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?”
10. “They are messengers from King Balak of Moab,” Balaam answered. “He sent them
11. to ask me to go to Moab and place a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to drive them out.”
12. But God replied, “Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them.”
13. The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, “Go back home. The Lord says I cannot go with you.”
14. The officials left and told Balak that Balaam refused to come.
15. Then Balak sent a larger group of officials, who were even more important than the first ones.
16. They went to Balaam and told him that Balak had said, “Balaam, if you come to Moab,
17. I'll pay you very well and do whatever you ask. Just come and place a curse on these people.”
18. Balaam answered, “Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the Lord my God.
19. You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the Lord has something else to say about this.”
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.
24. Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side.