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24 ¶ And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as the first and second times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness;
2 and lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
3 Then he took up his parable and said, Balaam, the son of Beor, has said and the man whose eyes are open has said,
4 he who has heard the words of God has said, who saw the vision of the Almighty, fallen, but having his eyes open:
5 How beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy habitations, O Israel!
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD has planted, and as cedars beside the waters.
7 From his branches he shall distil waters, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he has, as it were, the strength of a unicorn; he shall eat up the Gentiles his enemies and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion and as a great lion; who shall awaken him? Blessed is he that blesses thee, and cursed is he that curses thee.
10 ¶ Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and smiting his hands together he said, I called thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore, now flee thou to thy place; I said that I would honour thee; but, behold, the LORD has deprived thee of honour.
12 And Balaam replied unto Balak, Did I not declare also unto thy messengers which thou didst send unto me, saying,
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own heart; but what the LORD saith that will I speak?
14 Therefore, behold, I go now unto my people; come and I will indicate unto thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15 ¶ And he took up his parable and said, Balaam, the son of Beor, has said, the man whose eyes are open has said,
16 he who has heard the words of God has said, and he who knows the knowledge of the most High, he who saw the vision of the Almighty, fallen, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near by; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the sons of Seth.
18 And Edom shall be taken; Seir also shall be taken by his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion and shall destroy what remains of the city.
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek, head of the Gentiles; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21 And he looked on the Kenite and took up his parable and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock;
22 because the Kenite shall be thrown out, when Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable again and said, Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things!
24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim and shall afflict Asshur and shall afflict Eber, but he also shall perish for ever.
25 Then Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
25 ¶ And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to fornicate with the daughters of Moab,
2 who called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor; and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the princes of the people and disjoint them before the LORD hanging them from a tree against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.
5 Then Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
6 ¶ Then, behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.
7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand;
8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague of the sons of Israel was stayed.
9 And those that died in that plague were twenty-four thousand.
10 Then the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the sons of Israel, being zealous for my sake among them, therefore I did not consume the sons of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Because of this say unto them, Behold, I establish my covenant of peace with him;
13 and he shall have, and his seed after him, even the covenant of the everlasting priesthood because he was zealous for his God and reconciled the sons of Israel.
14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianite, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a family of the tribe of Simeon.
15 And the name of the Midianite woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, prince of peoples, of the house of the father, in Midian.
16 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
17 Declare war on the Midianites and smite them;
18 for they treated you as enemies with their wiles, with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.
2 ¶ And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, each one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judaea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and family of David)
5 to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 ¶ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the clarity of the Lord shone round about them, and they feared greatly.
10 But the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you a gospel of great joy, which shall be to all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will in man.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad that which had been told them concerning this child.
18 And all those that heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 ¶ And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which he was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord)
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
25 ¶ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he should see the Christ of the Lord.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 then he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 Lord, now let thy slave depart in peace, according to thy word,
30 for mine eyes have seen thy saving health,
31 which thou hast prepared before the face of all the peoples:
32 a light to be revealed unto the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against
35 (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
To the Overcomer upon, Do not destroy, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.
1 ¶ Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul; the strong are gathered against me; I am not in rebellion, nor in sin, O LORD.
4 They run and prepare themselves when I have committed no iniquity; awake to help me and behold.
5 Thou, therefore, O LORD God of the hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the Gentiles; be not merciful to any rebellious workers of iniquity. Selah.
6 They will return at evening; they will bark like dogs and go round about outside the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips; for who, say they, doth hear?
8 ¶ But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the Gentiles in derision.
9 I will reserve his strength unto thee, for God is my defence.
10 The God of my mercy shall meet me on the way; God shall let me see my desire upon my enemies.
11 Slay them not lest my people forget; scatter them by thy power and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; they shall be subject to weakness and to a curse.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them that they may not be and let them know that God rules in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And at evening let them return and let them bark like dogs and go round about outside the city.
15 Let them wander up and down for food and murmur if they are not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of thy power; I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning, for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing, for God is my defence and the God of my mercy.
14 ¶ When intelligence is lacking, the people shall fall, but in the multitude of counsellors there is salvation.
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