to be contented with
the possession of the land of Canaan, God having forbidden them to go
any farther [7] So he, with more haste than wisdom, resolved to make
an attempt upon them by words; but he did not judge it prudent to fight
against them, after they had such prosperous successes, and even became
out of ill successes more happy than before, but he thought to hinder
them, if he could, from growing greater, and so he resolved to send
ambassadors to the Midianites about them. Now these Midianites knowing
there was one Balaam, who lived by Euphrates, and was the greatest of
the prophets at that time, and one that was in friendship with them,
sent some of their honorable princes along with the ambassadors of
Balak, to entreat the prophet to come to them, that he might imprecate
curses to the destruction of the Israelites. So Balsam received the
ambassadors, and treated them very kindly; and when he had supped, he
inquired what was God's will, and what this matter was for which the
Midianites entreated him to come to them. But when God opposed his
going, he came to the ambassadors, and told them that he was himself
very willing and desirous to comply with their request, but informed
them that God was opposite to his intentions, even that God who
had raised him to great reputation on account of the truth of his
predictions; for that this army, which they entreated him to come and
curse, was in the favor of God; on which account he advised them to go
home again, and not to persist in their enmity against the Israelites;
and when he had given them that answer, he dismissed the ambassadors.

3. Now the Midianites, at the earnest request and fervent entreaties of
Balak, sent other ambassadors to Balaam, who, desiring to gratify the
men, inquired again of God; but he was displeased at [second] trial [8]
and bid him by no means to contradict the ambassadors. Now Balsam did
not imagine that God gave this injunction in order to deceive him, so
he went along with the ambassadors; but when the divine angel met him in
the way, when he was in a narrow passage, and hedged in with a wall on
both sides, the ass on which Balaam rode understood that it was a divine
spirit that met him, and thrust Balaam to one of the walls, without
regard to the stripes which Balaam, when he was hurt by the wall, gave
her; but when the ass, upon the angel's continuing to distress her, and
upon the stripes which were given her, fell down, by the will of G