Balak son of Zippor saw everything the Israelites had done to the Amorites. The king of Moab was very frightened of the Israelites because there were so many of them. He was very afraid.
The king of Moab said to the leaders of Midian, "This large group of people will destroy everything around us, the way a cow eats all the grass in a field." Balak son of Zippor was the king of Moab at this time.
He sent some men to call Balaam son of Beor. Balaam was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River. This was where Balaam's people lived. This was Balak's message: "A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover all the land. They have camped next to me.
Come and help me. These people are too powerful for me. I know that you have great power. If you bless people, good things happen to them. And if you curse people, bad things happen to them. So come and curse these people. Maybe then I will be able to defeat them and force them to leave my country."
The leaders of Moab and Midian left. They went to talk to Balaam. They carried with them money to pay him for his service. Then they told him what Balak had said.
Balaam said to them, "Stay here for the night. I will talk to the Lord and tell you the answer he gives me." So the leaders of Moab stayed there with Balaam that night.
This is the message: A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover the land. So come and curse these people. Then maybe I will be able to fight them and force them to leave my land."
So Balak sent other leaders to Balaam. This time he sent many more than the first time. And these leaders were much more important than the first ones he sent.
That night, God came to Balaam. God said, "These men have come again to ask you to go with them. So you can go with them. But do only what I tell you to do."
Balaam was riding on his donkey. Two of his servants were with him. While Balaam was traveling, God became angry. So the Lord's angel stood in the road in front of Balaam to stop Balaam.
When Balaam's donkey saw the Lord's angel standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam could not see the angel, so he was very angry at the donkey. He hit the donkey and forced it to go back on the road.
Again the donkey saw the Lord's angel. So the donkey walked very close to one wall. This crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam hit his donkey again.
Later, the Lord's angel stood at another place where the road became narrow. There was no place where the donkey could go around him. It could not turn to the left or to the right.
The donkey saw the Lord's angel. So the donkey lay down with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam was very angry at the donkey. So he hit it with his walking stick.
But the donkey said to Balaam, "Look, I am your donkey. You have ridden me for so many years. And you know that I have never done this to you before!" "That is true," Balaam said.
your donkey saw me and turned away from me. That happened three times. If the donkey had not turned away, I probably would have killed you already. And I would have let your donkey live."
Then the Lord's angel said to Balaam, "No, you can go with these men. But be careful. Speak only the words that I will tell you to say." So Balaam went with the leaders that Balak had sent.
Balak heard that Balaam was coming. So Balak went out to meet him at the Moabite town near the Arnon River. This was at the northern border of his country.
When Balak saw Balaam, he said to him, "I asked you before to come. I told you it was very important. Why didn't you come to me? Did you think I might not be able to pay you?"
Balaam answered, "Well, I am here now. I came, but I might not be able to do what you asked. I can only say the words that the Lord God tells me to say."