⁵ He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on the Euphrates,^[a] in the land of Amaw,^[b] to summon him, saying, “A people has come out of Egypt; they have spread over the face of the earth, and they have settled next to me.^(A)

⁴ because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey out of Egypt and because they hired against you Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

⁹ Then King Balak son of Zippor of Moab set out to fight against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you,^(A)

¹¹ Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain and abandon themselves to Balaam’s error for the sake of gain and perish in Korah’s rebellion.^(A)

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and engage in sexual immorality.^[a](A)

²² Along with the rest of those they put to death, the Israelites also put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination.^(A)

⁷ Then Balaam^[a] uttered his oracle, saying,

¹⁵ They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor,^[a] who loved the wages of doing wrong^{(A) 16} but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.