The angelof the LORDsaidto him, "Whyhave you struckyour donkeythesethreetimes?Behold,I have comeout as an adversary,becauseyour waywas contraryto me.
and said,"You who are fullof alldeceitand fraud,you sonof the devil,you enemyof allrighteousness,will you not ceaseto make crookedthe straightwaysof the Lord?
He who walksblamelesslywill be delivered,But he who is crookedwill fallallat once.
But Godwas angrybecausehe was going,and the angelof the LORDtookhis standin the wayas an adversaryagainst him. Now he was ridingon his donkeyand his twoservantswere with him.
Betteris the poorwho walksin his integrityThanhe who is crookedthough he be rich.
He who walksin his uprightnessfearsthe LORD,But he who is deviousin his waysdespisesHim.
"My people,remembernowWhatBalakkingof MoabcounseledAnd whatBalaamsonof Beoransweredhim, [And] from Shittimto Gilgal,Sothat you might knowthe righteousactsof the LORD."
"Should I not havecompassionon Nineveh,the greatcityin whichthereare morethan120000personswhodo not know[the difference] betweentheir rightand lefthand,as well as manyanimals?"
He givesto the beastits food,[And] to the youngravenswhichcry.
The LORDis goodto all,And His merciesare overallHis works.
Your righteousnessis like the mountainsof God;Your judgmentsare [like] a greatdeep.O LORD,You preservemanand beast.
"You shall not muzzlethe oxwhile he is threshing.
becausethey did not meetyou with foodand wateron the waywhen you cameout of Egypt,and becausethey hiredagainstyou Balaamthe sonof Beorfrom Pethorof Mesopotamia,to curseyou.
But the angelof the LORDsaidto Balaam,"Gowith the men,but you shall speakonlythe wordwhichI tellyou." So Balaamwentalong with the leadersof Balak.
And the LORDopenedthe mouthof the donkey,and she saidto Balaam,"Whathave I doneto you, that you have struckme thesethreetimes?"
Godcameto Balaamat nightand saidto him, "Ifthe menhave cometo callyou, riseup [and] gowith them; but onlythe wordwhichI speakto you shall you do."
"But the donkeysawme and turnedasidefrom me thesethreetimes.Ifshe had not turnedasidefrom me, I would surelyhave killedyou just now,and let her live."
Allthe waysof a manare cleanin his own sight,But the LORDweighsthe motives.
