Numbers 22:20-35

Living Bible

²⁰ That night God told Balaam, “You may get up and go with these men, but be sure to say only what I tell you to.”

²¹ So the next morning he saddled his donkey and started off with them. ^22-23 But God was angry about Balaam’s eager attitude,^[a] so he sent an Angel to stand in the road to kill him. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, Balaam’s donkey suddenly saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword. She bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat her back onto the road. ²⁴ Now the Angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road went between two vineyard walls. ²⁵ When the donkey saw him standing there, she squirmed past by pressing against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot in the process. So he beat her again. ²⁶ Then the Angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place so narrow that the donkey couldn’t get by at all. ²⁷ So she lay down in the road! In a great fit of temper Balaam beat her again with his staff.

²⁸ Then the Lord caused the donkey to speak! “What have I done that deserves your beating me these three times?” she asked.

²⁹ “Because you have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “I wish I had a sword with me, for I would kill you.”

³⁰ “Have I ever done anything like this before in my entire life?” the donkey asked.

“No,” he admitted.

³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the Angel standing in the roadway with drawn sword, and he fell flat on the ground before him.

³² “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the Angel demanded. “I have come to stop you because you are headed for destruction. ³³ Three times the donkey saw me and shied away from me; otherwise I would certainly have killed you by now and spared her.”

³⁴ Then Balaam confessed, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were there. I will go back home if you don’t want me to go on.”

³⁵ But the Angel told him, “Go with the men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with them.