Numbers 22:21-35
New American Standard Bible
21 (A)So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.
The Angel and Balaam
22 But God was angry that he was going, (B)and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to guide her back onto the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a stone wall on this side and on that side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so (C)Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then (D)the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “It is because you have made a mockery of me! If only there had been a sword in my hand! For (E)I would have killed you by now!” 30 But 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 in the habit of doing such a thing to you?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw (F)the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed [a]all the way to the ground. 32 Then the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was (G)reckless and contrary to me. 33 But the donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I certainly would have killed you just now, and let her live.” 34 So Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “(H)I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.” 35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but (I)you shall speak only the word that I [b]tell you.” So Balaam went along with the representatives of Balak.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 22:31 Lit and prostrated himself to his face
- Numbers 22:35 Or speak to
Numbers 22:21-35
International Standard Version
21 The next morning, Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started to leave, accompanied by the Moabite officials.
Balaam’s Donkey Rebukes its Owner
22 At this, the anger of the Lord flared up against Balaam, because he was leaving. So the angel of the Lord stood in the way to oppose him. As Balaam[a] was riding his donkey, accompanied by two of his servants, 23 all of a sudden the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with an unsheathed sword in his hand! The donkey turned off the road and went into an open field. Balaam started beating the donkey in order to turn her back to the road, 24 but the angel of the Lord stood on a narrow path that crossed the vineyards. It had walls on both sides of the path. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she squeezed herself so close to the wall that Balaam’s foot was pressed to the wall. So he beat her again!
26 Then the angel of the Lord went along a little further and stood in a much narrower space, where it was impossible[b] to turn either right or left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. As a result, Balaam got so angry that he started to whip[c] the donkey with his staff.
28 That’s when the Lord enabled the donkey to speak.[d] She asked Balaam, “What did I do to you that you would beat me in the space of only[e] three footsteps?”
29 “Because you’re playing a dirty trick on me,” Balaam answered the donkey. “If only I had a sword in my hand! I’d kill you right now!”
30 But in response, the donkey asked Balaam, “I’m your donkey that you’ve ridden on in the past without incident,[f] am I not, and I’m the same donkey you’re riding on right now, am I not? Am I in the habit of treating you like this?”
“No,” he admitted.
31 Then the Lord enabled Balaam to see, so he observed the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with an unsheathed sword in his hand. So he bowed down and prostrated himself on his face.
32 Then the angel of the Lord asked him, “Why did you beat your donkey in the space of only[g] three footsteps? I’ve come to oppose you, because I say that what you’re doing is perverted. 33 The donkey saw me and turned in front of me in the space of those three footsteps. 34 If she hadn’t turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and left her alive!”
At this, Balaam replied to the angel of the Lord, “I’ve sinned! I didn’t know that you were standing to meet me on the road. So now, since it displeases you, let me go back.”[h]
35 But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with the men, but deliver only the message that I’m going to give you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 22:22 Lit. he
- Numbers 22:26 Lit. there’s no way
- Numbers 22:27 Lit. struck
- Numbers 22:28 Lit. Lord opened the donkey’s mouth
- Numbers 22:28 The Heb. lacks only
- Numbers 22:30 The Heb. lacks without incident
- Numbers 22:32 The Heb. lacks only
- Numbers 22:34 Lit. let me return to me
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