Blessing Flows Where God's Spirit Moves

1. The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2. Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3. Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4. Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5. He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. 6. Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” 7. The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand. They came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak. 8. He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9. God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10. Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me, 11. ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse me them. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’” 12. God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.” 13. Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit me to go with you.” 14. The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.” 15. Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they. 16. They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17. for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’” 18. Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Yahweh my God, to do less or more. 19. Now therefore please stay here tonight as well, that I may know what else Yahweh will speak to me.” 20. God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.” 21. Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22. God’s anger burned because he went; and Yahweh’s angel placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23. The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned out of the path, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the path. 24. Then Yahweh’s angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25. The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again. 26. Yahweh’s angel went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27. The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28. Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29. Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.” 30. The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?” He said, “No.” 31. Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. 32. Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. 33. The donkey saw me, and turned away before me these three times. Unless she had turned away from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.” 34. Balaam said to Yahweh’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.” 35. Yahweh’s angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 36. When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. 37. Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send for you to summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?” 38. Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.” 39. Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. 40. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. 41. In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people. 1. Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2. Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. 3. Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height. 4. God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.” 5. Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6. He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7. He took up his parable, and said, “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel. 8. How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied? 9. For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations. 10. Who can count the dust of Jacob, or count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!” 11. Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.” 12. He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?” 13. Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.” 14. He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. 15. He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.” 16. Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.” 17. He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh spoken?” 18. He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor. 19. God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? 20. Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it. 21. He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Yahweh his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them. 22. God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. 23. Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘What has God done!’ 24. Behold, the people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.” 25. Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.” 26. But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do?’” 27. Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” 28. Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert. 29. Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 30. Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. 1. When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2. Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3. He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; 4. he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open: 5. How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your tents, Israel! 6. As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters. 7. Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted. 8. God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows. 9. He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.” 10. Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. 11. Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.” 12. Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13. ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’? 14. Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.” 15. He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; 16. he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open: 17. I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. 18. Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly. 19. Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” 20. He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his latter end shall come to destruction.” 21. He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock. 22. Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.” 23. He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this? 24. But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.” 25. Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, 2. which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3. concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, 4. who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5. through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake; 6. among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7. to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10. requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. 11. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; 12. that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13. Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14. I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15. So, as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome. 16. For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17. For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19. because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. 20. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. 21. Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23. and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. 24. Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; 25. who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. 27. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. 28. Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29. being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, 30. backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31. without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32. who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. 1. Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. 2. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4. Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5. But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; 6. who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” 7. to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life; 8. but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, 9. oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 10. But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who does good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 11. For there is no partiality with God. 12. For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13. For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified 14. (for when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15. in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) 16. in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ. 17. Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God, 18. and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19. and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20. a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. 21. You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal? 22. You who say a man shouldn’t commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23. You who glory in the law, do you dishonor God by disobeying the law? 24. For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. 25. For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26. If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? 27. Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? 28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29. but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God. 1. Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? 2. Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God. 3. For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? 4. May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.” 5. But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do. 6. May it never be! For then how will God judge the world? 7. For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8. Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned. 9. What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. 10. As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one. 11. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. 12. They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.” 13. “Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips”; 14. “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15. “Their feet are swift to shed blood. 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways. 17. The way of peace, they haven’t known.” 18. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19. Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. 20. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21. But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; 22. even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23. for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25. whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; 26. to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus. 27. Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28. We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29. Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30. since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith. 31. Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

1. As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. 2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3. My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” 4. These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day. 5. Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence. 6. My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar. 7. Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me. 8. Yahweh will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life. 9. I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10. As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” 11. Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.