Psalm 40^[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

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) 2} When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him^{(D) 3} and he spoke his message:

¹⁰ Then 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) 11} Now leave at once and go home!^(X) I said I would reward you handsomely,^(Y) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

¹² Balaam 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) 14} Now 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

¹⁵ Then he spoke his message:

Balaam’s Fifth Message

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

Balaam’s Sixth Message

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

Balaam’s Seventh Message

²³ Then he spoke his message:

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

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,^(AZ) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality^(BA) with Moabite^(BB) women,^{(BC) 2} who invited them to the sacrifices^(BD) to their gods.^(BE) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. ³ So Israel yoked themselves to^(BF) the Baal of Peor.^(BG) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders^(BH) of these people, kill them and expose^(BI) them in broad daylight before the Lord,^(BJ) so that the Lord’s fierce anger^(BK) may turn away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death^(BL) those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”^(BM)

⁶ Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite^(BN) woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping^(BO) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷ When Phinehas^(BP) son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear^(BQ) in his hand ⁸ and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;^{(BR) 9} but those who died in the plague^(BS) numbered 24,000.^(BT)

¹⁰ The Lord said to Moses, ¹¹ “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites.^(BU) Since he was as zealous for my honor^(BV) among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. ¹² Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace^(BW) with him. ¹³ He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood,^(BX) because he was zealous^(BY) for the honor^(BZ) of his God and made atonement^(CA) for the Israelites.”^(CB)

¹⁴ The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman^(CC) was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.^{(CD) 15} And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi^(CE) daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.^(CF)

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses,^{(CG) 17} “Treat the Midianites^(CH) as enemies^(CI) and kill them.^{(CJ) 18} They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident^(CK) involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus^(A) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.^{(B) 2} (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)^{(C) 3} And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem^(D) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him^(E) and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel^(F) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(G) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior^(H) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(I) the Lord.^{(J) 12} This will be a sign^(K) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.^{(M) 17} When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.^{(N) 20} The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God^(O) for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,^(P) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.^(Q)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(R) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]),^{(S) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c](T)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(U) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(V) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(W) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(AB) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(AC) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”