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 ³³But 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.

Balak Welcomes Balaam

³⁶When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at Ar, a city on the River Arnon at the border of Moab. ³⁷Balak said to him, “Why didn’t you come when I sent for you the first time? Did you think I wasn’t able to reward you enough?”

³⁸Balaam answered, “I came, didn’t I? But now, what power have I got? I can say only what God tells me to say.” ³⁹So Balaam went with Balak to the town of Huzoth, ⁴⁰where Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

⁴¹Next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, from where Balaam could see a part of the people of Israel.

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Footnotes

xProbable text you should … journey; Hebrew unclear.