Balak Hires Balaam
221The Israelites set out and camped on the Plains of Moab along the Jordan across from Jericho. 2Balak son of Zippor saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3So Moab was afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. Moab was terrified because of the Israelites. 4Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will eat up everything around us, just as cattle eat up the grass in the field.”
Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5He sent messengers to summon Balaam, the son of Beor, from Pethor by the Euphrates River, in the land of his own people.[] He said, “Look, a people came out of Egypt. They cover the surface of the land, and they are settling right across from me. 6Please come now. Curse this people for me, for they are more powerful than I am. Perhaps I will succeed and strike them down, driving them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”
7The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with payments for Balaam's occult practices[] in their hand. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak said. 8Balaam said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will report to you what the Lord says to me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with Balaam.
9God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent messengers to me, who said, 11‘Look, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the land. Now, come, curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”
12God said to Balaam, “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse the people, for they are blessed.”
13Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak's officials, “Go back to your land, because the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14The officials of Moab got up and went back to Balak. They said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15So Balak again sent other officials, more numerous and more prestigious than the others. 16They went to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says, ‘Do not let anything prevent you from coming to me, 17for I will reward you very richly. Also I will do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse this people for me.’”
18Balaam responded to Balak's servants, “Even if Balak would give to me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go against the command of the Lord my God to do anything small or great. 19But please, stay and spend the night here, and I will find out what else the Lord might say to me.”
20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them. However, do only what I tell you.”
