Balaam

Balaam is a character from a story in the Bible. He was a man who people believed had the power to curse or bless others by speaking special words. People paid him to do this for them.

One time, the king of a country called Moab asked Balaam to come and curse a group of people called the Israelites. The king was afraid of the Israelites because they were getting closer to his country and he thought they might attack. But God told Balaam not to curse the Israelites.

So Balaam went to Moab and tried to curse the Israelites, but every time he opened his mouth, God made him say something good about them instead. Eventually, Balaam gave up and went home.

The story of Balaam is often used to teach that it's important to listen to God, even if it goes against what other people want.