Numbers 22:3–11

³he and all his people became terrified. ⁴The Moabites said to the leaders of the Midianites, “This horde will soon destroy everything round us, like a bull eating the grass in a pasture.” So King Balak ^5*sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor near the River Euphrates 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. ⁶They 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.”

⁷So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak’s message. ⁸Balaam 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.

⁹God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men that are staying with you?”

¹⁰He answered, “King Balak of Moab has sent them to tell me ¹¹that 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.”