The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NLT. Switch to the NLT to read along with the audio.
24 Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to speak good of Israel. So he did not go, as at other times, and look for special things to see. Instead he looked toward the desert. 2 Balaam looked up and saw Israel living in their tents by their families. And the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 He began speaking and said, “Balaam the son of Beor is the man whose eye is opened. 4 He hears the words of God. He sees what the All-powerful wants him to see. He falls down, but has his eyes open. 5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob, and your homes, O Israel! 6 They are like valleys that spread out, and like gardens beside the river. They are like aloes planted by the Lord, and like cedars beside the waters. 7 Water will flow from his pails. His seed will be by many waters. His king will be more powerful than Agag, and his nation will be honored. 8 God brings him out of Egypt. He is for him like the horns of the wild bull. He will destroy the nations who fight against him. He will crush their bones in pieces and cut through them with his arrows. 9 He bows down. He lies down like a lion. And as a lion, who will wake him? Good will come to everyone who prays for you. And cursed is everyone who curses you.”
10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he hit his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse those who hate me. But see, you have done nothing but pray that good would come to them these three times! 11 So now run away to your place. I said I would give you much honor, but the Lord has kept you from honor.” 12 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell the men you had sent to me, 13 ‘Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot do anything against the Word of the Lord’? I said, ‘I cannot do good or bad because I want to. What the Lord says, I will say.’ 14 Now see, I am going to my people. Come, I will tell you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”
Balaam Tells What Will Happen the Fourth Time
15 Then he began speaking and said, “Balaam the son of Beor is the man whose eye is opened. 16 He hears the words of God. He knows what the Most High wants him to know. He sees what the All-powerful wants him to see. He falls down, but has his eyes open. 17 I see him, but not now. I see him, but he is not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A special stick of power will rise from Israel. It will crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. 18 It will take the land of Edom. And it will take the land of Seir, who fights against Israel. And Israel will fight with much power. 19 One from Jacob will rule. He will destroy from the city all who are left alive.” 20 Then Balaam looked at Amalek and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations. But he will be destroyed in the end.” 21 Then he looked at the Kenite and said, “The place where you live is strong. Your nest is set in the rock. 22 But Kain will be destroyed. How long will Asshur keep you against your will?” 23 Then Balaam said, “Who can live when God does this? 24 But ships will come from Kittim. They will bring trouble to Asshur and Eber, but they will be destroyed also.” 25 Then Balaam got up and left. He returned to his place, and Balak went on his way.
Israel Sins in Moab
25 While Israel stayed at Shittim, the people were not faithful to the Lord and began to have sex with the daughters of Moab. 2 They asked the people of Israel to bring gifts to their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel. 4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, kill them, and put their bodies in the bright daylight before the Lord. Then the strong anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6 Then one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family. Moses and all the people of Israel saw this while they were crying at the door of the meeting tent. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, saw it, he rose up from among the people. He took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the tent. Then he cut through the bodies of both the man of Israel and the woman. So the very bad disease that spread on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Those who died because of this bad disease were 24,000.
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the religious leader, has turned My anger away from the people of Israel. He was jealous with My jealousy among them, so I did not destroy the people of Israel in My jealousy. 12 So say to them that I make My agreement of peace with Phinehas. 13 It will be an agreement for him and his children after him that they will always be religious leaders, because he was jealous for his God, and did what he was to do to pay for the sin of the people of Israel.”
14 The name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu. He was a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur. Zur was the head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Be angry at the Midianites and fight against them. 18 For they have brought trouble to you with their false ways. They have fooled you and turned you to the wrong way. They have brought you trouble at Peor with Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister. She was killed on the day the very bad disease came because of Peor.”
The Birth of Jesus (A)
2 In those days Caesar Augustus sent out word that the name of every person in the Roman nation must be written in the books of the nation. 2 This first writing took place while Quirinius was ruler of Syria.
3 So all the people went to their own cities to have their names written in the books of the nation. 4 Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in the country of Galilee to the town of Bethlehem. It was known as the city of David. He went there because he was from the family of David. 5 Joseph went to have his and Mary’s names written in the books of the nation. Mary was his promised wife and soon to become a mother.
6 While they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth to her baby. 7 Her first son was born. She put cloth around Him and laid Him in a place where cattle are fed. There was no room for them in the place where people stay for the night.
The Shepherds Learn of the Birth of Jesus
8 In the same country there were shepherds in the fields. They were watching their flocks of sheep at night. 9 The angel of the Lord came to them. The shining-greatness of the Lord shone around them. They were very much afraid. 10 The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. See! I bring you good news of great joy which is for all people. 11 Today, One Who saves from the punishment of sin has been born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. 12 There will be something special for you to see. This is the way you will know Him. You will find the Baby with cloth around Him, lying in a place where cattle are fed.”
13 At once many angels from heaven were seen, along with the angel, giving thanks to God. They were saying, 14 “Greatness and honor to our God in the highest heaven and peace on earth among men who please Him.”
The Shepherds Go to Bethlehem
15 The angels went from the shepherds back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see what has happened. The Lord has told us about this.” 16 They went fast and found Mary and Joseph. They found the Baby lying in a place where cattle are fed. 17 When they saw the Child, they told what the angel said about Him. 18 All who heard it were surprised at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary hid all these words in her heart. She thought about them much. 20 The shepherds went back full of joy. They thanked God for all they had heard and seen. It happened as the angel had told them.
Jesus Taken to the House of God
21 When eight days were over, they did the religious act of becoming a Jew on the Child. He was named Jesus. This name was given to Him by the angel when Mary was told He was to be born. 22 When the days were over for her to be made pure as it was written in the Law of Moses, they took Jesus to Jerusalem to give Him to the Lord. 23 It is written in the Law of the Lord, “The first-born male born of a woman will be called holy to the Lord.” 24 They were to give a gift of two turtle-doves or two young birds on the altar in worship to the Lord. This was written in the Law of the Lord.
Simeon’s Song of Thanks
25 There was a man in Jerusalem by the name of Simeon. He was a good man and very religious. He was looking for the time when the Jewish nation would be saved. The Holy Spirit was on him. 26 The Holy Spirit made it known to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen God’s Chosen One. 27 He came to the house of God being led by the Holy Spirit. The parents took Jesus to the house of God. They came to do what the Law said must be done. 28 Then Simeon took Jesus in his arms. He gave honor to Him and thanked God, saying,
29 “Lord, now let me die in peace, as You have said. 30 My eyes have seen the One Who will save men from the punishment of their sins. 31 You have made Him ready in the sight of all nations. 32 He will be a light to shine on the people who are not Jews. He will be the shining-greatness of Your people the Jews.” 33 Joseph and the mother of Jesus were surprised and wondered about these words which were said about Jesus. 34 Simeon honored them and said to Mary the mother of Jesus, “See! This Child will make many people fall and many people rise in the Jewish nation. He will be spoken against. 35 A sword will cut through your soul. By this the thoughts of many hearts will be understood.”
Prayer for a Safe Place
59 O my God, take me away from those who hate me. Put me up high above those who rise up against me. 2 Take me away from those who do wrong. And save me from those who kill. 3 For, look, they lie in wait for my life. Strong men are gathering together to fight me, but not because of my wrong-doing or my sin, O Lord. 4 I have done no wrong, but they get ready to fight against me. Rise up to help me. 5 You, O Lord God of All, God of Israel, rise up to punish all the nations. Show no loving-kindness to those people who cannot be trusted and plan sins. 6 They return at evening. They sound like dogs and go around the city. 7 See, they spit with their mouth. Swords are in their lips. And they say, “Who can hear us?” 8 But You laugh at them, O Lord. You laugh at all the nations.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for You. For God is my strong place. 10 My God in His loving-kindness will meet me. God will let me look at those who come against me and know that I will win the fight. 11 Do not kill them, or my people may forget. Divide them by Your power and bring them down, O Lord, our safe-covering. 12 Let them be caught in their pride for the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips. For the lies and bad things they say, 13 destroy them in anger. Destroy them so that they will be no more. Let it be known that God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth.
14 They return at evening. They make sounds like dogs and go around the city. 15 They go around looking for food and they show their teeth if they are not filled.
16 But as for me, I will sing of Your strength. Yes, I will sing with joy of Your loving-kindness in the morning. For You have been a strong and safe place for me in times of trouble. 17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to You. For God is my strong place and the God Who shows me loving-kindness.
14 A nation falls where there is no wise leading, but it is safe where there are many wise men who know what to do.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.