17. I will reward you very handsomely and will do anything you ask of me. Come, lay a curse on this people for me.”
18. But Balaam replied to Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord, my God.
19. But, you too stay here overnight, so that I may learn what else the Lord may say to me.”
20. That night God came to Balaam and said to him: If these men have come to summon you, go back with them; yet only on the condition that you do exactly as I tell you.
21. So the next morning when Balaam arose, he saddled his donkey, and went off with the princes of Moab.
22. But now God’s anger flared up at him for going, and the angel of the Lord took up a position on the road as his adversary. As Balaam was riding along on his donkey, accompanied by two of his servants,
23. the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with sword drawn. The donkey turned off the road and went into the field, and Balaam beat the donkey to bring her back on the road.
24. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow lane between vineyards with a stone wall on each side.
25. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord there, she pressed against the wall; and since she squeezed Balaam’s leg against the wall, he beat her again.
26. Then the angel of the Lord again went ahead, and stood next in a passage so narrow that there was no room to move either to the right or to the left.
27. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord there, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger flared up and he beat the donkey with his stick.
28. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you beat me these three times?”
29. “You have acted so willfully against me,” said Balaam to the donkey, “that if I only had a sword at hand, I would kill you here and now.”