¹⁵ Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more ^[a]honorable than they. ¹⁶ And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; ¹⁷ for I will certainly ^(A)honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. ^(B)Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

¹⁸ Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, ^(C)“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, ^(D)I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. ¹⁹ Now therefore, please, you also ^(E)stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”

^20 (F)And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but ^(G)only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.”