Numbers [In the desert] 22:15-34

¹⁵Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they.

¹⁶They came to Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people, and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,

¹⁷for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’”

¹⁸Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Adonai my God, to do less or more.

¹⁹Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what Adonai will speak to me more.”

²⁰God came to Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.” (LY:3)

²¹Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab From father.

²²God’s anger burned because he went; and ha mal'ak Yahweh the Angel of He sustains breathing placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

²³The donkey saw ha mal'ak Yahweh the Angel of He sustains breathing standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field. Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.

²⁴Then ha mal'ak Yahweh the Angel of He sustains breathing stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

²⁵The donkey saw ha mal'ak Yahweh the Angel of He sustains breathing, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.

²⁶Ha mal'ak Yahweh The Angel of He sustains breathing went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

²⁷The donkey saw ha mal'ak Yahweh the Angel of He sustains breathing, and she lay down under Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people. Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸Adonai opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

²⁹Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.”

³⁰The donkey said to Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?” He said, “No.”

³¹Then Adonai opened the eyes of Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people, and he saw ha mal'ak Yahweh the Angel of He sustains breathing standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.

³²Ha mal'ak Yahweh The Angel of He sustains breathing said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me.

³³The donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.”

³⁴Balaam Not people, Destroyer of people said to ha mal'ak Yahweh the Angel of He sustains breathing, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.”