Numbers 22:12-28

¹²And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.

¹³And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.

¹⁴The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.

¹⁵Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:

¹⁶Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:

¹⁷For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse this people.

¹⁸Balaam answered: If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot alter the word of the Lord my God, to speak either more or less.

¹⁹I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.

²⁰God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: It these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee.

²¹Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his ass went with them.

²²And God was angry. And an angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who sat on the ass, and had two servants with him.

²³The ass seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way,

²⁴The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.

²⁵And the ass seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again:

²⁶And nevertheless the angel going on to a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left, stood to meet him.

²⁷And when the ass saw the angel standing, she fell under the feet of the rider: who being angry beat her sides more vehemently with a staff.

²⁸And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said: What have I done to thee? Why strikest thou me, lo, now this third time?