APPENDIX.

THE ORIGINAL FORM OF THE BOOK OF BALAAM.

In order to exhibit the Book of Balaam in its admirable symmetry, we subjoin it, in the English Translation, as we believe it to have been originally written.a

XXII.-2. When Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites [vers. 3, 4], 5. He sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river (Euphrates), into 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. 6. Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me; perhaps 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. 7. And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and they spoke to him the words of Balak. 8. And he said to them, Stay here this night, and I will bring you word, as the Lord shall speak to me. And the princes of Moab remained with Balaam. 9. And God came to Balaam, and said, Who are these men that are with thee? 10. And Balaam said to God, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11. Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covers the face of the earth; come now, curse me them; perhaps I shall then be able to fight against them, and drive them out. 12. And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go

a The additions we have made to the received Hebrew text are marked by italics; the omissions from that text by square brackets []; and the alterations by CAPITALS.

with them, thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed. 13. And Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go to your country, for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you. 14. And the princes of Moab rose, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.

15. And Balaam sent yet again princes, more numerous and more distinguished than those. 16. And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak, the son of Zippor, Do not, I pray thee, withhold thyself from coming to me; 17. For I will honour thee greatly, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest to me: come, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. 18. And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go against the command of the Lord my God, to do a small or a great thing. 19. Now, therefore, I pray you, remain you also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say to me more. 20. And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men are come to call thee, rise and go with them; but only that which I shall tell thee, that shalt thou do. 21. And Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

[Vers. 22-35.]

36. And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the city of Moab, which is at the border of the Arnon, which is at the utmost boundary (of the land). 37. And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to thee to call thee? wherefore didst thou not come to me? am I not forsooth able to honour thee? 38. And Balaam said to Balak, Behold, I am come to thee; have I now any power at all to say anything? the word that God shall put in my mouth, that shall I speak. 39. And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath-huzoth. 40. And Balak killed oxen and sheep, and sent thereof to Balaam and to the princes that were with him.

41. And on the next morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to Bamoth-Baal, and thence he saw the extreme part of the people. XXIII.-1. And Balaam said to Balak,

Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 2. And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3. And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go, perhaps the Lord will come to meet me; and whatsoever He will show me, I shall tell thee. And he went to a solitude. 4. And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5. And the Lord put words in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6. And he returned to him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

7. And he took up his parable and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east come, curse me Jacob, and come, execrate Israel! 8. How shall I curse, whom God doth not curse? and how shall I execrate, whom the Lord doth not execrate? 9. For from the summit of the rocks I see them, and from the hills I behold them: lo, a people that dwelleth apart, and is not reckoned among the nations. 10. Who counteth the dust of Jacob, and by number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and be my end like them!

11. And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them indeed. 12. And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord puts in my mouth? 13. And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, whence thou mayest see them-only the extreme part of them shalt thou see, but shalt not see them all and curse me them from thence. 14. And he brought him to the Field of Seers, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15. And he said to Balak, Stand as before by thy burnt-offering, while I go to meet (the Lord) as before. 16. And the Lord met Balaam, and put words in his mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and speak thus. 17. And when he came to him, behold, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord spoken?

18. And he took up his parable, and said, Rise, Balak, and hear, hearken unto me, son of Zippor! 19. God is not a man, that He should lie, nor the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said and shall He not do it, and spoken and shall He not fulfil it? 20. Behold, I have received command to bless, and He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 21. He beholdeth no iniquity in Jacob, nor seeth distress in Israel; the Lord their God is with them, and the trumpet-call of the King is among them. 22. God brought them out of Egypt-they have the fleetness of the buffalo. 23. For there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor divination in Israel; in due time it is told to Jacob and to Israel, what God doeth. 24. Behold, they are a people that rise as the lioness, and lift themselves up like the lion they do not lie down till they eat their prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25. And Balak said to Balaam, Neither shalt thou curse them, nor shalt thou bless them. 26. And Balaam answered and said to Balak, Have I not told thee, saying, All that the Lord speaks, that I must do? 27. And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will take thee to another place; perhaps it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. 28. And Balak took Balaam to the summit of Peor, that looks over the plain of the wilderness. 29. And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 30. And Balak did as Balaam had said, and he offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. XXIV.-1. And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as the first and second time, to meet GOD, and he turned his face towards the wilderness. 2. And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

3. And he took up his parable, and said, So speaketh Balaam, the son of Beor, and so speaketh the man of unclosed eye; 4. So speaketh he who heareth the words of God [], and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, he who seeth the vision of the Almighty, prostrate and with opened eyes: 5. How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy

tabernacles, O Israel! 6. As valleys that are spread out, as gardens by the river's side; as aloe trees which the Lord hath planted, as cedars beside the water. 7. Water floweth from his buckets, and his seed is by many waters: and his king is higher than Agag.

ON] He devoureth nations, his enemies, and crusheth their bones, and pierceth with his arrows. 9. He coucheth, he lieth down like a lion and like a lioness; who shall stir him up? Blessed are those that bless thee, and cursed those that curse thee.

10. And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast ever blessed them these three times. 11. Therefore now, flee thou to thy place; I thought to honour thee indeed, but, behold, the Lord has kept thee back from honour. 12. And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not also speak to thy messengers, whom thou hast sent to me, saying, 13. If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go against the command of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own mind; but what the Lord says, that will I speak? 14. And now, behold, I go to my people; come, I will tell thee, what this people is destined to do to thy people in later days.

15. And he took up his parable, and said, So speaketh Balaam the son of Beor, and so speaketh the man of unclosed eye; 16. So speaketh he who heareth the words of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High; who seeth the vision of the Almighty, prostrate and with opened eyes: 17. I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: there cometh a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and smiteth both sides of Moab, and shattereth all the children of tumult.

[Vers. 18-24.]

25. And Balaam rose, and went away, and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.