Bible in a Year · Day 47 of 365
Today’s reading: Numbers 22–24 (3 chapters)
Read the passage below, or open your own Bible and follow along. The text here is the World English Bible, a public-domain translation, printed in full so the day’s reading is all on one page.
About Numbers
Numbers is a book of travel and failure. Israel leaves Sinai, counts its fighting men, and sets out for the land promised to their fathers. Within a year of leaving Egypt, at the border, ten of the twelve spies bring a frightened report and the people refuse to go in. The consequence is forty years in the wilderness, a generation dying short of the promise, and God feeding them manna the whole time. The book also holds quieter material: a donkey that speaks, a prophet hired to curse who blesses instead, and a bronze serpent lifted on a pole. It is the longest wilderness stretch in the plan, and it is honest about what unbelief costs.
What to watch for. Watch the two censuses, one at the start and one near the end, and who is missing from the second. Notice how God's patience and his judgement appear in the same story rather than in separate books.
Numbers 22
1The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4Moab 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. 5He 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.
6Please 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.” 7The 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. 8He 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. 9God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10Balaam 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.’” 12God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.” 13Balaam 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.” 14The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.” 15Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they.
16They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17for 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.’” 18Balaam 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. 19Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what Yahweh will speak to me more.” 20God 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.”
21Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22God’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. 23The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way. 24Then Yahweh’s angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.
26Yahweh’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. 27The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28Yahweh 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?” 29Balaam 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.” 30The 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.”
31Then 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. 32Yahweh’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. 33The donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.” 34Balaam 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.” 35Yahweh’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.
36When 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. 37Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send to you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?” 38Balaam 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.” 39Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.
41In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people.
Numbers 23
1Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. 3Balaam 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. 4God 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.” 5Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
6He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7He 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. 8How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied? 9For 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. 10Who 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!”
11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.” 12He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?” 13Balak 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.” 14He 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. 15He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet over there.”
16Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.” 17He 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?” 18He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor. 19God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the 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? 20Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.
21He 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. 22God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. 23Surely 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!’ 24Behold, 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.” 25Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”
26But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do?’” 27Balak 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.” 28Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert. 29Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
Numbers 24
1When 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. 2Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; 4he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open: 5How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your tents, Israel!
6As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters. 7Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted. 8God 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. 9He 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.” 10Balak’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.
11Therefore now flee you to your place! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.” 12Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers who 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 of my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’? 14Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.” 15He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;
16he 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: 17I 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. 18Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly. 19Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” 20He 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.”
21He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock. 22Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.” 23He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this? 24But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.” 25Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
Next · Day 48: Numbers 25–27 →
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public-domain translation. Day numbering follows the calendar year; you can start at Day 1 on any date.
