Numbers 22:7-21

New International Version

⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination.^(A) When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.

⁸ “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.^(B)” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

⁹ God came to Balaam^(C) and asked,^(D) “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: ¹¹ ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’”

¹² But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.^(E)”

¹³ The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

¹⁴ So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

¹⁵ Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said:

¹⁸ But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.^{(H) 19} Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.^(I)”

²⁰ That night God came to Balaam^(J) and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”^(K)

Balaam’s Donkey

²¹ Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.