Numbers 22:20-34

²⁰And word came from before the Lord unto Bileam by night, and said to him: If the men come to call thee, arise and go with them; nevertheless the word that I speak with thee, that thou shalt do.

²¹And Bileam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

²²But the displeasure of the Lord was provoked because he (so) went; and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to withstand him: and he was riding upon his ass, and his two young men with him.

²³And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass started aside from the road, and went into the field. And Bileam struck the ass to make her to return into the road.

²⁴And the angel of the Lord (again) stood in the way of the vineyards in a place where there was a fence here and a fence there.

²⁵And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord, and thrust herself to the wall, and drave Bileam’s foot against the wall; and he smote her again.

²⁶And the angel of the Lord yet passed on, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left.

²⁷And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord, and fell down under Bileam; and Bileam’s wrath was provoked, and he smote the ass with his staff.

²⁸And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass; and she spake to Bileam, What have I done to thee that thou bast smitten me these three times?

²⁹And Bileam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: would that there was a sword in my hand! For now would I kill thee.

³⁰And the ass said to Bileam, Am I not thy ass, upon whom thou hast ridden from (the time that) I have been thine unto this day? Have I ever been used to do thus to thee? And he said, No.

³¹And the Lord unveiled Bileam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword unsheathed in his hand: and he bowed, and worshipped upon his face.

³²And the angel of the Lord said to him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I have come out to withstand thee, because it is seen before me that thou art willing to go in a way contrary to me.

³³But the ass discerned me, and turned from before me these three times: unless she had turned from before me, now should I have slain thee, and her would I have spared.

³⁴And Bileam said to the angel of the Lord, I knew not that thou wast standing before me in the way. And now, if it be evil in thine eyes, I will return.