CLV(i)
22 Elohim's anger grew hot because he was going. So a messenger of Yahweh stationed himself in the road to be adverse to him. Now he was riding on his jenny, and his two lads were with him.
23 The jenny saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, so the jenny turned aside from the road and went into a field. Balaam smote the jenny to turn her aside into the road.
24 Then the messenger of Yahweh stood in a lane between the vineyards with a stone dike on this side and a stone dike on that side.
25 The jenny saw the messenger of Yahweh and pressed herself close to the sidewall. When she pressed Balaam's foot close to the sidewall he continued to smite her.
26 Yet the messenger of Yahweh continued to pass and stood in a narrow place in which there was no way to turn aside right or left.
27 The jenny saw the messenger of Yahweh, and she reclined under Balaam. Balaam's anger grew hot, and he smote the jenny with a stick.
28 Then Yahweh opened the mouth of the jenny, and she said to Balaam:What have I done to you that you have smitten me these three times?
29 And Balaam said to the jenny:Because you abused me! O that there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now.
30 The jenny said to Balaam:Am I not your jenny on which you have ridden from your youth until this day? Have I been accustomed, yea accustomed to do thus to you? And he said:No.
31 Yahweh exposed the eyes of Balaam so that he saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. So he bowed his head and bowed himself down, with his nostrils to the ground.
32 The messenger of Yahweh said to him:On what grounds did you smite your jenny these three times? Behold, I myself came forth as your adversary, for your way in front of me is precipitant.
33 The jenny saw me and turned aside from before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from before me surely just now I would have killed you, and I would have preserved her alive.