Numbers 22:17-31

¹⁷because I will pay you a great deal and follow all the advice you give me. Please come and curse these people for me!’”

¹⁸But Balaam told Balak's officials, “Even if Balak gave me his whole palace full of silver and gold, I couldn't disobey the command of the Lord my God in any way.

¹⁹Now you should also stay the night so I can see if the Lord has anything else to tell me.”

²⁰God came to Balaam during the night and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But only do what I tell you.”

²¹In the morning Balaam got up, put a saddle on his donkey, and left with the Moabite leaders.

²²God's got angry because Balaam had decided to go. The angel of the Lord came and stood in the road to confront him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and he was accompanied by his two servants.

²³The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road holding a drawn sword, so it turned from the road and went into a field. So Balaam beat it to make it go back to the road.

²⁴Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow part of the road that passed between two vineyards, with walls on both sides.

²⁵The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and tried to get past. It pushed up against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it. So he beat it again.

²⁶Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to get past, either on the right or the left.

²⁷The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and lay down under Balaam. He got angry and beat it with his walking stick.

²⁸The Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you for you to beat me three times?”

²⁹“You made me look stupid!” Balaam told the donkey. “If I was holding a sword, I'd kill you now!”

³⁰But the donkey asked Balaam, “Aren't I the donkey you've ridden all your life right up to today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he admitted.

³¹Then the Lord gave Balaam the ability to see the angel of the Lord standing in the road holding a drawn sword. Balaam bowed low and fell facedown on the ground.