10. Balaam said to God, "Moab’s King Balak, Zippor’s son, sent them to me with the message,
11. ‘A people has come out of Egypt and covered the land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I’ll be able to fight against them and drive them out.’"
12. God said to Balaam, "Don’t go with them. Don’t curse the people, because they are blessed."
13. Then Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s officials, "Go to your land, for the Lord has refused to allow me to go with you."
14. The officials of Moab arose, they went to Balak, and they said, "Balaam refused to come with us."
15. Balak continued to send other officials more numerous and important than these.
16. They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak, Zippor’s son, says: ‘Please let nothing hold you back from coming to me,
17. for I’ll greatly honor you and I’ll do anything you ask of me. Please come and curse this people for me.’"
18. Balaam answered and said to Balak’s servants, "If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to do anything, small or great, to break the command of the Lord my God.
19. Now you also must remain the night here so that I may know what else the Lord may say to me."
20. God came to Balaam in the night and said to him, "If the men have come to summon you, arise and go with them. But you must do only what I tell you to do."
21. So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.
22. Then God became angry because he went. So while he was riding on his donkey accompanied by his two servants, the Lord’s messenger stood in the road as his adversary.