Numbers 22:2-21 Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

NSB⁽ⁱ⁾ ² Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ The Moabites were very afraid because there were so many Israelites. Also, the Moabites did not like these people. ⁴ So the Moabites said to the leaders of Midian: »All those people will eventually eat up everything around us the same way cattle eat up the grass in a field. At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab.« ⁵ He sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, who was at Pethor, on the Euphrates River, in the land where his people lived. Balak’s message was: »A nation has just come here from Egypt. They have spread out all over the countryside and are setting up their camp here in front of me. ⁶ »They outnumber us, so please come and put a curse on them for me. Then maybe we will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know that when you pronounce a blessing, people are blessed, and when you pronounce a curse, they are placed under a curse.« ⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took money with them to pay for Balaam’s services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said. ⁸ »Spend the night here,« Balaam said to them, »and I will report to you what Jehovah tells me.« So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹ God came to Balaam and asked: »Who are these men with you?« ¹⁰ Balaam answered: »Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, sent them with this message: ¹¹ »Some people came from Egypt and are spreading out all over the countryside. Now come and curse them for me. Maybe I will be able to fight them and force them out.« ¹² God said to Balaam: »Do not go with them! Do not curse these people. They are blessed!« ¹³ When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balak’s princes: »Go back to your own country. Jehovah has refused to let me go with you.« ¹⁴ The Moabite princes went back to Balak and said: »Balaam refused to come with us.« ¹⁵ Balak sent a larger group of more highly respected princes. ¹⁶ When they came to Balaam they said to him: »This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Do not let anything keep you from coming to me. ¹⁷ »‘I will make sure you are richly rewarded. I will do whatever you ask. Please, come and curse (execrate) these people for me.’« ¹⁸ Balaam answered Balak’s servants: »Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not disobey the command of Jehovah my God no matter whether the request was important or not. ¹⁹ »Now, please stay here tonight, as the others did, and I will find out what else Jehovah may have to tell me.« ²⁰ That night God came to Balaam and said: »If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.« ²¹ Balaam got up in the morning and saddled his donkey and left with the Moabite princes.