Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Numbers 21
³⁴ The LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.”
³⁵ And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land.
Numbers 22
¹ Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
² Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites.
³ And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.
⁴ The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!” So Balak, king of Moab,
⁵ sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His message said: “Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me.
⁶ Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”
⁷ Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him.
⁸ “Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.
⁹ That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?”