2-3. When King Balak of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked.
4. They said to the Midianite leaders, “Those Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field.”So King Balak
5. sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the River Euphrates. It said:I need your help. A huge group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory.
6. They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Perhaps then we can drive them out. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.
7. The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam for his work. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.
8. “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord's answer.” So the officials stayed at his house.
9. During the night, God asked Balaam, “Who are these people at your house?”
20. That night, God said, “Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say.”
21. So Balaam got up the next morning and saddled his donkey, then left with the Moabite officials.
22. Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the Lord's angels stood in the road to stop him.
23. When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.