Psalm 119:49-72

New International Version

ז Zayin

⁴⁹Remember your word^(A) to your servant,
    for you have given me hope.^(B)
⁵⁰My comfort in my suffering is this:
    Your promise preserves my life.^(C)
⁵¹The arrogant mock me^(D) unmercifully,
    but I do not turn^(E) from your law.
⁵²I remember,^(F) Lord, your ancient laws,
    and I find comfort in them.
⁵³Indignation grips me^(G) because of the wicked,
    who have forsaken your law.^(H)
⁵⁴Your decrees are the theme of my song^(I)
    wherever I lodge.
⁵⁵In the night, Lord, I remember^(J) your name,
    that I may keep your law.^(K)
⁵⁶This has been my practice:
    I obey your precepts.^(L)

ח Heth

⁵⁷You are my portion,^(M) Lord;
    I have promised to obey your words.^(N)
⁵⁸I have sought^(O) your face with all my heart;
    be gracious to me^(P) according to your promise.^(Q)
⁵⁹I have considered my ways^(R)
    and have turned my steps to your statutes.
⁶⁰I will hasten and not delay
    to obey your commands.^(S)
⁶¹Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
    I will not forget^(T) your law.
⁶²At midnight^(U) I rise to give you thanks
    for your righteous laws.^(V)
⁶³I am a friend to all who fear you,^(W)
    to all who follow your precepts.^(X)
⁶⁴The earth is filled with your love,^(Y) Lord;
    teach me your decrees.^(Z)

ט Teth

⁶⁵Do good^(AA) to your servant
    according to your word,^(AB) Lord.
⁶⁶Teach me knowledge^(AC) and good judgment,
    for I trust your commands.
⁶⁷Before I was afflicted^(AD) I went astray,^(AE)
    but now I obey your word.^(AF)
⁶⁸You are good,^(AG) and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.^(AH)
⁶⁹Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,^(AI)
    I keep your precepts with all my heart.
⁷⁰Their hearts are callous^(AJ) and unfeeling,
    but I delight in your law.
⁷¹It was good for me to be afflicted^(AK)
    so that I might learn your decrees.
⁷²The law from your mouth is more precious to me
    than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.^(AL)

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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

Luke 1:1-23

New International Version

Introduction^(A)

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled^[a] among us, ²just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first^(B) were eyewitnesses^(C) and servants of the word.^(D) ³With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account^(E) for you, most excellent^(F) Theophilus,^(G) ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.^(H)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵In the time of Herod king of Judea^(I) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;^(J) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.^(K) ⁷But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,^(L) ⁹he was chosen by lot,^(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.^(N) ¹⁰And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.^(O)

¹¹Then an angel^(P) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.^(Q) ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.^(R) ¹³But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^(S) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^(T) ¹⁴He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^(U) ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(V) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(W) even before he is born.^(X) ¹⁶He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go on before the Lord,^(Y) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(Z) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(AA) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(AB)

¹⁸Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(AC) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(AD)

¹⁹The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(AE) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰And now you will be silent and not able to speak^(AF) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²²When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs^(AG) to them but remained unable to speak.

²³When his time of service was completed, he returned home.

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