۞

« eventually he was persuaded to do so and ascended the mountain to pray against the Israelites. However, as he prayed against them his tongue was turned around so that his prayer was directed against his own people, and as he prayed for his own people, his tongue was turned around so that he prayed for the Israelites. When he returned to his people, they chided him for having prayed for the Israelites and against them. Balʿam then admitted that this was out of his control and his tongue stuck out so far that it fell on to his chest. He then devised a strategy whereby women would be sent among the Israelites to tempt them into fornication. This brought about a plague upon the Israelites. See Thaʿlabī, ʿArāʾis »