The Daily Audio Bible
The Bronze Serpent
21 When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.(A) 2 Then Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into our hands, then we will utterly destroy their towns.” 3 The Lord listened to the voice of Israel and handed over the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their towns; so the place was called Hormah.[a]
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea,[b] to go around the land of Edom, but the people became discouraged on the way.(B) 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.”(C) 6 Then the Lord sent poisonous[c] serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.(D) 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.(E) 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous[d] serpent, and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it upon a pole, and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.(F)
The Journey to Moab
10 The Israelites set out and camped in Oboth.(G) 11 They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness bordering Moab toward the sunrise.(H) 12 From there they set out and camped in the Wadi Zered.(I) 13 From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in[e] the wilderness that extends from the boundary of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,
“Waheb in Suphah and the wadis.
The Arnon 15 and the slopes of the wadis
that extend to the seat of Ar
and lie along the border of Moab.”[f](J)
16 From there they continued to Beer;[g] that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—
18 the well that the leaders sank,
that the nobles of the people dug,
with the scepter, with the staff.”
From the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that overlooks the wasteland.[h]
King Sihon Defeated
21 Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying,(K) 22 “Let me pass through your land; we will not turn aside into field or vineyard; we will not drink the water of any well; we will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”(L) 23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness; he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.(M) 24 Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the boundary of the Ammonites was strong.(N) 25 Israel took all these towns, and Israel settled in all the towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and captured all his land as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the singers say,
“Come to Heshbon; let it be built;
let the city of Sihon be established.
28 For fire came out from Heshbon,
flame from the city of Sihon.
It devoured Ar of Moab
and swallowed up[i] the heights of the Arnon.(O)
29 Woe to you, O Moab!
You are undone, O people of Chemosh!
He has made his sons fugitives
and his daughters captives
to an Amorite king, Sihon.(P)
30 So their posterity perished
from Heshbon[j] to Dibon,
and we laid waste until fire spread to Medeba.”[k](Q)
31 Thus Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. 32 Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.(R)
King Og Defeated
33 Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.(S) 34 But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have given him into your hand, with all his people and his land. You shall do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”(T) 35 So they killed him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left, and they took possession of his land.
Balak Summons Balaam to Curse Israel
22 The Israelites set out and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho.(U) 2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were so numerous; Moab was overcome with fear of the Israelites.(V) 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.(W) 5 He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on the Euphrates,[l] in the land of Amaw,[m] to summon him, saying, “A people has come out of Egypt; they have spread over the face of the earth, and they have settled next to me.(X) 6 Come now, curse this people for me, since they are stronger than I; perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”(Y)
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand, and they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message.(Z) 8 He said to them, “Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, just as the Lord speaks to me”; so the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.(AA) 9 God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 Balaam said to God, “King Balak son of Zippor of Moab has sent me this message: 11 ‘Look, a people has come[n] out of Egypt and has spread over the face of the earth; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’ ” 12 God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”(AB) 13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the officials of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” 14 So the officials of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15 Once again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more distinguished than these. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: Do not let anything hinder you from coming to me, 17 for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do; come, curse this people for me.”(AC) 18 But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Although Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more.(AD) 19 You also stay here overnight, so that I may learn what more the Lord may say to me.” 20 That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but do only what I tell you to do.”(AE)
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,(A) 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.(B) 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[a](C) 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.(D) 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.(E) 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”(F) 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[b] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God.(G) 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”(H) 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.(I) 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?(J) 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[d] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 And Mary[e] said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,(K)
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,(L)
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,(M)
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;(N)
50 indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.(O)
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.(P)
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;(Q)
53 he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.(R)
54 He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,(S)
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”(T)
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Psalm 57
Praise and Assurance under Persecution
To the leader: Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
1 Be merciful to me, O God; be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
until the destroying storms pass by.(A)
2 I cry to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.(B)
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.(C)
4 I lie down among lions
that greedily devour[a] human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues sharp swords.(D)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.(E)
6 They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah(F)
7 My heart is steadfast, O God;
my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.(G)
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.(H)
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.(I)
10 For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the clouds.(J)
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.(K)
9 With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbors,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.(A)
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.(B)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.