Nevertheless, the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Ba´laam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Ba´laam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine.
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Ba´laam the son of Be´or answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.
And the angel of the Lord said unto Ba´laam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Ba´laam went with the princes of Balak.
He sent messengers therefore unto Ba´laam the son of Be´or to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
(as the children of Esau which dwell in Se´ir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me:) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the Lord our God giveth us.