22 However, God got angry because he’d gone, and Yahweh’s messenger stood in the middle of the road to block them. As Bil’am (Balaam) rode on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants, 23 the donkey saw Yahweh’s messenger standing there holding a sword in the middle of the road and turned off the road and went into a field. So Bil’am whacked the donkey and forced it back onto the road. 24 Then Yahweh’s messenger moved to a place where the road was very narrow, with vineyard walls on each side of the road. 25 When the donkey saw Yahweh’s messenger, it squeezed close by the wall, and in doing so, squashed Bil’am’s foot against the wall, so he whacked it again. 26 Then Yahweh’s messenger went past again and stood in a narrow place on the road where there was no room to get past on either side. 27 This time, when the donkey saw the messenger, it lay down on the ground with Bil’am sitting on top of it. Bil’am got very angry and whacked the donkey again with his staff. 28 Then Yahweh enabled the donkey to speak, and it asked Bil’am, “What did I do to you that you beat me these three times?”

29 “Because you’ve been messing me around!” Bil’am shouted. “If only I’d been carrying a sword, then I would have killed you!”

30 “Aren’t I your donkey that you’ve ridden all your life?” the donkey asked Bil’am. “Have I ever done anything like that to you before?”

And he said, “No.”

31 Then Yahweh uncovered Bil’am’s eyes and he saw Yahweh’s messenger standing in the middle of the road with his sword in his hand, and Bil’am fell to his knees and kept bowing his face to the ground. 32 Yahweh’s angel asked him, “Why did you strike you donkey those three times? Listen, I came personally to oppose you because you’re choosing a very dangerous path as far as I’m concerned. 33 Your donkey saw me and avoided me those three times—if it hadn’t I certainly would have killed you already, but I would have let the donkey live.”

34 “Yes, I’ve done wrong,” Bil’am said to Yahweh’s messenger, “because I didn’t know that you were waiting for me there on the road. But now, if you don’t want me to continue, I’ll return home again.”

35 “Continue on with those men,” Yahweh’s angel told Bil’am, “but make sure that you only pass on the message that I give you.” So Bil’am carried on with Balak’s leaders.