Study Desk

so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy (set apart) to your God.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God."

does it seem but a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

But they fell on their faces [before the LORD], and said, "O God, God of the spirits of all flesh! When one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?"

So the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, nor is there any water, and we loathe this miserable food."

"Woe (judgment is coming) to you, Moab! You are destroyed, O people of [the god] Chemosh! Moab has given his sons as fugitives [that is, survivors of battle], And his daughters into captivity To Sihon king of the Amorites.

God came to Balaam, and said, "Who are these men with you?"

Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me:

God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people [of Israel], for they are blessed."

Balaam answered the servants of Balak, "Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God.

God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them, but you shall still do only what I tell you."

So Balaam said to Balak, "Indeed I have come to you now, but am I able to say anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak."

Now God met Balaam, who said to Him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

"How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the LORD has not denounced?

"Who can count the dust (the descendants) of Jacob And the number of even the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God], And let my end be like his!"

"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 and fulfill it?

"God has not observed wickedness in Jacob [for he is forgiven], Nor has He seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with Israel, And the shout of their King is among the people.

"God brought them out of Egypt; They have the strength of a wild ox.

"For there is no enchantment or omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel. At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what has God done!

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there."