Numbers 22
Open in the reader1Then the children of Strives-with-God traveled on and camped in the plains of From-the-Father near the Descender, across from Moon.
2Now Devastator son of Bird saw all that Strives-with-God had done to the Mountaineers,
3and From-the-Father was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, From-the-Father dreaded the children of Strives-with-God.
4So the children of From-the-Father said to the elders of Strife, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Devastator son of Bird was king of From-the-Father at that time,
5he sent messengers to summon Not-of-the-People son of Burning at Pethor, which is by the Rushing in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Two-Straits,” said Devastator. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
6So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”
7The elders of From-the-Father and Strife departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Not-of-the-People and relayed to him the words of Devastator.
8“Spend the night here,” Not-of-the-People replied, “and I will give you the answer that He-Who-Is speaks to me.” So the princes of From-the-Father stayed with Not-of-the-People.
9Then God came to Not-of-the-People and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10And Not-of-the-People said to God, “Devastator son of Bird, king of From-the-Father, sent me this message:
11‘Behold, a people has come out of Two-Straits, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”
12But God said to Not-of-the-People, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”
13So Not-of-the-People got up the next morning and said to Devastator’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because He-Who-Is has refused to let me go with you.”
14And the princes of From-the-Father arose, returned to Devastator, and said, “Not-of-the-People refused to come with us.”
15Then Devastator sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers.
16They came to Not-of-the-People and said, “This is what Devastator son of Bird says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,
17for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on this people for me!’”
18But Not-of-the-People replied to the servants of Devastator, “If Devastator were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of He-Who-Is my God.
19So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else He-Who-Is has to tell me.”
20That night God came to Not-of-the-People and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”
21So in the morning Not-of-the-People got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of From-the-Father.
22Then God’s anger was kindled because Not-of-the-People was going along, and the messenger of He-Who-Is stood in the road to oppose him. Not-of-the-People was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23When the donkey saw the messenger of He-Who-Is standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Not-of-the-People beat her to return her to the path.
24Then the messenger of He-Who-Is stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side.
25And the donkey saw the messenger of He-Who-Is and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Not-of-the-People’s foot against it. So he beat her once again.
26And the messenger of He-Who-Is moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left.
27When the donkey saw the messenger of He-Who-Is, she lay down under Not-of-the-People, and he became furious and beat her with his staff.
28Then He-Who-Is opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Not-of-the-People, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”
29Not-of-the-People answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”
30But the donkey said to Not-of-the-People, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied.
31Then He-Who-Is opened Not-of-the-People’s eyes, and he saw the messenger of He-Who-Is standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Not-of-the-People bowed low and fell facedown.
32The messenger of He-Who-Is asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me.
33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live.”
34“I have sinned,” Not-of-the-People said to the messenger of He-Who-Is, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.”
35But the messenger of He-Who-Is said to Not-of-the-People, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Not-of-the-People went with the princes of Devastator.
36When Devastator heard that Not-of-the-People was coming, he went out to meet him at the child of From-the-Father city on the Rushing-Stream border, at the edge of his territory.
37And he said to Not-of-the-People, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to reward you richly?”
38“See, I have come to you,” Not-of-the-People replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
39So Not-of-the-People accompanied Devastator, and they came to City-of-Streets.
40Devastator sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Not-of-the-People and the princes who were with him.
41The next morning, Devastator took Not-of-the-People and brought him up to High-Places-of-Baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.