^(a)  And  Balaam  went  with  Balak,  and  they  came
unto  Kiriath-huzoth.  And  Balak  ''sacrificed  oxen  and
sheep,  and  sent  unto  Balaam,  and  to  the  princes  that
were  with  him.  And  it  was  so  in  the  morning  that
Balak  took  Balaam,  and  brought  him  up  to  the 'high
places  of  Baal,  and  he  saw  from  thence  the  extremity
of  the  people.  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me
here  ''seven  altars,  and  prepare  me  here  seven  bullocks
and  seven  rams.  And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  spoken  ;
and  Balak  and  Balaam  offered  up  on  [every]  altar  a
bullock  and  a  ram.  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,
Stand  by  thy  burnt-offering,  and  I  will  go:  it  may  be
Jehovah  will  come  to  meet  me,  and  whatever  he  maj^
show  me  I  will  declare  to  thee.  And  he  went  to  a  bare
height.
appropriate,  and  on  the  other  hand  to  the  infinite  pity  of  God  which  could  not
use  even  one  like  thi.s  as  a  mere  machine  to  accomplisli  His  purposes  without
laboring  after  his  soul.  An  ass's  voice  may  indeed  thus  be  made,  not  merely
human,  hut  divine.
