Numbers 24-25
New King James Version
Balaam Foretells the Happiness of Israel
24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at (A)other times, to seek to use [a]sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel (B)encamped according to their tribes; and (C)the Spirit of God came upon him.
3 (D)Then he took up his oracle and said:
“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who (E)falls down, with eyes wide open:
5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6 Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
(F)Like aloes (G)planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7 He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be (H)in many waters.
8 “God(K) brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall (L)consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall (M)break their bones
And (N)pierce them with his arrows.
9 ‘He(O) bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’
(P)“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”
10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he (Q)struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, (R)“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. (S)I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”
12 So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? 14 And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, (T)I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the (U)latter days.”
Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy
15 So he took up his oracle and said:
“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
And has the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
17 “I(V) see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
(W)A Star shall come out of Jacob;
(X)A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And [b]batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of [c]tumult.
18 “And (Y)Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does [d]valiantly.
19 (Z)Out of Jacob One [e]shall have dominion,
And destroy the remains of the city.”
20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:
“Amalek was first among the nations,
But shall be last until he perishes.”
21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:
“Firm is your dwelling place,
And your nest is set in the rock;
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.
How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”
23 Then he took up his oracle and said:
“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from the coasts of (AA)Cyprus,[f]
And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict (AB)Eber,
And so shall [g]Amalek, until he perishes.”
25 So Balaam rose and departed and (AC)returned to his place; Balak also went his way.
Israel’s Harlotry in Moab
25 Now Israel remained in (AD)Acacia Grove,[h] and the (AE)people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 (AF)They invited the people to (AG)the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and (AH)bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and (AI)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, (AJ)“Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, (AK)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”
5 So Moses said to (AL)the judges of Israel, (AM)“Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”
6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, (AN)who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7 Now (AO)when Phinehas (AP)the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So (AQ)the plague was (AR)stopped among the children of Israel. 9 And (AS)those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.
10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 11 (AT)“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in (AU)My zeal. 12 Therefore say, (AV)‘Behold, I give to him My (AW)covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and (AX)his descendants after him a covenant of (AY)an everlasting priesthood, because he was (AZ)zealous for his God, and (BA)made [i]atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”
14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of (BB)Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.
16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 (BC)“Harass the Midianites, and [j]attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their (BD)schemes[k] by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 24:1 enchantments
- Numbers 24:17 shatter the forehead
- Numbers 24:17 Heb. Sheth, Jer. 48:45
- Numbers 24:18 mightily
- Numbers 24:19 shall rule
- Numbers 24:24 Heb. Kittim
- Numbers 24:24 Lit. he or that one
- Numbers 25:1 Heb. Shittim
- Numbers 25:13 Lit. covering
- Numbers 25:17 be hostile toward
- Numbers 25:18 tricks
Luke 2:1-35
New King James Version
Christ Born of Mary(A)
2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 (B)This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to (C)the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (D)because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, (E)his betrothed [a]wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And (F)she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a [b]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Glory in the Highest
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And [c]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, (G)and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, (H)“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy (I)which will be to all people. 11 (J)For there is born to you this day in the city of David (K)a Savior, (L)who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a [d]manger.”
13 (M)And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made [f]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 (Q)But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and (R)praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Circumcision of Jesus
21 (S)And when eight days were completed [g]for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called (T)Jesus, the name given by the angel (U)before He was conceived in the womb.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 Now when (V)the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (W)(as it is written in the law of the Lord, (X)“Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, (Y)“A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Simeon Sees God’s Salvation
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, (Z)waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not (AA)see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came (AB)by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “Lord, (AC)now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes (AD)have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 (AE)A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 [h]And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the (AF)fall and rising of many in Israel, and for (AG)a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, (AH)a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
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Psalm 59
New King James Version
The Assured Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to [a]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David (A)when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.
59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
[b]Defend me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For look, they lie in wait for my life;
(B)The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.
(C)Awake to help me, and behold!
5 You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the [c]nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
6 (D)At evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
7 Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
(E)Swords are in their lips;
For they say, (F)“Who hears?”
8 But (G)You, O Lord, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the [d]nations in derision.
9 I will wait for You, O You [e]his Strength;
(H)For God is my [f]defense.
10 [g]My God of mercy shall (I)come to meet me;
God shall let (J)me see my desire on my enemies.
11 Do not slay them, lest my people forget;
Scatter them by Your power,
And bring them down,
O Lord our shield.
12 (K)For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
13 (L)Consume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And (M)let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah
14 And (N)at evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
15 They (O)wander up and down for food,
And [h]howl if they are not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 To You, (P)O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.
Footnotes
- Psalm 59:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
- Psalm 59:1 Lit. Set me on high
- Psalm 59:5 Gentiles
- Psalm 59:8 Gentiles
- Psalm 59:9 So with MT, Syr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Vg. my Strength
- Psalm 59:9 Lit. fortress
- Psalm 59:10 So with Qr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. My God, His mercy; Kt., some Heb. mss., Tg. O God, my mercy; Syr. O God, Your mercy
- Psalm 59:15 So with LXX, Vg.; MT, Syr., Tg. spend the night
Proverbs 11:14
New King James Version
14 (A)Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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