The answer is: Curse it

Numbers 22:6

Alright, let’s dive into the colorful tale of Balaam and his donkey, a story straight out from Numbers that highlights both the unusual and fascinating aspects of ancient narratives! So, here’s the scoop: King Balak of Moab was feeling threatened by the Israelites advancing into his territory after escaping slavery in Egypt. Imagine a nation on the move, having just parted the Red Sea and tasting freedom—they were becoming quite the formidable force!

Balak calls in Balaam, a kind of eclectic prophet, to put a spell on the Israelites, essentially asking him to "curse the people." Now, Balaam wasn’t the kinda prophet one would typically associate with a plain reporting of the blind laws of the universe. Toward Balaam, God offers Him a unique conversation—along with a little persuasion from a talking donkey!

Can we chat about Balaam’s donkey for a sec? In this story, the donkey sees an angel that Balaam cannot, acting as a barrier between danger and its master. It's a fun reminder of the idea that the seemingly ‘dumb’ can illustrate profound truths—sometimes the reminders we need aren’t grand prophecies but the murmurs of silence or simplicity.

Biblically, this also nods to the leaders, prophets, and beings we encounter—complex characters that teach us that hearing the divine often comes in the most unexpected forms. Additionally, Balaam’s tale is revisited in multiple other texts within the scriptures, hinting at His ambivalent role in spiritual leadership and ethnicity's struggles, which ultimately ties back to a long history of inclusivity echoing across Biblical accounts.