[Numbers Chapter 22]
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was overcome with dread because of the children of Israel.
5 And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying: ‘Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me; peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.’
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination (bribery) in their hand, and they came unto Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.
12 And G-d said to Balaam: ‘Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.’
The Bribery: Money, Flattery, Celebrity Powers
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam and said to him: ‘Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor: Let nothing, 0I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me;
17 for I will promote thee unto very great honour, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do; come therefore, I pray thee, curse me these people.’
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak: ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of HaShem my G-d, to do anything, small or great.
[Nubmbers Chapter 23]
7 And he took up his parable, and said: From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: ‘Come, curse me Jacob, and come, execrate Israel.’
Note: “Execrate” means to denounce and declare evil
8 How shall I curse, whom GOD has not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom The Most High has not execrated?
11 And Balak said unto Balaam: ‘What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.’
19 GOD Is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: when He hath said, will He not do it? or when He hath spoken, will He not make it good?
20 Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back.
[Numbers Chapter 24]
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be everyone that blesseth thee, and cursed be everyone that curseth thee.
10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam: ‘I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee you to thy place; I thought to promote you to great honour; but, lo, HaShem hath kept thee back from honour.’
12 And Balaam said unto Balak: ‘Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of HaShem, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what HaShem speaketh, that will I speak?