Numbers 24:1-13

English Standard Version

Balaam's Third Oracle

24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at ^(A)other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. ²And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel ^(B)camping tribe by tribe. And ^(C)the Spirit of God came upon him, ³and he ^(D)took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,^[a]
⁴the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
    who sees the vision of the Almighty,
    ^(E)falling down with his eyes uncovered:
⁵How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
    your encampments, O Israel!
⁶Like palm groves^[b] that stretch afar,
    like gardens beside a river,
^(F)like aloes ^(G)that the Lord has planted,
    like cedar trees beside the waters.
⁷Water shall flow from his buckets,
    and his seed shall be ^(H)in many waters;
his king shall be higher than ^(I)Agag,
    and ^(J)his kingdom shall be exalted.
⁸God brings him out of Egypt
    and is for him like the ^(K)horns of the wild ox;
he shall ^(L)eat up the nations, his adversaries,
    and shall ^(M)break their bones in pieces
    and ^(N)pierce them through with his arrows.
⁹He crouched, he lay down like a lion
    and ^(O)like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
^(P)Blessed are those who bless you,
    and cursed are those who curse you.”

¹⁰And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he ^(Q)struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, ^(R)“I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. ¹¹Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ^(S)‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.” ¹²And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, ¹³^(T)‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad ^(U)of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’?

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Footnotes

Numbers 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15
Numbers 24:6 Or valleys

Romans 8:12-17

English Standard Version

Heirs with Christ

¹²So then, brothers,^[a] we are debtors, ^(A)not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you ^(B)put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are ^(C)led by the Spirit of God are ^(D)sons^[b] of God. ¹⁵For ^(E)you did not receive ^(F)the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of ^(G)adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ^(H)“Abba! Father!” ¹⁶^(I)The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then ^(J)heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ^(K)provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

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Footnotes

Romans 8:12 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 29
Romans 8:14 See discussion on “sons” in the Preface

Matthew 22:15-22

English Standard Version

Paying Taxes to Caesar

¹⁵^(A)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how ^(B)to entangle him in his words. ¹⁶And they sent ^(C)their disciples to him, along with ^(D)the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, ^(E)we know that you are true and teach ^(F)the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for ^(G)you are not swayed by appearances.^[a] ¹⁷Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay ^(H)taxes to ^(I)Caesar, or not?” ¹⁸But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why ^(J)put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.^[b] ²⁰And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, ^(K)“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” ²²When they heard it, they marveled. And they ^(L)left him and went away.