[22:1] The Israelites moved on and set up camp in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan and opposite Jericho.
[22:2] When the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, heard what the Israelites had done to the Amorites and how many Israelites there were,
[22:3] he and all his people became terrified.
[22:4] The Moabites said to the leaders of the Midianites, “This horde will soon destroy everything around us, like a bull eating the grass in a pasture.” So King Balak
[22:5] sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor near the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw. They brought him this message from Balak: “I want you to know that a whole nation has come from Egypt; its people are spreading out everywhere and threatening to take over our land.
[22:6] They outnumber us, so please come and put a curse on them for me. Then perhaps 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.”
[22:7] So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message.
[22:8] Balaam said to them, “Spend the night here, and tomorrow I will report to you whatever the Lord tells me.” So the Moabite leaders stayed with Balaam.
[22:9] God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these people that are staying with you?”
[22:10] He answered, “King Balak of Moab has sent them to tell me
[22:11] that a people who came from Egypt has spread out over the whole land. He wants me to curse them for him, so that he can fight them and drive them out.”
[22:12] God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do not put a curse on the people of Israel, because they have my blessing.”
[22:13] The next morning Balaam went to Balak's messengers and said, “Go back home; the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
[22:14] So they returned to Balak and told him that Balaam had refused to come with them.
[22:15] Then Balak sent a larger number of leaders, who were more important than the first.
[22:16] They went to Balaam and gave him this message from Balak: “Please don't let anything prevent you from coming to me!
[22:17] I will reward you richly and do anything you say. Please come and curse these people for me.”
[22:18] But Balaam answered, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not disobey the command of the Lord my God in even the smallest matter.
[22:19] But please spend the night, as the others did, so that I may learn whether or not the Lord has something else to tell me.”
[22:20] That night God came to Balaam and said, “If these men have come to ask you to go with them, get ready and go, but do only what I tell you.”
[22:21] So the next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite leaders.