Psalm 133

New International Version

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together^(A) in unity!^(B)

²It is like precious oil poured on the head,^(C)
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
³It is as if the dew^(D) of Hermon^(E)
    were falling on Mount Zion.^(F)
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,^(G)
    even life forevermore.^(H)

Numbers 24:12-25

New International Version

¹²Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,^(A) ¹³‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord^(B)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?^(C) ¹⁴Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”^(D)

Balaam’s Fourth Message

¹⁵Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
¹⁶the prophecy of one who hears the words^(E) of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,^(F)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

¹⁷“I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near.^(G)
A star will come out of Jacob;^(H)
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.^(I)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,^(J)
    the skulls^[a]^(K) of^[b] all the people of Sheth.^[c]
¹⁸Edom^(L) will be conquered;
    Seir,^(M) his enemy, will be conquered,^(N)
    but Israel^(O) will grow strong.
¹⁹A ruler will come out of Jacob^(P)
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

²⁰Then Balaam saw Amalek^(Q) and spoke his message:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”^(R)

Balaam’s Sixth Message

²¹Then he saw the Kenites^(S) and spoke his message:

“Your dwelling place is secure,^(T)
your nest is set in a rock;
²²yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur^(U) takes you captive.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message

²³Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?^[d]
²⁴ Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;^(V)
they will subdue Ashur^(W) and Eber,^(X)
but they too will come to ruin.^(Y)”

²⁵Then Balaam^(Z) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.

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Footnotes

Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.

Romans 8:18-25

New International Version

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.^(A) ¹⁹For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God^(B) to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,^(C) in hope ²¹that^[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay^(D) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.^(E)

²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning^(F) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,^(G) groan^(H) inwardly as we wait eagerly^(I) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.^(J) ²⁴For in this hope we were saved.^(K) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.^(L) Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.^(M)

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Footnotes

Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. ²¹For

Matthew 22:23-40

New International Version

Marriage at the Resurrection^(A)

²³That same day the Sadducees,^(B) who say there is no resurrection,^(C) came to him with a question. ²⁴“Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.^(D) ²⁵Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. ²⁷Finally, the woman died. ²⁸Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

²⁹Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures^(E) or the power of God. ³⁰At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;^(F) they will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ³²‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^[a]?^(G) He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

³³When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.^(H)

The Greatest Commandment^(I)

³⁴Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,^(J) the Pharisees got together. ³⁵One of them, an expert in the law,^(K) tested him with this question: ³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[b]^(L) ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c]^(M) ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”^(N)