民數記22:1-20

22:1 以色列人起行，在摩押平原、約旦河東，對著耶利哥安營。
22:2 以色列人向亞摩利人所行的一切事，西撥的兒子巴勒都看見了。
22:3 摩押人因以色列民甚多，就大大懼怕，心內憂急，
22:4 對米甸的長老說：「現在這眾人要把我們四圍所有的一概餂盡，就如牛餂盡田間的草一般。」那時西撥的兒子巴勒作摩押王。
22:5 他差遣使者往大河邊的毘奪去，到比珥的兒子巴蘭本鄉那裡，召巴蘭來，說：「有一宗民從埃及出來，遮滿地面，與我對居。
22:6 這民比我強盛，現在求你來為我咒詛他們，或者我能得勝，攻打他們，趕出此地。因為我知道，你為誰祝福，誰就得福；你咒詛誰，誰就受咒詛。」
22:7 摩押的長老和米甸的長老手裡拿著卦金，到了巴蘭那裡，將巴勒的話都告訴了他。
22:8 巴蘭說：「你們今夜在這裡住宿，我必照耶和華所曉諭我的回報你們。」摩押的使臣就在巴蘭那裡住下了。
22:9 上帝臨到巴蘭那裡，說：「在你這裡的人都是誰？」
22:10 巴蘭回答說：「是摩押王西撥的兒子巴勒打發人到我這裡來，說：
22:11 『從埃及出來的民遮滿地面，你來為我咒詛他們，或者我能與他們爭戰，把他們趕出去。』」
22:12 上帝對巴蘭說：「你不可同他們去，也不可咒詛那民，因為那民是蒙福的。」
22:13 巴蘭早晨起來，對巴勒的使臣說：「你們回本地去吧，因為耶和華不容我和你們同去。」
22:14 摩押的使臣就起來，回巴勒那裡去，說：「巴蘭不肯和我們同來。」
22:15 巴勒又差遣使臣，比先前的又多又尊貴。
22:16 他們到了巴蘭那裡，對他說：「西撥的兒子巴勒這樣說：『求你不容甚麼事攔阻你不到我這裡來，
22:17 因為我必使你得極大的尊榮。你向我要甚麼，我就給你甚麼；只求你來為我咒詛這民。』」
22:18 巴蘭回答巴勒的臣僕說：「巴勒就是將他滿屋的金銀給我，我行大事小事也不得越過耶和華─我上帝的命。
22:19 現在我請你們今夜在這裡住宿，等我得知耶和華還要對我說甚麼。」
22:20 當夜，上帝臨到巴蘭那裡，說：「這些人若來召你，你就起來同他們去，你只要遵行我對你所說的話。」

 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.

² Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, ³ and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
⁴ The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, ⁵ sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said:
“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. ⁶ Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”

⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.

⁸ “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
⁹ God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: ¹¹ ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’”
¹² But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
¹³ The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
¹⁴ So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
¹⁵ Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said:
“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, ¹⁷ because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”

¹⁸ But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. ¹⁹ Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.”

²⁰ That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”

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    巴蘭雖然不在以色列人中間，卻是耶和華的先知。巴勒王不知他的來歷，卻相信巴蘭是有能力的先知，差遣使者往大河邊的毘奪去，召巴蘭來，說：「有一宗民從埃及出來，遮滿地面，與我對居。這民比我強盛，現在求你來為我咒詛他們，或者我能得勝，攻打他們，趕出此地。因為我知道，你為誰祝福，誰就得福；你咒詛誰，誰就受咒詛。」

    當然上帝不准巴蘭去咒詛，可是巴蘭實在受不了金錢的誘惑，所以誤認了上帝的感動，以為「這些人若來召你，你就起來同他們去，你只要遵行我對你所說的話。」

    而巴蘭先知之所以有這樣的誤認，是因為人的感覺會誤判上帝的感動，以致於讓自己的意思成了上帝的引導。彼得對他的評論是：「他們離棄正路，就走差了，隨從比珥之子巴蘭的路。巴蘭就是那貪愛不義之工價的先知，」(彼得後書2:15)

    也因為如此，我們不可以隨便聽信所謂「先知」的話，要以聖經來查驗，以免一同誤入歧途！