ore, and curse this people, because it is mightier than
I: if by any means I may beat them and drive them out of my land: for I
know that he whom thou shalt bless is blessed, and he whom thou shalt
curse is cursed.

22:7. And the ancients of Moab, and the elders of Madian, went with the
price of divination in their hands. And where they were come to Balaam,
and had told him all the words of Balac:

22:8. He answered: Tarry here this night and I will answer whatsoever
the Lord shall say to me. And while they stayed with Balaam, God came
and said to him:

22:9. What mean these men that are with thee?

22:10. He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath
sent to me,

22:11. Saying: Behold a people that is come out of Egypt, hath covered
the face of the land: come and curse them, if by any means I may fight
with them and drive them away.

22:12. And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt
thou curse the people: because it is blessed.

22:13. And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your
country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.

22:14. The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with
us.

22:15. Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:

22:16. Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the
son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:

22:17. For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou
wilt: come and curse this people.

22:18. Balaam answered: If Balac would give me his house full of silver
and gold, I cannot alter the word of the Lord my God, to speak either
more or less.

22:19. I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the
Lord will answer me once more.

To stay... His desiring them to stay, after he had been fully informed
already that it was not God's will he should go, came from the
inclination he had to gratify Balac, for the sake of worldly gain. And
this perverse disposition God punished by permitting him to go (though
not to curse the people as he would willingly have done), and suffering
him to fall still deeper and deeper into sin, till he came at last to
give that abominable counsel against the people of God, which ended in
his own destruction. So sad a thing it is to indulge a passion for
money.

22:20. God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: If
these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, tha