9. God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10. Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me,
11. ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse me them. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’”
12. God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.”
13. Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit 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. Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they.
16. They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,
17. for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’”
18. Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Yahweh my God, to do less or more.
19. Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what Yahweh will speak to me more.”
20. God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.”