King Balak summoned Balaam

22 Then the Israelis traveled west to the area of Moab that was in the valley of the Jordan River, across the river from Jericho city.

2 But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group. 3 When he saw that the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.

4 So the king of Moab went to the leaders of the Midian people-group and said to them, “This huge group of Israelis will ◄wipe out/destroy► everything around them, like an ox devours grass!”

Balak was the king of Moab. 5 He sent messengers to a prophet named Balaam, who was living in his own area, in Pethor town, near the Euphrates River. He sent this message to request that Balaam would come to help him:

“A huge group of people has arrived here from Egypt. It looks like they are covering the entire land! And they have begun to live close to us. 6 Because they are very powerful/numerous, we are afraid of them. So please come and curse them for me. Then my army may be able to defeat them and expel them from the land where they are now living. I know that good things will happen to the people whom you bless, and disasters will happen to the people whom you curse.”

7 Balak’s messengers, who were leaders of both the Moab and Midian people-groups, took money with them to pay Balaam in order that he would come and curse the Israelis. They went to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.

8 Balaam said, “Stay here tonight. Tomorrow morning I will tell you whatever Yahweh tells me that I should say to you.”

So the leaders from Moab stayed there that night. 9 During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “◄Who are/Tell me about► these men who are staying with you.”

10 Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this: 11 ‘A huge group of people has come from Egypt, and they have spread all over this area. Please come immediately to curse them. Then I may be able to defeat them and expel them from this area.’ ”

12 God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”

13 The next morning, Balaam got up and told Balak’s men, “Go back home. But go by yourselves, because Yahweh is not allowing me to go with you.”

14 So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15 But Balak sent another group of leaders to Balaam. It was a group that was larger and they were more important than the men in the first group. 16 They went to Balaam and told him this:

“This is what King Balak says: ‘Please do not allow anything to hinder you from coming here. 17 I will pay you ◄a lot of money/very well► if you come, and I will do anything that you ask me to do. Just come and curse these Israeli people for me!’ ”

18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not do anything to disobey Yahweh, ◄my God/the God whom I worship►. 19 But stay here one more night, like the other messengers did, and I will find out if Yahweh has anything more to say to me.”

20 That night God appeared to Balaam again and said to him, “These men have come to request that you go back with them, so you may go with them, but do only what I tell you to do!”