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

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

⁹ not by works,^(A) so that no one can boast.^(B)

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting?^(A) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.

² They will put you out of the synagogue;^(A) in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.^(B)

¹² I fast^(A) twice a week and give a tenth^(B) of all I get.’

¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat^(A) of the day.’

Balaam’s First Message

23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams^(A) for me.”