And the Messenger of יהוה said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? See, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is reckless before Me.
“And should I not pardon Ninewĕh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand beings who have not known their right hand from their left, and much cattle?”
“My people, remember, please, what Balaq sovereign of Mo’aḇ counselled, and what Bil‛am son of Be‛or answered him, from Shittim to Gilgal, in order to know the righteousness of יהוה.”
And Elohim came to Bil‛am at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them, but only the word which I speak to you that you do.”
But the displeasure of Elohim burned because he went, and the Messenger of יהוה stationed Himself in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
And the donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, I certainly would have killed you by now, and let her live.
And the Messenger of יהוה said to Bil‛am, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you speak.” Bil‛am then went with the heads of Balaq.
and said, “O son of the devil, filled with all deceit and all recklessness, you enemy of all righteousness, shall you not cease perverting the straight ways of יהוה?
because they did not meet you with bread and water on the way when you came out of Mitsrayim, and because they hired against you Bil‛am son of Be‛or from Pethor of Aram Naharayim, to curse you.