1. The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho.
10-11. Balaam answered, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I’ll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.’”
12. God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them. And don’t curse the others—they are a blessed people.”
13. The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s nobles, “Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you.”
14. So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, “Balaam wouldn’t come with us.”
15-17. Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished. They came to Balaam and said, “Balak son of Zippor says, ‘Please, don’t refuse to come to me. I will honor and reward you lavishly—anything you tell me to do, I’ll do; I’ll pay anything—only come and curse this people.’”