The Daily Audio Bible
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21 So Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his female ass and went with the princes of Moab.
22 ¶ And God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field. Then Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way.
24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side.
25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; and he smote her again.
26 And the angel of the LORD went further and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee.
30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am I not thine ass upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so unto thee? And he said, No.
31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face.
32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out as thine adversary, because thy way is perverse before me.
33 The ass saw me and turned from me these three times; and if she had not turned from me, I also now would slay thee and leave her alive.
34 Then Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I did not know that thou didst stand in the way against me; now therefore, if it displease thee, I will return.
35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 ¶ And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is next to the border of Arnon, which is at the limit of his territory.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? Why hast thou not come unto me? Am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Behold, I am come unto thee; may I now say something? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.
40 And Balak killed oxen and sheep and sent to Balaam and to the princes that were with him.
41 And on the next day, Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal, and from there he saw the utmost part of the people.
23 ¶ And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go; peradventure the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell thee. And thus he went alone.
4 And God met Balaam; and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon each altar a bullock and a ram.
5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6 And he returned unto him, and, behold, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he took up his parable and said, Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob and come, denounce Israel.
8 Why should I curse one whom God has not cursed? And why should I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the rocks I have seen him, and from the hills I beheld him; behold, a people that shall dwell in confidence and shall not be counted among the Gentiles.
10 Who shall count the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11 Then Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD has put in my mouth?
13 ¶ And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from which thou may see them; thou hast seen but the utmost part of them and hast not seen them all; and from there thou shalt curse them for me.
14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah and built seven altars and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 Then he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
16 And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said unto him, Go again unto Balak and say thus.
17 And he came unto him, and behold, he stood by his burnt offering and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What has the LORD spoken?
18 Then he took up his parable and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; he said and shall he not do it? He spoke and shall he not execute it?
20 Behold, I have received blessing; and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen rebellion in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the battle-cry of a king is in him.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he has, as it were the strength of a unicorn.
23 Because there is no enchantment in Jacob, neither is there any divination in Israel. According to this time, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What God has made!
24 Behold the people, who shall rise up as a great lion and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eats of the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.
25 Then Balak said unto Balaam, Now that you do not curse them, do not bless them either.
26 Then Balaam said unto Balak, Did I not tell thee that all that the LORD says unto me, that I must do?
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou may curse them for me from there.
28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looks toward Jeshimon.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
57 ¶ Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her relatives heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so, but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they communicated with signs to his father, asking how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marvelled.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke blessing God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them, and all these things were spoken of throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all those that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, Who shall this child be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 ¶ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and made redemption for his people
69 And has raised up a horn of saving health for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of the saints who from the beginning were his prophets;
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 to fulfill mercy unto our fathers and remembering his holy covenant
73 of the oath which he made to our father Abraham,
74 that he would grant unto us, that without fear delivered out of the hand of our enemies, we might serve him
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called prophet of the Most High, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 giving knowledge of saving health unto his people for the remission of their sins
78 through the bowels of mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us
79 to give light to those that dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew and was comforted of the Spirit and was in the deserts until the day of his showing unto Israel.
To the Overcomer upon, Do not destroy, Michtam of David.
1 ¶ Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of Adam?
2 Yea, in heart ye work iniquity; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stops her ear,
5 which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
6 ¶ Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
8 As a snail which melts, let them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the fire of the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God that judges in the earth.
12 ¶ He that is void of understanding despises his neighbour, but the intelligent man remains silent.
13 A talebearer reveals secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter.
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