12 God said to Balaam, “You will not go with them. You will not curse the people because they are blessed.”
13 So Balaam rose up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land because the Lord refuses to let me to go with you.”
14 The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15 Again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more honorable than they.
16 They came to Balaam and said to him,“Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please, let nothing hold you back from coming to me,
17 because I will promote you to very great honor, and anything you say to me I will do. Come please, curse this people for me.’ ”
18 Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more.