Numbers 22:7-14

New International Reader's Version

⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took with them the money they knew Balaam would ask for. They wanted him to use evil magic to figure things out for them. They came to where Balaam was. And they told him what Balak had said.

⁸ “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them. “I’ll report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

⁹ God came to Balaam. He asked, “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak king of Moab, the son of Zippor, sent me a message. ¹¹ He said, ‘A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the whole surface of the land. So come and put a curse on them for me. Maybe I’ll be able to fight them. Maybe I’ll be able to drive them away.’ ”

¹² But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people. I have blessed them.”

¹³ The next morning Balaam got up. He said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country. The Lord won’t let me go with you.”

¹⁴ So the Moabite officials returned to Balak. They said, “Balaam wouldn’t come with us.”