Study Desk

All the Israelites learned that Aaron was dead. So everyone in Israel mourned for 30 days.

The people came to Moses and said, "We know that we sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord . Ask him to take away these snakes." So Moses prayed for them.

It is bad for you, Moab. You lost Chemosh's people. His sons ran away. His daughters were taken prisoners by Sihon, king of the Amorites.

Come and help me. These people are too powerful for me. I know that you have great power. If you bless people, good things happen to them. And if you curse people, bad things happen to them. So come and curse these people. Maybe then I will be able to defeat them and force them to leave my country."

The leaders of Moab and Midian left. They went to talk to Balaam. They carried with them money to pay him for his service. Then they told him what Balak had said.

Balaam said to them, "Stay here for the night. I will talk to the Lord and tell you the answer he gives me." So the leaders of Moab stayed there with Balaam that night.

I will pay you very much, and I will do whatever you ask. Come and curse these people for me."

But the donkey said to Balaam, "Look, I am your donkey. You have ridden me for so many years. And you know that I have never done this to you before!" "That is true," Balaam said.

Balaam said, "Build seven altars here. And prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

Then the Lord gave Balaam a message for Balak and said, "Go back to Balak and say the things that I have given you to say."

Then Balaam spoke, and this was his message: "Balak, the king of Moab, brought me here from the eastern mountains of Aram. Balak said to me, ‘Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, speak against the Israelites.'

But God is not against them, so I cannot speak against them either! The Lord has not asked for bad things to happen to these people. So I cannot do that either.

Then Balak said to him, "So come with me to another place. At that place you can see more of these people. You cannot see all of them—you can only see part of them. Maybe from that place you can curse them for me."

Then Balak said to Balaam, "You didn't ask for good things to happen to these people, but you didn't ask for bad things to happen to them either!"

Balaam said, "Build seven altars here. Then prepare seven bulls and seven rams for the altars."

You will always have enough water, enough water for your seeds to grow. Your king will be greater than King Agag. Your kingdom will be very great.

This is the agreement: He and all of his family who live after him will always be priests, because he had strong feelings for his God. And he did what was needed to make the Israelites pure."

"The land will be divided and given to these people. Each tribe will get enough land for all the people who were counted.

" Lord , you are the God who knows what people are thinking. I pray that you will choose a leader for these people.

This is a special offering for the day of rest. This offering is in addition to the regular daily offering and drink offering.