12. But God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them. You must not curse those people. They are my people.”
13. The next morning Balaam got up and said to leaders from Balak, “Go back to your own country. The Lord will not let me go with you.”
14. So the leaders of Moab went back to Balak and told him this. They said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15. So Balak sent other leaders to Balaam. This time he sent many more than the first time. And these leaders were much more important than the first ones he sent.
16. They went to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says to you: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming.
17. I will pay you very much, and I will do whatever you ask. Come and curse these people for me.”
18. Balaam gave Balak’s officials his answer. He said, “I must obey the Lord my God. I cannot do anything, great or small, against his command. Even if King Balak gives me his beautiful home filled with silver and gold, I will not do anything against the Lord’s command.
19. But you can stay here tonight like the other men did, and during the night I will learn what the Lord wants to tell me.”
20. That night, God came to Balaam. God said, “These men have come again to ask you to go with them. So you can go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”
21. The next morning, Balaam got up, put a saddle on his donkey, and went with the Moabite leaders.
22. Balaam was riding on his donkey. Two of his servants were with him. While Balaam was traveling, God became angry. So the Lord’S angel stood in the road in front of Balaam to stop him.
23. When Balaam’s donkey saw the Lord’S angel standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam could not see the angel, so he was very angry at the donkey. He hit the donkey and forced it to go back on the road.
24. Later, the Lord’S angel stood at a place where the road became narrow. This was between two vineyards. There were walls on both sides of the road.
25. Again the donkey saw the Lord’S angel. So the donkey walked very close to one wall. This crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam hit his donkey again.
26. Later, the Lord’S angel stood at another place where the road became narrow. There was no place where the donkey could go around him. It could not turn to the left or to the right.
27. The donkey saw the Lord’S angel. So the donkey lay down with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam was very angry at the donkey. So he hit it with his walking stick.
28. Then the Lord caused the donkey to speak. The donkey said to Balaam, “Why are you angry at me? What have I done to you? You have hit me three times!”
29. Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made me look foolish. If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”
30. But the donkey said to Balaam, “Look, I am your donkey. You have ridden me for so many years. And you know that I have never done this to you before!” “That is true,” Balaam said.
31. Then the Lord allowed Balaam to see the angel. The Lord’S angel was standing in the road, holding a sword in his hand. Balaam bowed low to the ground.