9. God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10. And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, saying,
11. ‘A people went out of Egypt who covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to battle 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. So Balaam rose up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land because the Lord refuses to let me to go with you.”
14. The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15. Again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more honorable than they.
16. They came to Balaam and said to him,“Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please, let nothing hold you back from coming to me,
17. because I will promote you to very great honor, and anything you say to me I will do. Come please, curse this people for me.’ ”
18. Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more.
19. Now please remain here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”
20. God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise up and go with them. But surely the word which I will say to you, that will you do.”
21. Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
22. The anger of God was inflamed because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23. The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and His sword was drawn in His hand, so the donkey turned out of the way and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey to turn her onto the road.