⁹ Then Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, went up to war against Israel; and he sent for Balaam, the son of Beor, to put a curse on you:

²⁵ What! are you any better than Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever take up a cause against Israel or make war against them?

² Now Balak, the son of Zippor, saw what Israel had done to the Amorites.

⁵ So he sent men to Balaam, son of Beor, at Pethor by the River in the land of the children of his people, saying to him, See, a people has come out of Egypt, covering all the face of the earth, and they have put up their tents opposite to me:

⁶ Come now, in answer to my prayer, and put a curse on this people, for they are greater than I: and then I may be strong enough to overcome them and send them out of the land: for it is clear that good comes to him who has your blessing, but he on whom you put your curse is cursed.

⁷ So the responsible men of Moab and Midian went away, taking in their hands rewards for the prophet; and they came to Balaam and said to him what Balak had given them orders to say.

⁸ And he said to them, Take your rest here tonight, and I will give you an answer after hearing what the Lord says; so the chiefs of Moab kept there with Balaam that night.

⁹ And God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you?

¹⁰ And Balaam said to God, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them to me, saying,

¹¹ See, the people who have come out of Egypt are covering all the earth: now, put a curse on this people for me, so that I may be able to make war on them, driving them out of the land.

¹² And God said to Balaam, You are not to go with them, or put a curse on this people, for they have my blessing.

¹³ In the morning Balaam got up and said to the chiefs of Balak, Go back to your land, for the Lord will not let me go with you.

¹⁴ So the chiefs of Moab went back to Balak and said, Balaam will not come with us.

¹⁵ So Balak sent more chiefs, greater in number and of higher position than the others.

¹⁶ And they came to Balaam and said, Balak, son of Zippor, says, Let nothing keep you from coming to me:

¹⁷ For I will give you a place of very great honour, and whatever you say to me I will do; so come, in answer to my prayer, and put a curse on this people.

¹⁸ But Balaam, in answer; said to the servants of Balak, Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, it would not be possible for me to do anything more or less than the orders of the Lord my God.

¹⁹ So take your rest here this night, till I have knowledge what more the Lord has to say to me.

²⁰ And that night God came to Balaam and said to him, If these men have come for you, go with them: but do only what I say to you.

²¹ So in the morning Balaam got up and, making his ass ready, went with the chiefs of Moab.

⁴ Because they gave you no bread or water on your way, when you came out of Egypt: and they got Balaam, the son of Peor, from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to put curses on you.

⁵ But the Lord your God would not give ear to Balaam, but let the curse be changed into a blessing to you, because of his love for you.

⁵ O my people, keep in mind now what was designed by Balak, king of Moab, and the answer which Balaam, son of Beor, gave him; the events, from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may be certain of the upright acts of the Lord.