Numbers 22:7-28

⁷And the elders of Moab went, and the elders of Midian, and their divining instruments were in their hands; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.

⁸And he said to them, Tarry here the night, and I will answer you the things which the Lord shall say to me; and the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹And God came to Balaam, and said to him, Who are these men with thee?

¹⁰And Balaam said to God, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them to me, saying,

¹¹Behold, a people has come forth out of Egypt, and has covered the face of the land, and it has encamped near to me; and now come, curse it for me, if indeed I shall be able to smite it, and cast it out of the land.

¹²And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, neither shalt thou curse the people; for they are blessed.

¹³And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Depart quickly to your lord; God does not permit me to go with you.

¹⁴And the princes of Moab rose, and came to Balak, and said, Balaam will not come with us.

¹⁵And Balak yet again sent more princes and more honorable than they.

¹⁶And they came to Balaam, and they say to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: I beseech thee, delay not to come to me.

¹⁷For I will greatly honor thee, and will do for thee whatsoever thou shalt say; come then, curse me this people.

¹⁸And Balaam answered and said to the princes of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I shall not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord God, to make it little or great in my mind.

¹⁹And now do ye also tarry here this night, and I shall know what the Lord will yet say to me.

²⁰And God came to Balaam by night, and said to him, If these men are come to call thee, rise and follow them; nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, it shalt thou do.

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

²²And God was very angry because he went; and the angel of the Lord rose up to withstand him. Now he had mounted his ass, and his two servants were with him.

²³And when the ass saw the angel of God standing opposite in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, then the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass with his staff to direct her in the way.

²⁴And the angel of the Lord stood in the avenues of the vines, a fence being on this side and a fence on that.

²⁵And when the ass saw the angel of God, she thrust herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall, and he smote her again.

²⁶And the angel of the Lord went farther, and came and stood in a narrow place where it was impossible to turn to the right or the left.

²⁷And when the ass saw the angel of God, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was angry, and struck the ass with his staff.

²⁸And God opened the mouth of the ass, and she says to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me this third time?