Page 161 - Bible History

134 GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE ENTER THE PROMISED LAND
Moab. As they went along, an angel with a drawn sword stood in their path. Balaam did not see him, but the ass did and ran into a eld to get away from liim. Balaam beat the ass and forced her to return to the road.
They went on a little farther and came to a place where the road ran between two huge rocks. The angel again stood in the way with sword drawn. The ass refused to go forward and, when Balaam beat her, she went to one side and crushed his foot against the rock. Balaam became very angry and started to beat the ass cruelly. The poor beast fell to the ground, and then a wonderful thing happened. The ass began to speak. She said to Balaam, '' Why dost thou strike me? 'What have I done to thee?" "Because thou hast deserved it,'' answered Balaam. ''If I had a sword, I would kill thee.'' The ass answered, ''Am I not the beast upon which thou hast always ridden until now? Have I ever done anything like this to thee before 7 ''
Then it was that Balaam saw the angel standing ready to kill him with the sword. He fell down on hi face, and the angel said to him, ''Why dost thou beat the ass 7 If she had not turned out of the way, I would have slain thee and she would have lived." Balaam replied, "I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me. And now if it please thee, I will return to my home.'' But the angel said, ''Go with these men and see thou speak no other thing than I command thee.''
The king came out to meet Balaam and brought him to a high place where there was a temple of Baal.