And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me:

And the angel said to him: Why beatest thou thy ass these three times? I am come to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse, and contrary to me:

And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, it was I who came forth to withstand thee, for the way thou walkest in is for ruin before me.

and the messenger of Jehovah saith unto him, 'Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? lo, I, I have come out for an adversary, for thy way hath been perverse before me,

And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why have you given your ass blows these three times? See, I have come out against you to keep you back, because your purpose is not pleasing to me.

And the angel of the LORD said unto him: 'Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is contrary unto me;

And the Angel said to him: "Why did you beat your donkey three times? I have come to be an adversary to you, because your way is perverse and contrary to me.

Et alloquutus est eum angelus Jehovae, Quare percussisti asinam tuam jam tribus vicibus? en ego egressus sum in adversarium tibi, quia declinavit a via coram me.

Is perverse - Rather, is headlong. Compare Peter's words 2-Peter 2:16, "the madness of the prophet."

And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because [thy] (p) way is perverse before me:
(p) Both your heart is corrupt and your enterprise wicked.

And the angel of the Lord said unto him,.... When risen up, and standing before him:
wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? the brute creatures are not to be beaten without cause, nor to be misused and abused by men, even their owners:
behold, I went out to withstand thee; the ass was not to be blamed, nor to be beaten for turning aside, or lying down, it was I that stood in the way, and hindered its going forward, and this was done by me on purpose to oppose and stop thee:
because thy way is perverse before me; the journey he took was not with his good liking and approbation, and especially seeing he went with an intention, if possible, to serve Balak, and curse Israel; the way of his heart was bad, which the Lord knew; it was not directed according to his will, but swerved from it; the Targum of Jonathan is,"it is manifest before me that thou seekest to go and curse the people, and the thing is not agreeable to me.''

To humble him deeply and inwardly, the Lord help up before him the injustice of his cruel treatment of the ass, and told him at the same time that it had saved his life by turning out of the way. "I have come out," said the angel of the Lord, "as an adversary; for the way leads headlong into destruction before me;" i.e., the way which thou art going is leading thee, in my eyes, in my view, into destruction. ירט, to plunge, sc., into destruction, both here, and also in Job 16:11, the only other passage in which it occurs.

Thy way is perverse - Springing from covetousness.