Numbers 22:21-35

Tree of Life Version

²¹ So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moabite princes. ²² But the anger of God burned because he was going. The angel of Adonai stood in the road to oppose him—he was riding on his donkey and two of his servants were with him— ²³ when the donkey saw the angel of Adonai standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off the road and went into the field. So Balaam beat the donkey to get her back onto the road.

²⁴ Then the angel of Adonai stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of Adonai, she pressed against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam continued beating her.

²⁶ The angel again moved. He stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, right or left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of Adonai, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam was very angry and beat the donkey with his staff.

²⁸ Then Adonai opened the donkey’s mouth and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”^[a]

²⁹ Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you’ve made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you now!”

³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey which you have ridden as always to this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.

³¹ Then Adonai opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of Adonai standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. So he fell on his face.

³² The angel of Adonai said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I came as an adversary because your way before Me is a reckless one! ³³ The donkey saw Me and turned away from Me these three times. If she had not turned away from Me, by now I would have killed you indeed, but let her live!”

³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of Adonai, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now, if this is displeasing in your eyes, I will go back home.”

³⁵ The angel of Adonai said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s princes.