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.
But the man of God [164] said to the king, “I will not go home with you, even if you give me half of your kingdom! I will not eat or drink anything in this place.
You have put those wicked people here.\par They are like plants with strong roots,\par they grow and produce fruit.\par With their mouths, they say that you are near and dear to them.\par But in their hearts, they are really far away from you.\par
So they come to you like they are my people. They sit in front of you like they are my people. They hear your words. But they won’t do the things you say. They only want to do what feels good. They only want to cheat people and make more money.
Balaam answered, “But I am here now. I came, but I might not be able to do the thing you asked. I can only say the words that the Lord God tells me to say.”
The leaders of Moab and Midian left. They went to talk to Balaam. They carried with them money to pay him for his service. [282] Then they told him what Balak had said.
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here near this altar. [289] I will go to another place. Then the Lord will come to me, and he will tell me what I must say.” Then Balaam went away to a higher place.
‘Balak can give me his most beautiful house filled with silver and gold. But I can still say only the things that the Lord commands me to say. I cannot do anything myself, good or bad. I must say what the Lord commands.’ Surely you remember that I told your men these things.