Old/New Testament
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams] for me.” 2 Balak did what Balaam asked, and they offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each of the altars.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] and I will go. If the Lord comes to me, I will tell you whatever he shows me.” Then Balaam went to a ·higher place [or barren height].
4 God came to Balaam there, and Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each altar.”
5 The Lord ·told Balaam what he should say [L put a word in the mouth of Balaam]. Then the Lord said, “Go back to Balak and ·give him this message [L thus you will speak].”
6 So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and all the leaders of Moab were still standing beside his burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] 7 when Balaam gave them this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“Balak brought me here from Aram;
the king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains.
Balak said, ‘Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for me.
Come, call down evil on the people of Israel.’
8 But ·God has not cursed them,
so I cannot curse them [L how can I curse what God has not cursed?].
·The Lord has not called down evil on them,
so I cannot call down evil on them [L How can I call down evil on/denounce what the Lord has not called down evil/denouced?].
9 I see them from the top of the ·mountains [cliffs];
I see them from the hills.
I see a people who live alone,
who think they are different from other nations [Ex. 19:5–6].
10 No one can number the ·many people [L dust; Gen. 13:16; 28:14] of Jacob,
and no one can count a ·fourth [or dust cloud] of Israel.
Let me die like ·good [virtuous; upright] people,
and let me end up like them!”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have only blessed them!”
12 But Balaam answered, “·I must [L Must I not…?] say what the Lord ·tells me to say [L put in my mouth].”
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place, where you can also see the people. But you can only see part of them, not all of them [C perhaps he could curse a part of Israel]. Curse them for me from there.” 14 So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim, on top of Mount Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars and offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each altar.
15 So Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17], and I will meet with God over there.”
16 So the Lord came to Balaam and ·told him what to say [L put a word in his mouth]. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and say ·such and such [L thus].”
17 So Balaam went to Balak, where he and the leaders of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17]. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then Balaam gave this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“Stand up, Balak, and listen.
Hear me, son of Zippor.
19 God is not a human being, and he will not lie.
He is not a human, and he does not change his mind.
What he says he will do, ·he does [L will he not do it?].
What he promises, ·he makes come true [L will he not fulfill it/make it come true?].
20 He ·told [commanded] me to bless them,
so I cannot change the blessing.
21 He ·has found [observes] no wrong in the people of Jacob;
he saw no ·fault [trouble] in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them,
and they praise their King.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;
they are ·as strong as [L like the horns of] a wild ox.
23 No ·tricks [divination] will work on the people of Jacob,
and no magic will work against Israel.
People now say about ·them [L Jacob],
‘Look what God has done for Israel!’
24 The people rise up like a lioness;
they get up like a lion.
Lions don’t rest until they have eaten prey,
until they have drunk ·their enemies’ blood [L the blood of corpses].”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “You haven’t cursed these people, so at least don’t bless them!”
26 Balaam answered Balak, “·I told [L Did I not tell…?] you before that I can only do what the Lord tells me.”
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to another place. Maybe ·God will be pleased [L it will be right in the eyes/sight of God] to let you curse them from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, the mountain that looks over the ·desert [wasteland; or Jeshimon].
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams].” 30 Balak did what Balaam asked, and he offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each altar.
24 Balaam saw that ·the Lord wanted [L it was good in the eyes/sight of the Lord] to bless Israel, so he did not try to use any ·magic [divination] but looked toward the ·desert [wilderness]. 2 When Balaam ·saw [L lifted his eyes and saw] the Israelites camped in their tribes, the Spirit of God ·took control of [L was on] him, 3 and he gave this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“This is the ·message [utterance] of Balaam son of Beor,
the ·message [utterance] of a man ·who sees clearly [L whose eye is open];
4 this is the ·message [utterance] of a man who hears the words of God.
I see a vision from the Almighty,
and my eyes are open as I fall before him.
5 ·Your tents are beautiful [L How beautiful/fair are your tents], people of Jacob!
·So are your homes [L Your dwellings], Israel!
6 Your tents spread out like ·valleys [wadis],
like gardens beside a river.
They are like ·spices [L aloes] planted by the Lord,
like cedar trees growing by the water.
7 Israel’s water buckets will always ·be full [or flow],
and their ·crops [L seed] will have plenty of water.
Their king will be greater than Agag [C perhaps a dynastic name of the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8–13); 1 Sam. 15:7–9, 32–33];
their kingdom will be very great.
8 God brought them out of Egypt;
they are ·as strong as [L like the horns of] a wild ox.
They will defeat their enemies
and break their enemies’ bones;
they will ·shoot [L strike] them with arrows.
9 Like a lion, they lie waiting to attack;
like a lioness, ·no one would be brave enough to wake [L who will rouse…?] them.
Anyone who blesses you will be blessed,
and anyone who curses you will be cursed [Gen. 12:3].”
10 Then Balak was angry with Balaam, and he ·pounded his fist [or struck his hands together]. He said to Balaam, “I called you here to curse my enemies, but you have continued to bless them three times. 11 Now go home! I said I would ·pay you well [make you wealthy], but the Lord has ·made you lose [denied you] your reward.”
12 Balaam said to Balak, “When you sent messengers to me, ·I told [L did I not tell…?] them, 13 ‘Balak could give me his ·palace [L house] filled with silver and gold, but I still cannot ·go against [transgress] the Lord’s commands. I could not do anything, good or bad, on my own, but I must say what the Lord says.’ 14 Now I am going back to my own people, but I will ·tell [L advise] you what these people will do to your people in the ·future [L later days].”
Balaam’s Final Message
15 Then Balaam gave this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“This is the ·message [utterance] of Balaam son of Beor,
the ·message [utterance] of a man ·who sees clearly [L whose eye is open];
16 this is the ·message [utterance] of a man who hears the words of God.
I know well the Most High God.
I see a vision from the Almighty,
and my eyes are open as I fall before him.
17 I see someone ·who will come someday [L but not now],
·someone who will come, but not soon [L I see him, but not near].
A star will come from Jacob;
a ·ruler [L scepter] will rise from Israel [C Saul, then David and his descendants, including the Messiah].
He will crush the heads of the Moabites
and smash the skulls of the sons of Sheth [C identity uncertain].
18 Edom will be conquered;
his enemy Edom will be conquered,
but Israel will grow ·wealthy [or valiant].
19 A ruler will come from the descendants of Jacob
and will destroy those left in the city.”
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and gave this message:
“Amalek was the most important nation,
but Amalek will be destroyed at last [C the book of Esther tells the story of the final destruction of Amalek; Haman is a descendant of Agag; 24:7].”
21 Then Balaam saw the Kenites and gave this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“Your home is ·safe [enduring],
like a nest on a ·cliff [rock].
22 But you Kenites will be burned up;
·Assyria will [L How long will Assyria…?] keep you captive.”
23 Then Balaam gave this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“·No one [L Who…?] can live when God does this.
24 Ships will sail from the shores of ·Cyprus [Kittim]
and ·defeat [afflict] Assyria and Eber,
but they will also be destroyed.”
25 Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak also went on his way.
Israel Worships Baal at Peor
25 While the people of Israel were still camped at ·Acacia [L Shittim], the men began ·sinning sexually [to prostitute themselves] with Moabite women [C on the advice of Balaam who found another way to get his money; 31:16]. 2 The women invited them to their sacrifices to their gods, and the ·Israelites [L people] ate food there and worshiped these gods. 3 So the Israelites ·began to worship [L yoked themselves to] Baal of Peor, and the Lord was very angry with them.
4 The Lord said to Moses, “Get all the leaders of the people and ·kill [impale] them in open daylight in the presence of the Lord. Then the Lord will not be angry with the people of Israel.”
5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must ·put to death [kill] your people who have become ·worshipers of [L yoked to] Baal of Peor.”
6 Moses and the Israelites were gathered at the entrance to the Meeting Tent, crying there. Then an ·Israelite man [L man of the sons/T children of Israel] brought a Midianite woman to his ·brothers [family] in plain sight of Moses and all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly]. 7 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, so he ·left the meeting [L rose up from the community/congregation/assembly] and ·got [L took in his hand] his spear. 8 He followed the Israelite into his ·tent [vaulted/newlywed tent] and drove his spear through the belly of both the Israelite man and the Midianite woman [C while they were embracing]. Then the ·terrible sickness [plague] among the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] stopped.
9 This ·sickness [plague] had killed twenty-four thousand people.
10 The Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has saved the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] from my anger. He hates sin as much as I do. ·Since he tried to save my honor among them [L Because of his zeal in their midst], I will not kill them in my zeal. 12 So tell Phinehas that I am making my ·peace agreement [covenant/treaty of peace] with him. 13 He and his ·descendants [L seed] will ·always be priests [L have a covenant/treaty of eternal/perpetual priesthood], because he had ·great concern for the honor of [L passion/zeal for] his God. He ·removed the sins of the Israelites so they would belong to God [L provided atonement for the sons/T children of Israel].”
14 The Israelite man who was ·killed [L struck] with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu. He was the leader of a ·family [ancestral clan] in the tribe of Simeon. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was ·put to death [L struck] was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the chief of a Midianite ·family [ancestral clan].
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “·The Midianites are your enemies [Harrass the Midianites], and you should ·kill [L strike] them. 18 They have already ·made you their enemies [harrassed you], because they tricked you at Peor and because of their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader. She was the woman who was killed when the ·sickness [plague] came because the people sinned at Peor.”
14 After Jesus called the crowd to him again, he said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand what I am saying. 15 There is nothing people put into their bodies that ·makes them unclean [pollutes/defiles them]. [But rather] People are ·made unclean [polluted; defiled] by the things that come out of them. |16 ·Let those with ears use them and listen [see 4:23].|”[a]
17 When Jesus left the ·people [crowd] and went into the house, his ·followers [disciples] asked him about this ·story [parable; see 3:23]. 18 Jesus said, “·Do you still not understand [Are you so dull]? ·Surely you know [L Don’t you know…?] that nothing that enters someone from the outside can make that person ·unclean [polluted; defiled]. 19 [Because] It does not go into the ·mind [heart], but into the stomach. Then it goes ·out of the body [L into the sewer/latrine].” ·(When Jesus said this, he meant that no longer was any food unclean for people to eat.) [or, (In this way, Jesus cleansed all food.)]
20 And Jesus said, “The things that come out of people are the things that make them ·unclean [defiled]. 21 ·All these evil things begin inside people, in the mind [L For from within, out of human hearts, come]: evil ·thoughts [intentions; ideas], sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, 22 greed, ·evil actions [wickedness], ·lying [deceit], ·doing sinful things [indecency; lust; lewdness], ·jealousy [envy; L evil eye], ·speaking evil of others [slander; blasphemy], pride, and foolish living. 23 All these evil things come from inside and make people ·unclean [defiled].”
Jesus Helps a Gentile Woman(A)
24 Jesus left that place and went to the area around Tyre[b] [C a Gentile city on the coast north of Israel]. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not stay hidden. 25 A woman whose daughter had an ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit in her heard that he was there. So she ·quickly [immediately] came to Jesus and ·fell [bowed] at his feet. 26 She was ·Greek [a Gentile; C “Greek” is sometimes used for any non-Jew; Rom. 1:16], born in Phoenicia, in Syria. She ·begged [kept asking] Jesus to ·force [drive; cast] the demon out of her daughter.
27 Jesus told the woman, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and ·give [throw] it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want.” [C “Children” refers to Israel; “dogs” to the Gentiles.]
28 But she answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table can eat the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then Jesus said, “Because of your answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”
30 The woman went home and found her daughter lying in bed; the demon was gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man(B)
31 Then Jesus left the area around Tyre and went through Sidon to Lake Galilee [T the Sea of Galilee], to the area of ·the Ten Towns [or Decapolis; C an area east of Lake Galilee that once had ten main towns; 5:20]. 32 While he was there, some people brought a man to him who was deaf and ·could not talk plainly [had a speech impediment]. The people begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him.
33 Jesus led the man away from the crowd, by himself. He put his fingers in the man’s ears and then spit and touched the man’s tongue. [C The use of saliva is mentioned in other ancient accounts of healing, and elsewhere in the Gospels; see 8:23; John 9:6.] 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to the man, “Ephphatha!” (This means [C in Aramaic], “Be opened.”) 35 Instantly the man was able to hear and to use his tongue so that he spoke clearly.
36 Jesus ·commanded [ordered; instructed] the people not to tell anyone about what happened. But the more he ·commanded [ordered; instructed] them, the more they ·told about [proclaimed] it. 37 They were completely amazed and said, “Jesus does everything well. He makes the deaf hear! And ·those who can’t talk [the mute] he makes able to speak.”
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