him who touched a bone, a slain person or other dead body, or a grave.19 The clean man shall sprinkle the unclean on the third and on the seventh day; thus purified on the seventh day, he shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water, and in the evening he will be clean again.20 Any unclean man who fails to have himself purified shall be cut off from the community, because he defiles the sanctuary of the LORD. As long as the lustral water has not been splashed over him, he remains unclean. 21 This shall be a perpetual ordinance for you. "One who sprinkles the lustral water shall wash his garments, and anyone who comes in contact with this water shall be unclean until evening.22 Moreover, whatever the unclean person touches becomes unclean itself, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean until evening."
20 1 The whole Israelite community arrived in the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled at Kadesh. It was here that Miriam died, and here that she was buried. 2 As the community had no water, they held a council against Moses and Aaron.3 The people contended with Moses, exclaiming, "Would that we too had perished with our kinsmen in the LORD'S presence!4 Why have you brought the LORD'S community into this desert where we and our livestock are dying?5 Why did you lead us out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place which has neither grain nor figs nor vines nor pomegranates? Here there is not even water to drink!"6 But Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the meeting tent, where they fell prostrate. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them,7 and the LORD said to Moses,8 "Take the staff and assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron, and in their presence order the rock to yield its waters. From the rock you shall bring forth water for the community and their livestock to drink."9 So Moses took the staff from its place before the LORD, as he was ordered.10 He and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock, where he said to them, "Listen to me, you rebels! Are we to bring water for you out of this rock?"11 Then, raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff, and water gushed out in abundance for the community and their livestock to drink. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you were not faithful to me in showing forth my sanctity before the Israelites, you shall not lead this community into the land I will give them." 13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites contended against the LORD, and where he revealed his sanctity among them.
14 From Kadesh Moses sent men to the king of Edom with the message: "Your brother Israel has this to say: You know of all the hardships that have befallen us, 15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we stayed a long time, how the Egyptians maltreated us and our fathers,16 and how, when we cried to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel who led us out of Egypt. Now here we are at the town of Kadesh at the edge of your territory.17 Kindly let us pass through your country. We will not cross any fields or vineyards, nor drink any well water, but we will go straight along the royal road without turning to the right or to the left, until we have passed through your territory." 18 But Edom answered him, "You shall not pass through here; if you do, I will advance against you with the sword."19 The Israelites insisted, "We want only to go up along the highway. If we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. Surely there is no harm in merely letting us march through."20 But Edom still said, "No, you shall not pass through," and advanced against them with a large and heavily armed force.21 Therefore, since Edom refused to let them pass through their territory, Israel detoured around them.
22 Setting out from Kadesh, the whole Israelite community came to Mount Hor. 23 There at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,24 "Aaron is about to be taken to his people; he shall not enter the land I am giving to the Israelites, because you both rebelled against my commandment at the waters of Meribah.25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up on Mount Hor.26 Then strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar; for there Aaron shall be taken in death."27 Moses did as the LORD commanded. When they had climbed Mount Hor in view of the whole community,28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain. When Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,29 all the community understood that Aaron had passed away; and for thirty days the whole house of Israel mourned him.
21 1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that the Israelites were coming along the way of Atharim, he engaged them in battle and took some of them captive. 2 Israel then made this vow to the LORD: "If you deliver this people into my hand, I will doom their cities."3 Later, when the LORD heeded Israel's prayer and delivered up the Canaanites, they doomed them and their cities. Hence that place was named Hormah.
4 From Mount Hor they set out on the Red Sea road, to by-pass the land of Edom. But with their patience worn out by the journey,5 the people complained against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!" 6 In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people,8 and the LORD said to Moses, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover." 9 Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered.
10 The Israelites moved on and encamped in Oboth.11 Setting out from Oboth, they encamped in Iye-abarim in the desert fronting Moab on the east. 12 Setting out from there, they encamped in the Wadi Zered.13 Setting out from there, they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, in the desert that extends from the territory of the Amorites; for the Arnon forms Moab's boundary with the Amorites.14 Hence it is said in the "Book of the Wars of the LORD": "Waheb in Suphah and the wadies, 15 Arnon and the wadi gorges That reach back toward the site of Ar and slant to the border of Moab."16 From there they went to Beer, where there was the well of which the LORD said to Moses, "Bring the people together, and I will give them water." 17 Then it was that Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!-- so sing to it-- 18 The well that the princes sank, that the nobles of the people dug, with their scepters and their staffs." From Beer they went to Mattanah,19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,20 from Bamoth to the cleft in the plateau of Moab at the headland of Pisgah that overlooks Jeshimon.
21 Now Israel sent men to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the message,22 "Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, nor will we drink any well water, but we will go straight along the royal road until we have passed through your territory."23 Sihon, however, would not let Israel pass through his territory, but mustered all his forces and advanced into the desert against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he engaged Israel in battle.24 But Israel defeated him at the point of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and as far as the country of the Ammonites, whose boundary was at Jazer.25 Israel seized all the towns here and settled in these towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its dependencies.26 Now Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had seized all his land from Jazer to the Arnon.27 That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt, let Sihon's capital be firmly constructed.28 For fire went forth from Heshbon and a blaze from the city of Sihon; It consumed the cities of Moab and swallowed up the high places of the Arnon.29 Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined, O people of Chemosh! He let his sons become fugitives and his daughters be taken captive by the Amorite king Sihon. 30 Their plowland is ruined from Heshbon to Dibon; Ar is laid waste; fires blaze as far as Medeba."31 When Israel had settled in the land of the Amorites,32 Moses sent spies to Jazer; Israel then captured it with its dependencies and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
33 Then they turned and went up along the road to Bashan. But Og, king of Bashan, advanced against them with all his people to give battle at Edrei.34 The LORD, however, said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him; for into your hand I will deliver him with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon."35 So they struck him down with his sons and all his people, until not a survivor was left to him, and they took possession of his land.
22 1 Then the Israelites moved on and encamped in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jericho stretch of the Jordan.
2 Now Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel did to the Amorites.3 Indeed, Moab feared the Israelites greatly because of their numbers, and detested them.4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Soon this horde will devour all the country around us as an ox devours the grass of the field." And Balak, Zippor's son, who was king of Moab at that time,5 sent messengers to Balaam, son of Beor, at Pethor on the Euphrates, in the land of the Amawites, summoning him with these words, "A people has come here from Egypt who now cover the face of the earth and are settling down opposite us!6 Please come and curse this people for us; they are stronger than we are. We may then be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed." 7 Then the elders of Moab and of Midian left with the divination fee in hand and went to Balaam. When they had given him Balak's message,8 he said to them in reply, "Stay here overnight, and I will give you whatever answer the LORD gives me." So the princes of Moab lodged with Balaam.9 Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men visiting you?"10 Balaam answered God, "Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me the message:11 'This people that came here from Egypt now cover the face of the earth. Please come and lay a curse on them for us; we may then be able to give them battle and drive them out.'"12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them and do not curse this people, for they are blessed."13 The next morning Balaam arose and told the princes of Balak, "Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you."14 So the princes of Moab went back to Balak with the report, "Balaam refused to come with us."15 Balak again sent princes, who were more numerous and more distinguished than the others.16 On coming to Balaam they told him, "This is what Balak, son of Zippor, has to say: Please do not refuse to come to me.17 I will reward you very handsomely and will do anything you ask of me. Please come and lay a curse on this people for me."18 But Balaam replied to Balak's officials, "Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD, my God.19 But, you too shall stay here overnight, till I learn what else the LORD may tell me."20 That night God came to Balaam and said to him, "If these men have come to summon you, you may go with them; yet only on the condition that you do exactly as I tell you."21 So the next morning when Balaam arose, he saddled his ass, and went off with the princes of Moab.
22 But now the anger of God flared up at him for going, and the angel of the LORD stationed himself on the road to hinder him as he was riding along on his ass, accompanied by two of his servants. 23 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing on the road with sword drawn, she turned off the road and went into the field, and Balaam had to beat her to bring her back on the road.24 Then the angel of the LORD took his stand in a narrow lane between vineyards with a stone wall on each side.25 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD there, she shrank against the wall; and since she squeezed Balaam's leg against it, he beat her again.26 The angel of the LORD then went ahead, and stopped next in a passage so narrow that there was no room to move either to the right or to the left.27 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD there, she cowered under Balaam. So, in anger, he again beat the ass with his stick.28 But now the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that you should beat me these three times?"29 "You have acted so willfully against me," said Balaam to the ass, "that if I but had a sword at hand, I would kill you here and now."30 But the ass said to Balaam, "Am I not your own beast, and have you not always ridden upon me until now? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way before?" "No," replied Balaam.31 Then the LORD removed the veil from Balaam's eyes, so that he too saw the angel of the LORD standing on the road with sword drawn; and he fell on his knees and bowed to the ground.32 But the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you beaten your ass these three times? It is I who have come armed to hinder you because this rash journey of yours is directly opposed to me.33 When the ass saw me, she turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you; her I would have spared."34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. Yet I did not know that you stood against me to oppose my journey. Since it has displeased you, I will go back home."35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but you may say only what I tell you." So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the boundary city Ir-Moab on the Arnon at the end of the Moabite territory.37 And he said to Balaam, "I sent an urgent summons to you! Why did you not come to me? Did you think I could not reward you?"38 Balaam answered him, "Well, I have come to you after all. But what power have I to say anything? I can speak only what God puts in my mouth."39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.40 Here Balak slaughtered oxen and sheep, and sent portions to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up on Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw some of the clans.
Nombres (NAB) 16