神对巴兰说，你不可同他们去，也不可咒诅那民，因为那民是蒙福的。
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
巴兰早晨起来，对巴勒的使臣说，你们回本地去吧，因为耶和华不容我和你们同去。
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
摩押的使臣就起来，回巴勒那里去，说，巴兰不肯和我们同来。
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
巴勒又差遣使臣，比先前的又多又尊贵。
And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
他们到了巴兰那里，对他说，西拨的儿子巴勒这样说，求你不容什么事拦阻你不到我这里来，
And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
因为我必使你得极大的尊荣。你向我要什么，我就给你什么。只求你来为我咒诅这民。
For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
现在我请你们今夜在这里住宿，等我得知耶和华还要对我说什么。
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
巴兰早晨起来，备上驴，和摩押的使臣一同去了。
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
驴看见耶和华的使者，就贴靠墙，将巴兰的脚挤伤了。巴兰又打驴。
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
耶和华的使者又往前去，站在狭窄之处，左右都没有转折的地方。
And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.