Numbers 22:4–35

⁴Then Moab said to the elders of ^aMidian, “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

⁵So he sent messengers to ^aBalaam the son of Beor, at ^bPethor, which is near the ¹River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are settled opposite me.

⁶“^aSo now, please come, ^bcurse this people for me since they are too ¹mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

⁷So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went away with the fees for ^adivination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and spoke Balak’s words to him.

⁸And he said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as Yahweh may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹Then ^aGod came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me,

¹¹‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”

¹²And God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; ^ayou shall not curse the people, for they ^bare blessed.”

¹³So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for Yahweh has refused to allow me to go with you.”

¹⁴And the leaders of Moab arose and came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to go with us.”

¹⁵Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more ¹honorable than ²the former.

¹⁶And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, withhold you from coming to me;

¹⁷for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. ^aPlease come then, curse this people for me.’”

¹⁸And Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “^aThough Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, to trespass the ¹command of Yahweh my God.

¹⁹“So now, please, you also stay here tonight, and I will know what else Yahweh will speak to me.”

²⁰And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but ^aonly the word which I speak to you shall you do.”

^21aSo Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel

²²But God was angry because he was going, ^aso the angel of Yahweh took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two young men were with him.

²³Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; so Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back into the way.

²⁴Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

²⁵And the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and it pressed itself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck it again.

²⁶And the angel of Yahweh passed on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left.

²⁷Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh and lay down under Balaam; so ^aBalaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.

²⁸And ^aYahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

²⁹Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, ^aI would have killed you by now.”

³⁰And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”

³¹Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw ^athe angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head down ¹and prostrated himself to the ground.

³²And the angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary because your way was ^1acontrary to me.

³³“And the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If it had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let it live.”

³⁴And Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “^aI have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. So now, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.”

³⁵But the angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but ^ayou shall speak only the word which I ¹tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.