Study Desk

and he gave this message: "This message is from Balaam son of Beor. I am speaking about things I see clearly.

Now I am going back to my own people. But I will give you this warning. I will tell you what these Israelites will do to you and your people in the future."

Then Balaam gave this message: "This message is from Balaam son of Beor. I am speaking about things I see clearly.

Tell Phinehas that I am making a peace agreement with him.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go up on one of mountains in the desert east of the Jordan River. There you will see the land that I am giving to the Israelites.

Remember when the people became angry at the water in the desert of Zin. Both you and Aaron refused to obey my command. You did not honor me and show the people that I am holy." (This was at the water of Meribah near Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)

You will take the land and you will settle there, because I am giving this land to you. It will belong to your family groups.

"Speak to the Israelites and tell them this: You will soon enter the land of Canaan. I am giving you that land to be your very own. These will be its borders:

I am the Lord . I will be living in your country with the Israelites, so don't make it unclean with the blood of innocent people."

Look, I am giving you this land. Go and take it. It is the land that I, the Lord , promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I promised to give this land to them and to their descendants.'

"The Lord said to me, ‘I am giving King Sihon and his country to you. Now, go take his land!'

‘Lord God , I am your servant. I know that you have shown me only a small part of the wonderful and powerful things you will do. There is no god in heaven or earth that can do the great and powerful things you have done.

So I am warning you now. Heaven and earth are my witnesses! If you do such an evil thing, you will quickly be destroyed! You are crossing the Jordan River now to take that land. But if you make any idols, you will not live there very long. No, you will be destroyed completely!

‘I am the Lord your God. I am the one who freed you from Egypt, where you were slaves.

Don't worship or serve idols of any kind, because I am the Lord your God. I hate for my people to worship other gods. People who sin against me become my enemies. And I will punish them, and their children, their grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren.

but you stand here near me. I will tell you all the commands, laws, and rules that you must teach them. They must do these things in the land that I am giving them to live in.'

And you did not obey when the Lord told you to leave Kadesh Barnea. He said, ‘Go up and take the land I am giving you.' But you refused to obey the Lord your God. You did not trust him. You did not listen to his command.

So obey the laws and commands of the Lord that I am giving you today. These laws and commands are for your own good.

"Today I am giving you a choice. You may choose the blessing or the curse.

Remember, you were slaves in Egypt. And the Lord your God set you free. So that is why I am giving you this command today.