¹⁶ They said to Balaam, ‘King Balak says, “Do not let anything stop you from coming to me. ¹⁷ I will certainly make you rich and famous. I will do for you anything that you want. So please come and curse these people for me.” ’

¹⁸ Balaam said to them, ‘No, I will only do what the Lord tells me. I can do no more than that, and no less. Even if Balak gives me his house, all his gold and all his silver, I will only do what the Lord says.