Numbers 24

New International Version

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,^(A) he did not resort to divination^(B) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.^(C) ²When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him^(D) ³and he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,^(E)
⁴the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,^(F)
    who sees a vision from the Almighty,^[a]^(G)
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

⁵“How beautiful are your tents,^(H) Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!

⁶“Like valleys they spread out,
    like gardens beside a river,^(I)
like aloes^(J) planted by the Lord,
    like cedars beside the waters.^(K)
⁷Water will flow from their buckets;
    their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;^(L)
their kingdom will be exalted.^(M)

⁸“God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
    and break their bones in pieces;^(N)
    with their arrows they pierce them.^(O)
⁹Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
    like a lioness^(P)—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessed^(Q)
and those who curse you be cursed!”^(R)

¹⁰Then Balak’s anger burned^(S) against Balaam. He struck his hands together^(T) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,^(U) but you have blessed them^(V) these three times.^(W) ¹¹Now leave at once and go home!^(X) I said I would reward you handsomely,^(Y) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

¹²Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,^(Z) 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^(AA)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?^(AB) 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.”^(AC)

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^(AD) of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,^(AE)
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.^(AF)
A star will come out of Jacob;^(AG)
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.^(AH)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,^(AI)
    the skulls^[b]^(AJ) of^[c] all the people of Sheth.^[d]
¹⁸Edom^(AK) will be conquered;
    Seir,^(AL) his enemy, will be conquered,^(AM)
    but Israel^(AN) will grow strong.
¹⁹A ruler will come out of Jacob^(AO)
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

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

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

Balaam’s Sixth Message

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

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

Balaam’s Seventh Message

²³Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?^[e]
²⁴ Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;^(AU)
they will subdue Ashur^(AV) and Eber,^(AW)
but they too will come to ruin.^(AX)”

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

Notas al pie

Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
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.

Isaiah 47

New International Version

The Fall of Babylon

47 “Go down, sit in the dust,^(A)
    Virgin Daughter^(B) Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
    queen city of the Babylonians.^[a]^(C)
No more will you be called
    tender or delicate.^(D)
²Take millstones^(E) and grind^(F) flour;
    take off your veil.^(G)
Lift up your skirts,^(H) bare your legs,
    and wade through the streams.
³Your nakedness^(I) will be exposed
    and your shame^(J) uncovered.
I will take vengeance;^(K)
    I will spare no one.^(L)”

⁴Our Redeemer^(M)—the Lord Almighty^(N) is his name^(O)—
is the Holy One^(P) of Israel.

⁵“Sit in silence,^(Q) go into darkness,^(R)
    queen city of the Babylonians;^(S)
no more will you be called
    queen^(T) of kingdoms.^(U)
⁶I was angry^(V) with my people
    and desecrated my inheritance;^(W)
I gave them into your hand,^(X)
    and you showed them no mercy.^(Y)
Even on the aged
    you laid a very heavy yoke.
⁷You said, ‘I am forever^(Z)—
    the eternal queen!’^(AA)
But you did not consider these things
    or reflect^(AB) on what might happen.^(AC)

⁸“Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security^(AD)
and saying to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.^(AE)
I will never be a widow^(AF)
    or suffer the loss of children.’
⁹Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment,^(AG) on a single day:
    loss of children^(AH) and widowhood.^(AI)
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries^(AJ)
    and all your potent spells.^(AK)
¹⁰You have trusted^(AL) in your wickedness
    and have said, ‘No one sees me.’^(AM)
Your wisdom^(AN) and knowledge mislead^(AO) you
    when you say to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
¹¹Disaster^(AP) will come upon you,
    and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
    that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
    will suddenly^(AQ) come upon you.

¹²“Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,^(AR)
    which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.
¹³All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!^(AS)
    Let your astrologers^(AT) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
    let them save^(AU) you from what is coming upon you.
¹⁴Surely they are like stubble;^(AV)
    the fire^(AW) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
    from the power of the flame.^(AX)
These are not coals for warmth;
    this is not a fire to sit by.
¹⁵That is all they are to you—
    these you have dealt with
    and labored^(AY) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
    there is not one that can save^(AZ) you.

Notas al pie

Isaiah 47:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 5

1 Thessalonians 2

New International Version

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you^(A) was not without results.^(B) ²We had previously suffered^(C) and been treated outrageously in Philippi,^(D) as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.^(E) ³For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,^(F) nor are we trying to trick you.^(G) ⁴On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.^(H) We are not trying to please people^(I) but God, who tests our hearts.^(J) ⁵You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed^(K)—God is our witness.^(L) ⁶We were not looking for praise from people,^(M) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles^(N) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.^(O) ⁷Instead, we were like young children^[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^(P) ⁸so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^(Q) but our lives as well.^(R) ⁹Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(S) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(T) while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰You are witnesses,^(U) and so is God,^(V) of how holy,^(W) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^(X) ¹²encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(Y) of God, who calls^(Z) you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³And we also thank God continually^(AA) because, when you received the word of God,^(AB) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^(AC) of God’s churches in Judea,^(AD) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^(AE) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵who killed the Lord Jesus^(AF) and the prophets^(AG) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^(AH) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^(AI) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^[b]

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

¹⁷But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),^(AJ) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.^(AK) ¹⁸For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(AL) blocked our way.^(AM) ¹⁹For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown^(AN) in which we will glory^(AO) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?^(AP) Is it not you? ²⁰Indeed, you are our glory^(AQ) and joy.

Notas al pie

1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some manuscripts were gentle
1 Thessalonians 2:16 Or them fully

New International Version (NIV)