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 have just come from Egypt and are spreading out all over the countryside. Now come and curse them for me. Maybe I’ll be able to fight them and force them out.’ ”
12. But God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them! Don’t curse these people, because they are blessed.”
13. When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your own country, because the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14. So 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: Don’t let anything keep you from coming to me.
17. I will make sure you are richly rewarded, and I will do whatever you ask. Please, come and curse these people for me.”
18. But Balaam answered Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I couldn’t disobey the command of the Lord my God no matter whether the request was important or not.