²¹Balaam got up the next morning and put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went with the Moabite leaders. ²²But God became angry because Balaam went, so the angel of the Lord stood in the road to stop Balaam. Balaam was riding his donkey, and he had two servants with him. ²³When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey left the road and went into the field. Balaam hit the donkey to force her back on the road.

²⁴Later, the angel of the Lord stood on a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. ²⁵Again the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she walked close to one wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her again.

²⁶The angel of the Lord went ahead again and stood at a narrow place, too narrow to turn left or right. ²⁷When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. This made him so angry that he hit her with his stick. ²⁸Then the Lord made the donkey talk, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to make you hit me three times?”

²⁹Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made me look foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!”

³⁰But the donkey said to Balaam, “I am your very own donkey, which you have ridden for years. Have I ever done this to you before?”

“No,” Balaam said.

³¹Then the Lord let Balaam see the angel of the Lord, who was standing in the road with his sword drawn. Then Balaam bowed facedown on the ground.

³²The angel of the Lord asked Balaam, “Why have you hit your donkey three times? I have stood here to stop you, because what you are doing is wrong. ³³The donkey saw me and turned away from me three times. If she had not turned away, I would have killed you by now, but I would have let her live.”

³⁴Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned; I did not know you were standing in the road to stop me. If I am wrong, I will go back.”

³⁵The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s leaders.

³⁶When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at Ar in Moab, which was beside the Arnon, at the edge of his country. ³⁷Balak said to Balaam, “I had asked you before to come quickly. Why didn’t you come to me? I am able to reward you well.”

³⁸But Balaam answered, “I have come to you now, but I can’t say just anything. I can only say what God tells me to say.”

³⁹Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.

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