22 Then the Israelis set off for the Moav plains, and they camped there across the river from Yeriho (Jericho). 2 The Moabite King Balak (Tsipor’s son), saw everything that Yisrael had done to the Amorites, 3 and when he realised that the Israelis were very numerous, the Moabite people became sick with fear. 4 and they told the elders at Midyan, “Now all that lot will devour everything that’s around us, just like a cow completely cleans out a green field.”

Now Tsipor’s son Balak was Moav’s king at that time, 5 and he sent messengers to Beor’s son Bileam (Balaam) at Petor (which was their tribal land near the Euphrates river). He requested help, saying, “Listen, there’s a population here that came out from Egypt. Wow, they’ve covered the entire surface in this region and they’re living opposite me.[ref] 6 So now please come and curse this people group for me because they are more numerous than us, then perhaps I’ll be able to attack them and drive them out of the area, because I know that anyone you bless will be blessed, and those who you curse will be cursed.”

7 So the elders from Moav and from Midyan departed carrying the fees for divination with them, and they went to Bileam and passed Balak’s words on to him. 8 Bileam told them, “Stay here tonight, and in the morning, I’ll bring you back answer, depending on what Yahweh tells me,” and so the Moav leaders stayed there with Bileam.

9 That night, God came to Bileam and asked, “Who are those men with you?”

10 “Tsipor’s son, King Balak from Moav sent me a message,” Bileam replied. 11 “He said that shockingly a people group has come out of Egypt and has covered his region. He wants me to go and curse them for him, so that he’ll be able to attack them and drive them out of that area.”

12 Then God told Bileam, “Don’t go with them—you mustn’t curse those people, because they’re blessed.” 13 The next morning, Bileam went over and told Balak’s messengers, “Go back to your place, because Yahweh has refused to let me go with you.” 14 So the Moav leaders stood up and went back to King Balak, and told him, “Bileam refused to come with us.”

15 However, Balak sent back a larger group of leaders who were even more senior than the first ones, 16 and they went and told Bileam, “Tsipor’s son King Balak says, ‘Please don’t refuse to come here, 17 because I’ll honour you highly and do anything that you tell me to. Just please come and curse this population for me.’ ”

18 “Even if Balak gave me a houseful of gold and sliver,” Bileam told Balak’s servant, “I still couldn’t go against Yahweh’s instructions, even if it was just to do something small. 19 However, please do stay here tonight, and I’ll find out if Yahweh might have anything else to say to me.”

20 That night, God came to Bileam and told him, “If those men have come to summon you, get ready and go with them, except that you must only give the message that I’ll tell you.” 21 So in the morning, Bileam got ready and saddled his donkey, and went with the Moav leaders.