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Balak Summons Balaam
Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.
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sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
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The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
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“Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
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God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
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Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:
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But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
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The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
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So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
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They came to Balaam and said: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me,
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But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.
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That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
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Balaam’s Donkey
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.
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But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
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When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
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When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
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When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.
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Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
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Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
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The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said.
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Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
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Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
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The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
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When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.
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Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
