Daily Text and Bible Reading: Tuesday, February 18 [Press play below]

22.1 Then the Israelites departed and camped on the desert plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho.
22.2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
22.3 and Moab became very frightened of the people, because they were so many; indeed, Moab felt sick with fear because of the Israelites.
22.4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian: “Now this congregation will devour all our surroundings, just as a bull devours the grass in the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
22.5 He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the River in his native land. He summoned him, saying: “Look! A people has come out of Egypt. Look! They have covered the face of the earth, and they are dwelling right in front of me.
22.6 Now, please, come and curse this people for me, for they are mightier than I am. Perhaps I can defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I well know that the one whom you bless is blessed and the one whom you curse is cursed.”
22.7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian traveled with the fee for divination in their hands and went to Balaam and conveyed to him Balak’s message.
22.8 At that he said to them: “Spend the night here, and I will bring back to you whatever word Jehovah speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
22.9 Then God came to Balaam and said: “Who are these men with you?”
22.10 Balaam said to the true God: “Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, has sent me a message, saying,
22.11 ‘Look! The people who are coming out of Egypt are covering the face of the earth. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”
22.12 But God said to Balaam: “You must not go with them. You must not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
22.13 Balaam got up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak: “Go to your land, for Jehovah has refused to let me go with you.”
22.14 So the princes of Moab departed and returned to Balak and said: “Balaam has refused to come with us.”
22.15 However, Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first group.
22.16 They came to Balaam and said to him: “This is what Balak the son of Zippor has said, ‘Please do not let anything hinder you from coming to me,
22.17 for I will honor you greatly and I will do anything you tell me to do. So come, please, and curse this people for me.’”
22.18 But Balaam answered the servants of Balak: “If Balak were to give me his own house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything beyond the order of Jehovah my God, whether small or great.
22.19 But please stay here tonight also, so that I may learn what else Jehovah will tell me.”
22.20 Then God came to Balaam by night and said to him: “If these men have come to summon you, go along with them. But you may speak only the words that I tell you to say.”
22.21 So Balaam got up in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
22.22 But God’s anger blazed because he was going, and Jehovah’s angel stationed himself in the road to resist him. Now Balaam was riding on his donkey, and two of his attendants were with him.
22.23 And when the donkey saw Jehovah’s angel standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it tried to turn off the road into the field. But Balaam began to beat the donkey to make it return to the road.
22.24 Then Jehovah’s angel stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with stone walls on both sides.
22.25 When the donkey saw Jehovah’s angel, it began to squeeze itself against the wall and it jammed Balaam’s foot against the wall, and Balaam began beating it again.
22.26 Jehovah’s angel now passed by again and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left.
22.27 When the donkey saw Jehovah’s angel, it lay down under Balaam, so Balaam became furious and kept beating the donkey with his staff.
22.28 Finally Jehovah caused the donkey to speak, and it said to Balaam: “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
22.29 Balaam replied to the donkey: “It is because you have made a fool of me. If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you!”
22.30 Then the donkey said to Balaam: “Am I not your donkey that you have ridden on all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” He replied: “No!”
22.31 Then Jehovah uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and he saw Jehovah’s angel standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. At once he bowed low and prostrated himself on his face.
22.32 Then Jehovah’s angel said to him: “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look! I myself came out to offer resistance, because your way is in defiance of my will.
22.33 The donkey saw me and tried to turn away from me these three times. Supposing it had not turned away from me! By now I would have killed you and let the donkey live.”
22.34 Balaam said to Jehovah’s angel: “I have sinned, because I did not know that it was you standing in the road to meet me. And now if it is bad in your eyes, I will go back.”
22.35 But Jehovah’s angel said to Balaam: “Go with the men, but you may speak only the words that I tell you.” So Balaam continued going with the princes of Balak.
22.36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he immediately went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the bank of the Arnon on the border of the territory.
22.37 Balak said to Balaam: “Did I not send for you? Why did you not come to me? Did you think I am not able to honor you greatly?”
22.38 Balaam replied to Balak: “Well, I have come to you now. But will I be allowed to say anything? I can only speak words that God puts in my mouth.”
22.39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
22.40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and sent some to Balaam and the princes who were with him.
22.41 In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal; from there he could see all the people.
23.1 Then Balaam said to Balak: “Build on this spot seven altars, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
23.2 Balak immediately did just as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
23.3 Balaam then said to Balak: “Stay here by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Jehovah will get in touch with me. Whatever he reveals to me, I will tell you.” So he went to a barren hill.
23.4 Then God got in touch with Balaam, who said to Him: “I set the seven altars in rows, and I offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.”
23.5 Jehovah put this word in the mouth of Balaam: “Return to Balak, and this is what you are to say.”
23.6 So he returned and saw that Balak and all the princes of Moab were standing by his burnt offering.
23.7 Then he spoke this proverbial saying: “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east: ‘Do come to curse Jacob for me. Yes, come to denounce Israel.’
23.8 How could I put a curse on those whom God has not cursed? And how could I denounce those whom Jehovah has not denounced?
23.9 From the top of the rocks I see them, And from the hills I see them. As a people they dwell there alone; They do not count themselves among the nations.
23.10 Who can number the dust particles of Jacob Or count even the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my end be like theirs.”
23.11 Balak then said to Balaam: “What have you done to me? I brought you to put a curse on my enemies, and here you have done nothing but bless them.”
23.12 He answered: “Must I not speak whatever Jehovah puts in my mouth?”
23.13 Balak said to him: “Please come with me to another place from which you can see them. You will see only a part of them; you will not see them all. Put a curse on them for me from there.”
23.14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
23.15 So Balaam said to Balak: “Stay here by your burnt offering while I get in touch with Him over there.”
23.16 And Jehovah got in touch with Balaam and put this word in his mouth: “Return to Balak, and this is what you are to say.”
23.17 So he came to him and saw that he was waiting by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. Balak asked him: “What has Jehovah said?”
23.18 Then he spoke this proverbial saying: “Get up, Balak, and listen. Hear me, O son of Zippor.
23.19 God is not a mere man who tells lies, Nor a son of man who changes his mind. When he says something, will he not do it? When he speaks, will he not carry it out?
23.20 Look! I have been taken to bless; Now He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
23.21 He does not tolerate any magical power against Jacob, And he does not allow any trouble against Israel. Jehovah his God is with them, And he is loudly hailed as king among them.
23.22 God is bringing them out of Egypt. He is like the horns of a wild bull for them.
23.23 For there are no omens of doom against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. At this time it may be said about Jacob and Israel: ‘Look at what God has done!’
23.24 Here is a people who will rise up like a lion, And like the lion, it will raise itself up. It will not lie down until it eats prey And drinks the blood of the slain ones.”
23.25 Balak then said to Balaam: “If on the one hand you cannot put any curse on him, then on the other hand you should not bless him either.”
23.26 Balaam answered Balak: “Did I not say to you, ‘I will do all that Jehovah says’?”
23.27 Balak said to Balaam: “Please come and let me take you to yet another place. Perhaps it will be right in the eyes of the true God for you to put a curse on him for me from there.”
23.28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks toward Jeshimon.
23.29 Then Balaam said to Balak: “Build seven altars on this spot, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
23.30 So Balak did just as Balaam had said, and he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
24.1 When Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he did not go away again to search for omens of doom, but he turned his face to the wilderness.
24.2 When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped by his tribes, then the spirit of God came upon him.
24.3 He then spoke this proverbial saying: “The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, And the saying of a man whose eyes have been opened,
24.4 The saying of the one hearing the word of God, Who saw a vision of the Almighty, Who has bowed down with his eyes uncovered:
24.5 How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, Your tabernacles, O Israel!
24.6 Like the valleys they have extended a long way, Like gardens by the river, Like aloes that Jehovah has planted, Like cedars by the waters.
24.7 Water keeps trickling from his two leather buckets, And his seed is sown by many waters. His king also will be greater than Agag, And his kingdom will be exalted.
24.8 God is bringing him out of Egypt; He is like the horns of a wild bull for them. He will consume the nations, his oppressors, And their bones he will gnaw, and he will shatter them with his arrows.
24.9 He has crouched down, he has lain down like the lion, And like a lion, who dares rouse him? Those blessing you are blessed, And those cursing you are cursed.”
24.10 Then Balak became furious with Balaam. Balak scornfully clapped his hands together and said to Balaam: “It was to put a curse on my enemies that I called you, but now you have done nothing but bless them these three times.
24.11 Now go home immediately. I intended to honor you greatly, but look! Jehovah has deprived you of honor.”
24.12 Balaam replied to Balak: “Did I not say to the messengers you sent,
24.13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own will do anything beyond the order of Jehovah, whether good or bad. I will only speak what Jehovah will tell me’?
24.14 And now I am going away to my people. Come and let me advise you what this people will do to your people in the future.”
24.15 So he spoke this proverbial saying: “The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, And the saying of a man whose eyes have been opened,
24.16 The saying of the one hearing the word of God,And the one having the knowledge of the Most High, A vision of the Almighty he saw While bowing down with his eyes uncovered:
24.17 I will see him, but not now; I will behold him, but not soon. A star will come out of Jacob, And a scepter will rise out of Israel. And he will certainly break apart the forehead of Moab And the skull of all the sons of tumult.
24.18 And Edom will become a possession, Yes, Seir the possession of his enemies, While Israel is displaying his courage.
24.19 And out of Jacob one will be subduing, And he will destroy any survivor from the city.”
24.20 When he saw Amalek, he continued his proverbial saying: “Amalek was the first of the nations, But in the end he will perish.”
24.21 When he saw the Kenites, he continued his proverbial saying: “Secure is your dwelling, and set on the crag is your abode.
24.22 But someone will burn Kain down. How long before Assyria carries you away captive?”
24.23 And he continued his proverbial saying: “Woe! Who will survive when God does this?
24.24 Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, And they will afflict Assyria, And they will afflict Eber. But he too will utterly perish.”
24.25 Then Balaam got up and went and returned to his place. Balak also went his own way.