sembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people strove with Moses, and spake, saying, "Would that we had died when our brethren died before Yahweh! And why have ye brought the assembly of Yahweh into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our beasts? And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink." And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces: and the glory of Yahweh appeared unto them. And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying, "Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink." And Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them, "Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle. And Yahweh said unto Moses and Aaron, "Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Yahweh, and he was sanctified in them."

And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers: and when we cried unto Yahweh, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border. Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land: we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go along the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the

left, until we have passed thy border." And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee.” And the children of Israel said unto him, "We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof: let me only, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet." And he said, "Thou shalt not pass through.' And Edom came out

against him with much people and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. And Israel vowed a vow unto Yahweh, and said," If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities?" And Yahweh hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah.

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, "Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's highway, until we have passed thy border." 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 came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel. And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon unto the 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 towns 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 the Arnon. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, "Come ye to Heshbon;

Let the city of Sihon be built and established:

For a fire is gone out of Heshbon,

A flame from the city of Sihon:

It hath devoured Ar of Moab,

The lords of the high places of the 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,
And we have laid waste even unto Nophah,

Which reacheth unto Medeba."

Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

And Moses

sent to spy out Jazer; and they took the towns thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.

THE STORY OF BALAAM

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 will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. And he sent messengers 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 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 know that he whom thou blessest is 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 Yahweh 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 Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, ' Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall 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 morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, "Get you into your land; for Yahweh 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."

"If

And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they. And 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 honor, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people." And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yahweh my God, to do less or more. Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Yahweh will speak unto me more." And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, " If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak 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 Yahweh placed himself 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 Yahweh standing in the way, with 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. Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And the ass saw the angel of Yahweh, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of Yahweh 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 ass saw the angel of Yahweh, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff. And Yahweh opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?" And Balaam said unto the ass, "Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee." And the ass said unto Balaam, "Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, "Nay."

Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. And the angel of Yahweh said unto him, "Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me: and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive." And Balaam said unto the angel of Yahweh, "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." And the angel of Yahweh 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 went out to meet him unto the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the 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 honor? And Balaam said unto Balak, "Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to speak any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak." And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-huzoth. And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people. . . ..And Balaam said