23Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice."H1109H559H1111H1129H7651H4196H3559H7651H6499H7651H352 2Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.H1111H6213H1109H1696H1111H1109H5927H4196H6499H352 3Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the LORD will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill,H1109H559H1111H3320H5930H3212H3068H7136H7125H1697H7200H5046H3212H8205 4and God met him there. Balaam said to him, "I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar."H430H7136H1109H559H6186H7651H4196H5927H4196H6499H352 5The LORD gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."H3068H7760H1697H1109H6310H559H7725H1111H1696 6So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.H7725H5324H5930H8269H4124 7This was the message Balaam delivered: "Balak summoned me to come from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills. 'Come,' he said, 'curse Jacob for me! Come and announce Israel's doom.'H5375H4912H559H1111H4428H4124H5148H758H2042H6924H3212H779H3290H3212H2194H3478 8But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the LORD has not condemned?H4100H5344H410H6895H2194H3068H2194 9I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations.H7218H6697H7200H1389H7789H5971H7931H910H2803H1471 10Who can count Jacob's descendants, as numerous as dust? Who can count even a fourth of Israel's people? Let me die like the righteous; let my life end like theirs."H4487H6083H3290H4557H7255H3478H4191H5315H4194H3477H319 11Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!"H1111H559H1109H6213H3947H6895H341H1288H1288 12But Balaam replied, "I will speak only the message that the LORD puts in my mouth."H6030H559H8104H1696H3068H7760H6310 13Then King Balak told him, "Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!"H1111H559H3212H312H4725H7200H7200H657H7097H7200H6895 14So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.H3947H7704H6839H6822H7218H6449H1129H7651H4196H5927H6499H352H4196 15Then Balaam said to the king, "Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the LORD."H559H1111H3320H3541H5930H7136H3541 16And the LORD met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."H3068H7136H1109H7760H1697H6310H559H7725H1111H1696 17So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. "What did the LORD say?" Balak asked eagerly.H935H5324H5930H8269H4124H1111H559H3068H1696 18This was the message Balaam delivered: "Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor.H5375H4912H559H6965H1111H8085H238H1121H6834 19God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?H410H376H3576H1121H120H5162H559H6213H1696H6965 20Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!H3947H1288H1288H7725 21No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.H5027H205H3290H7200H5999H3478H3068H430H8643H4428 22God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox.H410H3318H4714H8443H7214 23No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, 'What wonders God has done for Israel!'H5173H3290H7081H3478H6256H559H3290H3478H410H6466 24These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself. They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!"H5971H6965H3833H5375H738H7901H398H2964H8354H1818H2491 25Then Balak said to Balaam, "Fine, but if you won't curse them, at least don't bless them!"H1111H559H1109H5344H6895H1288H1288 26But Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you that I can do only what the LORD tells me?"H1109H6030H559H1111H1696H559H3068H1696H6213 27Then King Balak said to Balaam, "Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there."H1111H559H1109H3212H3947H312H4725H3474H5869H430H6895 28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland.H1111H3947H1109H7218H6465H8259H6440H3452 29Balaam again told Balak, "Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice."H1109H559H1111H1129H7651H4196H3559H7651H6499H7651H352 30So Balak did as Balaam ordered and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.H1111H6213H1109H559H5927H6499H352H4196
24By now Balaam realized that the LORD was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness,H1109H7200H5869H2895H3068H1288H3478H1980H6471H7125H5173H7896H6440H40572where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,H1109H5375H5869H7200H3478H7931H7626H7307H4303and this is the message he delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,H5375H4912H559H1109H1121H1160H5002H1397H5869H8365H50024the message of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open.H5002H8085H561H410H2372H4236H7706H5307H5869H15405How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel!H2895H168H3290H4908H34786They spread before me like palm groves, like gardens by the riverside. They are like tall trees planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters.H5158H5186H1593H5104H174H3068H5193H730H43257Water will flow from their buckets; their offspring have all they need. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.H5140H4325H5140H1805H2233H7227H4325H4428H7311H90H4438H53758God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox. He devours all the nations that oppose him, breaking their bones in pieces, shooting them with arrows.H410H3318H4714H8443H7214H398H1471H6862H1633H6106H4272H26719Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you."H3766H7901H738H3833H6965H1288H1288H779H77910King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, "I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times.H1111H639H2734H1109H5606H3709H5606H1111H559H1109H7121H6895H341H1288H1288H7969H647111Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has kept you from your reward."H1272H4725H559H3513H3513H3513H3068H4513H351912Balaam told Balak, "Don't you remember what I told your messengers? I said,H1109H559H1111H1696H4397H7971H55913'Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD.' I told you that I could say only what the LORD says!H1111H5414H1004H4393H3701H2091H3201H5674H6310H3068H6213H2896H7451H3820H3068H1696H169614Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future."H1980H5971H3212H3289H5971H6213H5971H319H311715This is the message Balaam delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,H5375H4912H559H1109H1121H1160H5002H1397H5869H8365H500216the message of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open.H5002H8085H561H410H3045H1847H5945H2372H4236H7706H5307H5869H154017I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the foreheads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.H7200H7789H7138H1869H3556H3290H7626H6965H3478H4272H6285H4124H6979H1121H8352H835118Edom will be taken over, and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered, while Israel marches on in triumph.H123H3424H8165H3424H341H3478H6213H242819A ruler will rise in Jacob who will destroy the survivors of Ir."H3290H7287H6H8300H589220Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message: "Amalek was the greatest of nations, but its destiny is destruction!"H7200H6002H5375H4912H559H6002H7225H1471H319H8H570321Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message: "Your home is secure; your nest is set in the rocks.H7200H7017H5375H4912H559H386H4186H7760H7064H555322But the Kenites will be destroyed when Assyria takes you captive."H7014H518H1197H804H761723Balaam concluded his messages by saying: "Alas, who can survive unless God has willed it?H5375H4912H559H188H2421H410H776024Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus; they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber, but they, too, will be utterly destroyed."H6716H3027H3794H6031H804H6031H5677H8H570325Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes.H1109H6965H3212H7725H4725H1111H1980H1870
25While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women.H3478H3427H7851H5971H2490H2181H1323H4124 2These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab.H7121H5971H2077H430H5971H398H7812H430 3In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD's anger to blaze against his people.H3478H6775H1187H639H3068H2734H3478 4The LORD issued the following command to Moses: "Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel."H3068H559H4872H3947H7218H5971H3363H5048H3068H8121H2740H639H3068H7725H3478 5So Moses ordered Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor."H4872H559H8199H3478H2026H376H376H582H6775H1187 6Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle.H376H1121H3478H935H7126H251H4084H5869H4872H5869H5712H1121H3478H1058H6607H168H4150 7When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spearH6372H1121H499H1121H175H3548H7200H6965H8432H5712H3947H7420H3027 8and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man's body and into the woman's stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped,H935H310H376H3478H6898H1856H8147H376H3478H802H413H6897H4046H6113H1121H3478 9but not before 24,000 people had died.H4191H4046H6242H702H505 10Then the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H559 11"Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.H6372H1121H499H1121H175H3548H7725H2534H7725H1121H3478H7065H7068H8432H3615H1121H3478H7068 12Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him.H559H5414H1285H7965 13In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me."H2233H310H1285H5769H3550H834H7065H430H3722H1121H3478 14The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon.H8034H376H5221H5221H4084H2174H1121H5543H5387H1H1004H8099 15The woman's name was Cozbi; she was the daughter of Zur, the leader of a Midianite clan.H8034H4084H802H5221H3579H1323H6698H7218H523H1H1004H4080 16Then the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H559 17"Attack the Midianites and destroy them,H6887H4084H5221 18because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor."H6887H5231H5230H1697H6465H1697H3579H1323H5387H4080H269H5221H3117H4046H6465H1697
Dublin, OH
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