Numbers 22:4-7 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.«

NSB⁽ⁱ⁾ 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.