26 Then the angel of the lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.
27 This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.
28 Then the lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
29 “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
30 “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”“No,” Balaam admitted.
31 Then the lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.