¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak king of Moab, the son of Zippor, sent me a message. ¹¹ He said, ‘A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the whole surface of the land. So come and put a curse on them for me. Maybe I’ll be able to fight them. Maybe I’ll be able to drive them away.’ ”

¹² But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people. I have blessed them.”