Numbers 22:30–41

^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.

³⁶Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, ^che went out to meet him at the city of Moab, ^dwhich is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. ³⁷Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able ^eto honor you?”

³⁸And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? ^fThe word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” ³⁹So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. ⁴⁰Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

⁴¹So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the ^ghigh places of Baal, that from there he might observe ¹the extent of the people.