And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Ba´alim.
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Ba´laam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
E´phra-im shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Ba´laam the son of Be´or answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord 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 Ba´laam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Ba´laam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Pe´or, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Ba´laam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.