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Numbers 22:21-23:30
English Standard Version
Numbers 22:21-23:30
English Standard Version
21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam's Donkey and the Angel
22 But God's anger was kindled because he went, (A)and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way (B)as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord (C)opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord (D)opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out (E)to oppose you because your way is perverse[a] before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” 34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, (F)“I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” 35 And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, (G)but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, (H)on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border. 37 And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to (I)honor you?” 38 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? (J)The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.” 39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.
41 And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.
Balaam's First Oracle
23 And Balaam said to Balak, (K)“Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam (L)offered on each altar a bull and a ram. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, (M)“Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come (N)to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, 4 (O)and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” 5 And the Lord (P)put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7 And Balaam (Q)took up his discourse and said,
“From (R)Aram Balak has brought me,
the king of Moab (S)from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, (T)curse Jacob for me,
and come, denounce Israel!’
8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the crags (U)I see him,
from the hills I behold him;
behold, (V)a people dwelling alone,
and (W)not counting itself among the nations!
10 (X)Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number the fourth part[b] of Israel?
Let me die (Y)the death of the upright,
and let my end be like his!”
11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (Z)I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” 12 And he answered and said, (AA)“Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
Balaam's Second Oracle
13 And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” 14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, (AB)and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, (AC)“Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord over there.” 16 And the Lord met Balaam and (AD)put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” 17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” 18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,
“Rise, Balak, and hear;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
19 (AE)God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I received a command to bless:
(AF)he has blessed, and (AG)I cannot revoke it.
21 (AH)He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,
nor has he seen trouble in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them,
and the shout of a king is among them.
22 (AI)God brings them out of Egypt
and is for them like (AJ)the horns of the wild ox.
23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
no (AK)divination against Israel;
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
(AL)‘What has God wrought!’
24 Behold, a people! (AM)As a lioness it rises up
and as a lion it lifts itself;
(AN)it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey
and drunk the blood of the slain.”
25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” 26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, (AO)‘All that the Lord says, that I must do’?” 27 And Balak said to Balaam, (AP)“Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of (AQ)Peor, which overlooks (AR)the desert.[c] 29 And Balaam said to Balak, (AS)“Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 (AT)And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:32 Or reckless
- Numbers 23:10 Or dust clouds
- Numbers 23:28 Or Jeshimon
Numbers 22:21-23:30
New International Version
Numbers 22:21-23:30
New International Version
Balaam’s Donkey
21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry(A) when he went, and the angel of the Lord(B) stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword(C) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it(D) to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry(E) and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,(F) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?(G)”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.(H)”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,(I) and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now,(J) but I would have spared it.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.(K) I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 When Balak(L) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon(M) border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”(N)
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,(O) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,(P) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.(Q)
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(R) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(S)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(T) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(U) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(V) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(W)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(X) 7 Then Balaam(Y) spoke his message:(Z)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(AA)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(AB)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(AC)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(AD)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(AE)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(AF)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(AG)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(AH)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(AI)
and may my final end be like theirs!(AJ)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(AK) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(AL)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(AM)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(AN) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(AO) And from there, curse them for me.(AP)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(AQ) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(AR)
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth(AS) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(AT) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(AU)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(AV)
19 God is not human,(AW) that he should lie,(AX)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(AY)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(AZ) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(BA)
he has blessed,(BB) and I cannot change it.(BC)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(BD)
no misery observed[b] in Israel.(BE)
The Lord their God is with them;(BF)
the shout of the King(BG) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(BH)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(BI)
23 There is no divination against[c] Jacob,
no evil omens(BJ) against[d] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(BK)
they rouse themselves like a lion(BL)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(BM) of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(BN)
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(BO) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(BP) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(BQ) overlooking the wasteland.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(BR)
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- 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
Luke 1:57-80
English Standard Version
Luke 1:57-80
English Standard Version
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord (A)had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And (B)on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; (C)he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And (D)they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for (E)a writing tablet and wrote, (F)“His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 (G)And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue (H)loosed, and he spoke, (I)blessing God. 65 And (J)fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all (K)the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them (L)laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For (M)the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah (N)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (O)prophesied, saying,
68 (P)“Blessed be the Lord (Q)God of Israel,
for he has (R)visited and (S)redeemed his people
69 and (T)has raised up (U)a horn of salvation for us
(V)in the house of his servant David,
70 (W)as (X)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 (Y)that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (Z)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and (AA)to remember his holy (AB)covenant,
73 (AC)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him (AD)without fear,
75 (AE)in holiness and righteousness before him (AF)all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called (AG)the prophet of (AH)the Most High;
for (AI)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
(AJ)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (AK)tender mercy of our God,
whereby (AL)the sunrise shall (AM)visit us[a] (AN)from on high
79 to (AO)give light to (AP)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into (AQ)the way of (AR)peace.”
80 (AS)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was (AT)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Luke 1:78 Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us
Luke 1:57-80
New International Version
Luke 1:57-80
New International Version
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise(A) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”(B)
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
62 Then they made signs(C) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”(D) 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,(E) praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea(F) people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.(G)
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(H) and prophesied:(I)
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(J)
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.(K)
69 He has raised up a horn[a](L) of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David(M)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),(N)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors(O)
and to remember his holy covenant,(P)
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:(Q)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him(R) without fear(S)
75 in holiness and righteousness(T) before him all our days.
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(U) of the Most High;(V)
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(W)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,(X)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun(Y) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,(Z)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”(AA)
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[b];(AB) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
Psalm 58
English Standard Version
Psalm 58
English Standard Version
God Who Judges the Earth
To the choirmaster: according to (A)Do Not Destroy. A (B)Miktam[a] of David.
58 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?[b]
Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands (C)deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked are (D)estranged from the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4 (E)They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it (F)does not hear the voice of charmers
or of the cunning enchanter.
6 O God, (G)break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 Let them (H)vanish like water that runs away;
when he (I)aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
8 Let them be like the snail (J)that dissolves into slime,
like (K)the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of (L)thorns,
whether green or ablaze, may he (M)sweep them away![c]
10 (N)The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will (O)bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is (P)a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who (Q)judges on earth.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 58:1 Or you mighty lords (by revocalization; Hebrew in silence)
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
Psalm 58
New International Version
Psalm 58
New International Version
Psalm 58[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Proverbs 11:12-13
English Standard Version
Proverbs 11:12-13
English Standard Version
12 Whoever (A)belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
13 Whoever (B)goes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Proverbs 11:12-13
New International Version
Proverbs 11:12-13
New International Version
English Standard Version (ESV) 
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