¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of ^(A)Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of ^(A)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, ^(B)to eat things sacrificed to idols, ^(C)and to commit sexual immorality.

¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone in the way ^(A)of Cain, ^(B)have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished ^(C)in the rebellion of Korah.

^4 (A)because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and ^(B)because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of ^[a]Mesopotamia, to curse you. ⁵ Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God ^(C)loves you.

¹⁶ Look, ^(A)these women caused the children of Israel, through the ^(B)counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and ^(C)there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

⁵ Then ^(A)he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at ^(B)Pethor, which is near ^[a]the River in the land of ^[b]the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! ^6 (C)Therefore please come at once, ^(D)curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

⁷ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with ^(E)the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.

² because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but ^(A)hired Balaam against them to curse them. ^(B)However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

^13 (A)and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure ^(B)to ^[a]carouse in the daytime. ^(C)They are spots and blemishes, ^[b]carousing in their own deceptions while ^(D)they feast with you,