9. God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10. Balaam said to God, “The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, sent them to me with this message:
11. ‘A nation has come out of Egypt that covers the land. So come and put a curse on them, and maybe I can fight them and force them out of my land.’ ”
12. But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. Don’t put a curse on those people, because I have blessed them.”
13. The next morning Balaam awoke and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your own country; the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14. So the Moabite leaders went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15. So Balak sent other leaders—this time there were more of them, and they were more important.
16. They went to Balaam and said, “Balak son of Zippor says this: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to me.
17. I will pay you very well, and I will do what you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”
18. But Balaam answered Balak’s servants, “King Balak could give me his palace full of silver and gold, but I cannot disobey the Lord my God in anything, great or small.
19. You stay here tonight as the other men did, and I will find out what more the Lord tells me.”
20. That night God came to Balaam and said, “These men have come to ask you to go with them. Go, but only do what I tell you.”
21. Balaam got up the next morning and put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went with the Moabite leaders.
22. But God became angry because Balaam went, so the angel of the Lord stood in the road to stop Balaam. Balaam was riding his donkey, and he had two servants with him.
23. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey left the road and went into the field. Balaam hit the donkey to force her back on the road.
24. Later, the angel of the Lord stood on a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides.
25. Again the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she walked close to one wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her again.
26. The angel of the Lord went ahead again and stood at a narrow place, too narrow to turn left or right.