Numbers 22 - 24

Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab hires Balaam to curse Israel, God prevents Balaam, but has him pronounce a blessing instead.

Num 31:8

They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

Num 31:16

"Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.

Deu 23:3-6

"No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, because they did not meet you with [fn]food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. "Nevertheless, the LORD your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the LORD your God loves you. "You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

Jos 13:22

The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, with the sword among the rest of their slain.

Jos 24:9-10

'Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 'But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand.

Nehamiah 13:2

because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Micah 6:5

"My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of the LORD."

2 Peter 2:15-16

forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

Jude 1:11

Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Revelation 2:14

'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.

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God spoke to Balaam, Balaam didn't freak out when He did: Num 22:9 Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"

God told Balaam not to go with the delegation from Moab: Num 22:12 God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed."

Balaam tells the second delegation the right answer: Num 22:18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the [fn]command of the LORD my God.

But then he asked God again, in case God might have changed His mind: Num 22:19 "Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me."

God did! But God places boundries for Balaam: Num 22:20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do."

God changes His mind again? Num 22:22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.

Balaam gives Barak the right response: Num 22:38 So Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak."

Balaam delivers God's message to Barak the first time: Num 23:11-12 Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!" He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

Balaam showed the people of Moab how to destroy the Israelites - by causing them to sin against God: Num 25:1-2 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

It is not clear what the relationship between God and Balaam was before this. It would seem that Balaam was more than some random heathen prophet. Balaam should have let it end at Num 22:13, but apparently he really wanted the money and honor Barak promised, and so, seeing that he could not curse the nation of Israel, he told Barak how to destroy them (Rev 2:14). This cost Balaam his life. (Num 31:8, Jos 13:22)