⁹ Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

² Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites.

⁴ These nations did not welcome you with food and water when you came out of Egypt. Instead, they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in distant Aram-naharaim to curse you. ⁵ But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. He turned the intended curse into a blessing because the Lord your God loves you.

⁵ sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor^[a] near the Euphrates River.^[b] His message said:

⁷ Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel.^[c] They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him. ⁸ “Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the Lord directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.

⁹ That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?”

¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: ¹¹ ‘Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.’”

¹² But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”

¹³ The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The Lord will not let me go with you.”

¹⁴ So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.” ¹⁵ Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time. ¹⁶ They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him:

¹⁸ But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God. ¹⁹ But stay here one more night, and I will see if the Lord has anything else to say to me.”

²⁰ That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”

Balaam and His Donkey

²¹ So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.