​Balaam and His Donkey

​Balaam and His Donkey

…Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials (just as the Lord had instructed him). 

But, God was angry that Balaam was going …so,  He sent the angel of the Lord, to stand in the road, to block his way. 

As Balaam and two servants …were riding along, Balaam’s donkey, saw the angel of the Lord, standing in the road, with a drawn sword, in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road, into a field, but Balaam beat it, and turned it back onto the road. 

Then, the angel of the Lord stood, at a place, where the road narrowed, between two vineyard walls. 

When the donkey saw, the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by …and crushed Balaam’s foot, against the wall. 

So, Balaam beat the donkey again. 

Then, the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road …and stood, in a place …too narrow, for the donkey, to get by, at all. 

This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. 

In a fit of rage, Balaam beat the animal, again, with his staff. 

Then, the Lord gave the donkey, the ability to speak. 

“What have I done to you, that deserves your beating me …three times?” it asked Balaam. 

“You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. 

“If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” 

“But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. Have I ever done anything like this before?” 

“No,” Balaam admitted. 

Then, the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw, the angel of the Lord, standing in the roadway, with a drawn sword in his hand. 

Balaam bowed his head and fell face down, on the ground, before him. 

“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. 

Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you, by now …and spared the donkey.” 

Then, Balaam confessed, to the angel of the Lord, 

“I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing, in the road, to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.” 

But, the angel of the Lord told Balaam, 

“Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” 

So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials.

Numbers 22:21–35 (NLT)

Praise be to God!


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