Numbers 22:22–35

Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel

²²Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, ^tand the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³Now ^uthe donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. ²⁴Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. ²⁶Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. ²⁷And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸Then the Lord ^vopened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

²⁹And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have ⁵abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, ^wfor now I would kill you!”

^30xSo the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever ⁶disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

³¹Then the Lord ^yopened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. ³²And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out ⁷to stand against you, because your way is ^zperverse ⁸before Me. ³³The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

³⁴And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, ^a“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it ⁹displeases You, I will turn back.”

³⁵Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, ^bbut only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.