The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NIV. Switch to the NIV to read along with the audio.
21 And Balaam rose up in the boker, and saddled his donkey, and went with the sarim (princes) of Moav.
22 But the Af Elohim (G-d’s anger) was kindled as he was going; and the Malach Hashem stood in the derech (road) l’satan (for an adversary, opposer) against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23 And the donkey saw the Malach Hashem standing in the derech, and his cherev drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned off the derech, and went into the sadeh; and Balaam beat the donkey, to turn her back onto the derech.
24 But the Malach Hashem stood in the closed-in path among the kramim (vineyards), a wall being on this side, a wall on that side.
25 And when the donkey saw the Malach Hashem, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s regel against the wall; and he beat her again.
26 And the Malach Hashem went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no derech to turn either to the right or to the left.
27 And when the donkey saw the Malach Hashem, she lay down under Balaam; and af Balaam was kindled, and he beat the donkey with his staff.
28 And Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast beaten me these shalosh regalim (three times)?
29 And Balaam answered the donkey, Because thou hast mocked me; If only there were a cherev in mine hand, would I have killed thee.
30 And the donkey said unto Balaam, Am not I thine donkey, 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, Loh.
31 Then Hashem opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Malach Hashem standing in the derech, and his cherev drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head, and fell facedown.
32 And the Malach Hashem said unto him, Why hast thou beaten thine donkey these shalosh regalim? Hinei, I came l’satan (as adversary, opposer) to thee, because thy derech is perverse before me;
33 And the donkey saw me, and turned from me these shalosh regalim; had she not turned from me, surely now also I would have slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 And Balaam said unto the Malach Hashem, Chatati (I have sinned); for I was without da’as that thou stoodest in the derech against me; now, therefore, if it displease thee, I will return home.
35 And the Malach Hashem said unto Balaam, Go with the anashim; but only the devar (message) that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the sarim (princes) of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto the city of Moav at the Arnon border, which is in the farthest point of the boundary.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to summon thee? Why camest thou not unto me? Am I not able indeed to honor thee?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Hinei, I am come unto thee; have I now any power at all to say anything? The devar (word, message) which Elohim putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kiryat Chutzot.
40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the sarim that were with him.
41 And it came to pass on the next day, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up on the high places of Baal, that thence he might see a portion of HaAm.
23 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here shivah mizbechot, and prepare for me here shivah bulls and shivah rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on each mizbe’ach a bull and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy olah, and I will go; perhaps Hashem will come to meet me; and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a barren height.
4 And Elohim met Balaam, and he said unto Him, I have prepared shivah hamizbechot, and I have offered upon each mizbe’ach a bull and a ram.
5 And Hashem put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6 And he returned unto him, and, hinei, he stood by his olah, he, and all the sarim of Moav.
7 And he took up his mashal, and said, Balak Melech Moav hath brought me from Aram (Syria), out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse for me Ya’akov, and come, denounce Yisroel.
8 How shall I curse, whom El hath not cursed? Or how shall I denounce, whom Hashem hath not denounced?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the heights I behold him; see, the people shall live apart, and shall not be reckoned among the Goyim.
10 Who can count the dust of Ya’akov, and the number of the fourth part of Yisroel? Let my nefesh die the death of the yesharim (righteous ones), and let my latter end be like his!
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I brought thee to curse mine enemies, and, hinei, thou hast altogether put a brocha on them.
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Hashem hath put in my mouth?
13 And Balak said unto him, Come with me unto another place, from where thou mayest see them; thou shalt see part but not all of them, and curse them for me from there.
14 And he brought him into the sadeh of Tzophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built shivah mizbechot, and offered a bull and a ram on each mizbe’ach.
15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy olah, while I meet Hashem over there.
16 And Hashem met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came to him, hinei, he stood by his olah, and the sarim of Moav with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Hashem spoken?
18 And he took up his mashal, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; pay heed unto me, thou son of Tzippor.
19 El is not an ish, that He should lie; neither a ben adam, that He should change His mind; hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not carry it out?
20 Hinei, I have received commandment to make brocha; and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld avon in Ya’akov, neither hath He seen amal (trouble) in Yisroel. Hashem Elohav is with him, and the [jubilant] shout of a melech is about him.
22 El brought them out of Mitzrayim; He is for them like the strength of a wild ox.
23 Surely there is no nachash (augury) in Ya’akov; neither is there any kesem (divination) in Yisroel; at the time it is spoken to Ya’akov and to Yisroel what El doeth!
24 See, the people shall rise up as a lioness, and lift up himself as an ari; he shall not lie down until he devours the prey, and drinks the dahm of the slain.
25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor at all make a brocha on them.
26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Hashem speaketh, that I must do?
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will bring thee unto another place; perhaps it will please HaElohim that thou mayest curse them for me from there.
28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that overlooks Yeshimon.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here shivah mizbechot, and prepare here shivah bulls and shivah rams for me.
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each mizbe’ach.
57 Now when the time of Elisheva to give birth was fulfilled, she bore a ben.
58 And Elisheva’s shchenim (neighbors) and krovim (relatives) heard that Adoneinu greatly demonstrated his rachamim to her, and they had much simcha with her.
59 And it came about on the yom hashemini (the eighth day) they came for the bris milah of the yeled, and they were calling him by the name of his abba, Zecharyah.
60 And in reply, his Em said: Lo, but he will be called Yochanan.
61 And they said to her, There is no one from your krovim who is called by this shem.
62 And they began motioning to the yeled’s abba to find out what shem he wanted to give him.
63 And having asked for a luach (tablet), Zecharyah wrote, saying, Yochanan shmo. And everyone was amazed.
64 And Zecharyah’s mouth was loosed at once and the lashon of him, and he began speaking, saying Baruch Hashem!
65 And upon all their shchenim (neighbors) came much yirat Shomayim, and in the entire hill country of Yehudah everyone was shmoozing about these matters.
66 All who heard these things pondered them in their levavot, saying, What then will this yeled become? For, indeed, the yad Hashem was on him. [BERESHIS 39:2]
67 And Zecharyah, his abba, was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh and brought forth a dvar nevuah, saying,
68 BARUCH HASHEM ELOHEI YISROEL, for Adonoi has visited his Am Berit and accomplished a pedut kofer ransom for the Geulah of his people.
69 And Hashem raised up a Keren Yeshuah (Horn of Salvation), a mighty Moshia, for us in the Beis Dovid, His eved,
70 Just as Hashem spoke through the mouth of His neviim hakedoshim meOlam (holy prophets from long ago), [YIRMEYAH 23:5]
71 That we should have Yeshuat Eloheinu from our oyvim (enemies) and from the hand of all the ones who regard us with sinas chinom (baseless hatred).
72 Thus Hashem has demonstrated his rachamim (mercy) to Avoteinu (our Fathers) and has remembered his Brit HaKodesh (Holy Covenant), [MICHOH 7:20; TEHILLIM 105:8,9; 106:45; YECHEZKEL 16:60]
73 The Brit HaShevuah (the Covenant of the oath) which He swore to Avraham Avinu to grant us, [BERESHIS 22:16-18]
74 Having been delivered from the yad haoyvim (hand of enemies) of us to serve Hashem fearlessly,
75 In kedushah (holiness) and tzedek (righteousness) before Him all our yamim (days).
76 And you also, yeled (child), will be called Navi HaElyon (Prophet of the Most High); for you will go LIFNEI HAADON (before the L-rd) to prepare the DERECH HASHEM (The Way of the L-rd) [MALACHI 3:1; YESHAYAH 40:3]
77 To give daas (knowledge) of Yeshuat Eloheinu (the Salvation of our G-d) to Hashem’s Am Berit (People of the Covenant) by the selichat (forgiveness) of their avon (sin) [YIRMEYAH 31:34]
78 Through the rav rachamim of Eloheinu (through the great mercy of our G-d), by which has visited us the rising SHEMESH [Sun, Moshiach] from Shomayim, [MALACHI 3:20 (4:2)]
79 To appear to the ones in CHOSHECH (darkness) and YOSHVEI BERETZ TZALMAVET (sitting in the land of the shadow of death), to direct our feet into the Derech Shalom. [Psa 107:14; Isa 9:1-2; 59:9]
80 And the yeled was growing and was being given chizzuk (strengthening) in the Ruach Hakodesh, and Yochanan was in the desolate places until the day of his hisgalus (revelation, manifestation) to Yisroel.
58 (For the one directing. Set to Do Not Destroy. Mikhtam Dovid). Do ye indeed decree tzedek, O elim (g-ds, Ex 22:28[27])? Do ye judge uprightly the Bnei Adam?
2 (3) No, in lev (heart) ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the chamas (violence) of your hands in Ha’Aretz.
3 (4) The resha’im are perverted from the rekhem (womb); gone astray from birth are they, speaking kazav (lie, falsehood).
4 (5) Their venom is like the venom of a nachash; they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth its ear;
5 (6) That it may not pay heed to the voice of charmers, casting spells ever so cunningly.
6 (7) Break their teeth, O Elohim, in their mouth; tear out the fangs of the young lions, Hashem.
7 (8) Let them melt away like draining mayim; when he bendeth his bow to shoot his khitzim (arrows), let them be crumbled to pieces.
8 (9) As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away; like the stillborn child of an isha, that they may not see the shemesh.
9 (10) Before your sirot (pots) can feel the burning thorns, may He with a whirlwind blow them away, both green and dry alike.
10 (11) The tzaddik shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash feet in the dahm harasha.
11 (12) So that adam shall say, Verily there is a reward for the tzaddik; verily yesh Elohim Shofetim ba’aretz (there is a G-d that judgeth in the earth).
12 He that is devoid of lev [of understanding] despiseth his re’a, but an ish tevunot holdeth his peace.
13 A bringer of rekhil (gossip, rekhilut) revealeth sod (secrets, confidences), but he that is of a ne’eman ruach concealeth the matter.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International