Numbers 22:22–35

Balaam and His Donkey

²²God was angry that Balaam was going, and as Balaam was riding along on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants, the angel of the Lord stood in the road to bar his way. ²³When the donkey saw the angel standing there holding a sword, it left the road and turned into the fields. Balaam beat the donkey and brought it back on to the road. ²⁴Then the angel stood where the road narrowed between two vineyards and had a stone wall on each side. ²⁵When the donkey saw the angel, it moved over against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against it. Again Balaam beat the donkey. ²⁶Once more the angel moved ahead; he stood in a narrow place where there was no room at all to pass on either side. ²⁷This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down. Balaam lost his temper and began to beat the donkey with his stick. ²⁸Then the Lord gave the donkey the power of speech, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me these three times?”

²⁹Balaam answered, “Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you.”

³⁰The donkey replied, “Am I not the same donkey on which you have ridden all your life? Have I ever treated you like this before?”

“No,” he answered.

³¹Then the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing there with his sword; and Balaam threw himself face downwards on the ground. ³²The angel demanded, “Why have you beaten your donkey three times like this? I have come to bar your way, because you should not be making this journey.^{x 33}But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it hadn’t, I would have killed you and spared the donkey.”

³⁴Balaam replied, “I have sinned. I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me; but now if you think it is wrong for me to go on, I will return home.”

³⁵But the angel said, “Go on with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with them.