Thursday 25 June - 10 Tamuz

So Balaam got up in the morning and said to the officials of Balak, Go back to your country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.

So the Moabite officials got up, went back to Balak and said, Balaam refused to come with us.

Balak again sent other dignitaries, more numerous and honoured than these previous ones.

They also came to Balaam and said to him, There says Balaam, son of Zippor, Please let nothing keep you from coming to me.

I will richly reward you, and everything you tell me I will do.

Just come now and curse this people for me.

But Balaam answered Balaam's servant, Even if Balaam gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not cross beyond the mouth of the Lord, my God, to do anything small or great.

But now you may spend the night here too, and I may find out anything else the Lord may say to me.

God came to Milan by night and said to him, Since the men came to you to summon you, arise and go with them.

However, only the word I tell you, you are to do.

So Balaam got up in the morning, settled his donkey and went with the Moabite princes.

But the anger of God burned because he was going.

The angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.

He was riding on his donkey and two of his servants were with him.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off the road and went into the field.

So Balaam beat the donkey to get her back on the road.

Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed against the wall, crushing Balam's foot against the wall.

So Balam continued beating her.

The angel again moved.

He stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn right or left.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam.

Balaam was very angry and beat the donkey with his staff.

Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times? Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have made a fool of me, if I had any sword in my hand, I would kill you now.

The donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your donkey which you have ridden as always to this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing this to you? No, he said.