民數記22:21-41

22:21 巴蘭早晨起來，備上驢，和摩押的使臣一同去了。
22:22 上帝因他去就發了怒；耶和華的使者站在路上敵擋他。他騎著驢，有兩個僕人跟隨他。
22:23 驢看見耶和華的使者站在路上，手裡有拔出來的刀，就從路上跨進田間，巴蘭便打驢，要叫牠回轉上路。
22:24 耶和華的使者就站在葡萄園的窄路上；這邊有牆，那邊也有牆。
22:25 驢看見耶和華的使者，就貼靠牆，將巴蘭的腳擠傷了；巴蘭又打驢。
22:26 耶和華的使者又往前去，站在狹窄之處，左右都沒有轉折的地方。
22:27 驢看見耶和華的使者，就臥在巴蘭底下，巴蘭發怒，用杖打驢。
22:28 耶和華叫驢開口，對巴蘭說：「我向你行了甚麼，你竟打我這三次呢？」
22:29 巴蘭對驢說：「因為你戲弄我，我恨不能手中有刀，把你殺了。」
22:30 驢對巴蘭說：「我不是你從小時直到今日所騎的驢嗎？我素常向你這樣行過嗎？」巴蘭說：「沒有。」
22:31 當時，耶和華使巴蘭的眼目明亮，他就看見耶和華的使者站在路上，手裡有拔出來的刀，巴蘭便低頭俯伏在地。
22:32 耶和華的使者對他說：「你為何這三次打你的驢呢？我出來敵擋你，因你所行的，在我面前偏僻。
22:33 驢看見我就三次從我面前偏過去；驢若沒有偏過去，我早把你殺了，留牠存活。」
22:34 巴蘭對耶和華的使者說：「我有罪了。我不知道你站在路上阻擋我；你若不喜歡我去，我就轉回。」
22:35 耶和華的使者對巴蘭說：「你同這些人去吧！你只要說我對你說的話。」於是巴蘭同著巴勒的使臣去了。
22:36 巴勒聽見巴蘭來了，就往摩押京城去迎接他；這城是在邊界上，在亞嫩河旁。
22:37 巴勒對巴蘭說：「我不是急急地打發人到你那裡去召你嗎？你為何不到我這裡來呢？我豈不能使你得尊榮嗎？」
22:38 巴蘭說：「我已經到你這裡來了！現在我豈能擅自說甚麼呢？上帝將甚麼話傳給我，我就說甚麼。」
22:39 巴蘭和巴勒同行，來到基列‧胡瑣。
22:40 巴勒宰了（原文是獻）牛羊，送給巴蘭和陪伴的使臣。
22:41 到了早晨，巴勒領巴蘭到巴力的高處；巴蘭從那裡觀看以色列營的邊界。

 ²¹ Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. ²² But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. ²⁸ Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
²⁹ Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
³² The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.^{[a] 33} The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
³⁵ The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. ³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
³⁸ “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”
³⁹ Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. ⁴¹ The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.

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    在聖經中有兩個地方記載動物說人話的，一個是在創世記中說到蛇說話引誘夏娃，另一處是這裡。因為巴蘭先知執意要去巴勒王那裏，不管耶和華的禁止，驢子讓他免受天使的殺害，還鞭打驢子，所以驢子說話警告他。

    從這樣的記載中，我們也認識到人的軟弱與上帝的保守。所以，上帝的禁止或攔阻並不是壞事，反而讓我們不會犯更大的錯誤。雖然巴蘭是貪財的先知，上帝卻攔阻他去行惡，也使巴勒王清楚上帝對以色列人的喜愛。

    同樣，在今日我們有經歷到上帝這樣的保守，因為上帝有其妙的護理大工，使我們經歷各樣的考驗之後，得著上帝的安慰與保守，不會偏離上帝所預備的道路，進入上帝的應許之中！