9. And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10. And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me,
11. ‘Look! A people went out from Egypt. Look! They cover the surface of the land. Now, go, curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to attack them and drive them out.”
12. God said to Balaam, “You will not go with them; you will not curse the people, because they are blessed.”
13. Balaam got up in the morning, and he said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, because Yahweh refused to allow me to go with you.”
14. The princes of Moab got up and went to Balak, and they said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15. Balak again sent many princes, who were more honored than the former.
16. They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor, ‘Please, let nothing keep you from coming to me
17. because I will surely honor you greatly, and all that you say to me I will do. Please, come; curse this people for me.’ ”
18. Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Even though Balak gives to me his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of Yahweh my God to do a little or a lot.
19. And now please, you also stay here the night, and let me find out again what Yahweh will say with me.”
20. And God came to Balaam at night, and he said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but only the word that I will speak to you, you will do.”
21. So Balaam got up in the morning and saddled his donkey, and he went with the princes of Moab.
22. But God became angry because he was going, and the angel of Yahweh stood in the road as an adversary to him; he was riding on his donkey, and two servants were with him.