^21 (A)So Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel

²² But God was angry because he was going, ^(B)so the angel of Yahweh took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two young men were with him. ²³ Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; so Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back into the way. ²⁴ Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵ And the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and it pressed itself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck it again. ²⁶ And the angel of Yahweh passed on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. ²⁷ Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh and lay down under Balaam; so ^(C)Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. ²⁸ And ^(D)Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹ Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, ^(E)I would have killed you by now.” ³⁰ And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”

³¹ Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw ^(F)the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head down ^[a]and prostrated himself to the ground. ³² And the angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary because your way was ^[b](G)contrary to me. ³³ And the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If it had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let it live.” ³⁴ And Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “^(H)I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. So now, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” ³⁵ But the angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but ^(I)you shall speak only the word which I ^[c]tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.