The Ass Spoke

And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse them for me and I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

And God said unto Balaam, you shall not go with them; and you shall not curse the people: for they are blessed.

And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, go back to your land for the Lord refuses for me to go with you. And the princes of Moab rose up, and went unto Balak, the king of Moab and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.

And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

And they came to Balaam, and said to him, thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

And Balaam answered and said if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God.

Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know if the Lord has more to say regarding this situation.  If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, go ahead, do what you want to do. Go with the men but you better take heed to what I told you about cursing the people. DO NOT TOUCH THE PEOPLE FOR THEY ARE A BLESSED PEOPLE.  

And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

And God was angered because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way to oppose him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field.  But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 

And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was hot, and he smote the ass with a staff. 

And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. 

And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. 

The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse." The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live. 

Reference: Numbers 23 KJV