Numbers 23

New International Version

Balaam’s First Message

23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams^(A) for me.” ²Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(B)

³Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.^(C) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.

⁴God met with him,^(D) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

⁵The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth^(E) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”^(F)

⁶So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.^(G) ⁷Then Balaam^(H) spoke his message:^(I)

“Balak brought me from Aram,^(J)
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.^(K)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’^(L)
⁸How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?^(M)
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?^(N)
⁹From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.^(O)
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.^(P)
¹⁰Who can count the dust of Jacob^(Q)
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,^(R)
    and may my final end be like theirs!^(S)”

¹¹Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,^(T) but you have done nothing but bless them!”^(U)

¹²He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”^(V)

Balaam’s Second Message

¹³Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place^(W) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.^(X) And from there, curse them for me.^(Y)” ¹⁴So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,^(Z) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(AA)

¹⁵Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”

¹⁶The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth^(AB) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

¹⁷So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.^(AC) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

¹⁸Then he spoke his message:^(AD)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.^(AE)
¹⁹God is not human,^(AF) that he should lie,^(AG)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.^(AH)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise^(AI) and not fulfill?
²⁰I have received a command to bless;^(AJ)
    he has blessed,^(AK) and I cannot change it.^(AL)

²¹“No misfortune is seen in Jacob,^(AM)
    no misery observed^[a] in Israel.^(AN)
The Lord their God is with them;^(AO)
    the shout of the King^(AP) is among them.
²²God brought them out of Egypt;^(AQ)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.^(AR)
²³There is no divination against^[b] Jacob,
    no evil omens^(AS) against^[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
²⁴The people rise like a lioness;^(AT)
    they rouse themselves like a lion^(AU)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood^(AV) of its victims.”

²⁵Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

²⁶Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”^(AW)

Balaam’s Third Message

²⁷Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.^(AX) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me^(AY) from there.” ²⁸And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,^(AZ) overlooking the wasteland.

²⁹Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ³⁰Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(BA)

Footnotes

Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
Numbers 23:23 Or in
Numbers 23:23 Or in

Isaiah 46

New International Version

Gods of Babylon

46 Bel^(A) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
    their idols^(B) are borne by beasts of burden.^[a]
The images that are carried^(C) about are burdensome,
    a burden for the weary.
²They stoop and bow down together;
    unable to rescue the burden,
    they themselves go off into captivity.^(D)

³“Listen^(E) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
    all the remnant^(F) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,^(G)
    and have carried^(H) since you were born.^(I)
⁴Even to your old age and gray hairs^(J)
    I am he,^(K) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain^(L) you and I will rescue you.

⁵“With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
    To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?^(M)
⁶Some pour out gold from their bags
    and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith^(N) to make it into a god,
    and they bow down and worship it.^(O)
⁷They lift it to their shoulders and carry^(P) it;
    they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
    From that spot it cannot move.^(Q)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;^(R)
    it cannot save^(S) them from their troubles.

⁸“Remember^(T) this, keep it in mind,
    take it to heart, you rebels.^(U)
⁹Remember the former things,^(V) those of long ago;^(W)
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.^(X)
¹⁰I make known the end from the beginning,^(Y)
    from ancient times,^(Z) what is still to come.^(AA)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,^(AB)
    and I will do all that I please.’
¹¹From the east I summon^(AC) a bird of prey;^(AD)
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned,^(AE) that I will do.^(AF)
¹²Listen^(AG) to me, you stubborn-hearted,^(AH)
    you who are now far from my righteousness.^(AI)
¹³I am bringing my righteousness^(AJ) near,
    it is not far away;
    and my salvation^(AK) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,^(AL)
    my splendor^(AM) to Israel.

Footnotes

Isaiah 46:1 Or are but beasts and cattle

1 Thessalonians 1

New International Version

1 Paul, Silas^[a]^(A) and Timothy,^(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians^(C) in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.^(D)

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith

²We always thank God for all of you^(E) and continually mention you in our prayers.^(F) ³We remember before our God and Father^(G) your work produced by faith,^(H) your labor prompted by love,^(I) and your endurance inspired by hope^(J) in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴For we know, brothers and sisters^[b] loved by God,^(K) that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel^(L) came to you not simply with words but also with power,^(M) with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know^(N) how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶You became imitators of us^(O) and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering^(P) with the joy^(Q) given by the Holy Spirit.^(R) ⁷And so you became a model^(S) to all the believers in Macedonia^(T) and Achaia.^(U) ⁸The Lord’s message^(V) rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.^(W) Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned^(X) to God from idols^(Y) to serve the living and true God,^(Z) ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven,^(AA) whom he raised from the dead^(AB)—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.^(AC)

Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
1 Thessalonians 1:4 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 9, 14, 17; 3:7; 4:1, 10, 13; 5:1, 4, 12, 14, 25, 27.