⁷ So the elders of Moab and ^(A)the elders of Midian departed with ^(B)the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message.

⁷ Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, ^(A)what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” ⁸ The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel^[a] of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.”

¹¹ Woe to them! For they walked in ^(A)the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain ^(B)to Balaam's error and ^(C)perished in Korah's rebellion.

¹⁵ Forsaking the right way, ^(A)they have gone astray. They have followed ^(B)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^(C)gain from wrongdoing,

¹¹ They must be silenced, since ^(A)they are upsetting whole families by teaching ^(B)for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

⁹ But ^(A)those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ^(B)into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^(C)plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of ^(D)all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but ^(A)their own appetites,^[a] and ^(B)by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

¹⁹ You have profaned me among my people ^(A)for handfuls of barley ^(B)and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.