One Year Bible

Numbers 22:21-23:30

21So in the morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

The Angel and Balaam’s Donkey

22 Then God’s anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path.

24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side. 25And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her once again.

26 And the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff.

28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”

29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”

30 But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?”

“No,” he replied.

31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.

32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me. 33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live.”

34“I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.”

35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to reward you richly?”

38“See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”

39 So Balaam accompanied Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him.

41 The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.

Balaam’s First Oracle

1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

2 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the Lord will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.”

So Balaam went off to a barren height, 4and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

5 Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.

7 And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying:

“Balak brought me from Aram,

the king of Moab from the mountains of the east.

‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me;

come and denounce Israel!’

8 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?

How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs,

and I watch them from the hills.

Behold, a people dwelling apart,

not reckoning themselves among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob

or number even a fourth of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous;

let my end be like theirs!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”

12 But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Oracle

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp — not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

14 So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”

16 And the Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”

17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab.

“What did the Lord say?” Balak asked.

18 Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying:

“Arise, O Balak, and listen;

give ear to me, O son of Zippor.

19 God is not a man, that He should lie,

or a son of man, that He should change His mind.

Does He speak and not act?

Does He promise and not fulfill?

20 I have indeed received a command to bless;

He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

21 He considers no disaster for Jacob;

He sees no trouble for Israel.

The Lord their God is with them,

and the shout of the King is among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt

with strength like a wild ox.

23 For there is no spell against Jacob

and no divination against Israel.

It will now be said of Jacob and Israel,

‘What great things God has done!’

24 Behold, the people rise like a lioness;

they rouse themselves like a lion,

not resting until they devour their prey

and drink the blood of the slain.”

25 Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the Lord says, I must do?”

27“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”

28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

29 Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

30 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Luke 1:57-80

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

59 On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah. 60But his mother replied, “No! He shall be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who bears this name.” 62So they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted to name the child.

63 Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God.

65 All their neighbors were filled with awe, and people throughout the hill country of Judea were talking about these events. 66And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Song

67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

because He has visited and redeemed His people.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of His servant David,

70 as He spoke through His holy prophets,

those of ages past,

71 salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us,

72 to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember His holy covenant,

73 the oath He swore to our father Abraham,

to grant us 74deliverance from hostile hands,

that we may serve Him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness before Him

all the days of our lives.

76 And you, child, will be called

a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord

to prepare the way for Him,

77 to give to His people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,

79 to shine on those who live in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet

into the path of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.

Psalm 58:1-11

God Judges the Earth

1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David.

Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers?

Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

2 No, in your hearts you devise injustice;

with your hands you mete out violence on the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;

the liars go astray from birth.

4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,

like a cobra that shuts its ears,

5 refusing to hear the tune of the charmer

who skillfully weaves his spell.

6 O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths;

O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions.

7 May they vanish

like water that runs off;

when they draw the bow,

may their arrows be blunted.

8 Like a slug that dissolves in its slime,

like a woman’s stillborn child,

may they never see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns—

whether green or dry—

He will sweep them away.

10 The righteous will rejoice

when they see they are avenged;

they will wash their feet

in the blood of the wicked.

11 Then men will say,

“There is surely a reward for the righteous!

There is surely a God who judges the earth!”

Proverbs 11:12-13

12 Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment,

but a man of understanding remains silent.

13 A gossip reveals a secret,

but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.

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One Year Bible

Numbers 22:21-23:30

Luke 1:57-80

Psalm 58:1-11

Proverbs 11:12-13