7. The leaders of Moab and Midian left. They went to talk to Balaam. They carried with them money to pay him for his service. Then they told him what Balak had said.
8. Balaam said to them, “Stay here for the night. I will talk to the Lord and tell you the answer he gives me.” So the leaders of Moab stayed there with Balaam that night.
9. God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10. Balaam said to God, “The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, sent them to give me a message.
11. This is the message: A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover the land. So come and curse these people. Then maybe I will be able to fight them and force them to leave my land.”
12. But God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them. You must not curse those people. They are my people.”
13. The next morning Balaam got up and said to leaders from Balak, “Go back to your own country. The Lord will not let me go with you.”
14. So the leaders of Moab went back to Balak and told him this. They said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15. So Balak sent other leaders to Balaam. This time he sent many more than the first time. And these leaders were much more important than the first ones he sent.
16. They went to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says to you: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming.
17. I will pay you very much, and I will do whatever you ask. Come and curse these people for me.”
18. Balaam gave Balak’s officials his answer. He said, “I must obey the Lord my God. I cannot do anything, great or small, against his command. Even if King Balak gives me his beautiful home filled with silver and gold, I will not do anything against the Lord’s command.
19. But you can stay here tonight like the other men did, and during the night I will learn what the Lord wants to tell me.”
20. That night, God came to Balaam. God said, “These men have come again to ask you to go with them. So you can go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”
21. The next morning, Balaam got up, put a saddle on his donkey, and went with the Moabite leaders.
22. Balaam was riding on his donkey. Two of his servants were with him. While Balaam was traveling, God became angry. So the Lord’S angel stood in the road in front of Balaam to stop him.
23. When Balaam’s donkey saw the Lord’S angel standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam could not see the angel, so he was very angry at the donkey. He hit the donkey and forced it to go back on the road.
24. Later, the Lord’S angel stood at a place where the road became narrow. This was between two vineyards. There were walls on both sides of the road.