Hello, this is Father Paul and I'm glad we're taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year.
Today's reading is from Numbers chapters 21 and 22.
Chapter 21
The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel was coming
on the road to Atarum.
Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.
So Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, if you will indeed deliver this people into
my hand then I will utterly destroy their cities.
And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they
utterly destroyed them and their cities.
So the name of that place was called Horma.
Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of
Edom.
And the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way, and the people spoke against God
and against Moses.
Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?
For there is no food and no water.
And our soul loathes this worthless bread.
So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many
of the people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against
the Lord and against you.
Pray to the Lord that he take away the serpents from us.
So Moses prayed for the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole.
And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.
So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole, and so it was.
If a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Now the children of Israel moved on and camped in Obot.
And they journeyed from Obot and camped at Ea Abareem, in the wilderness which is east
of Moab, toward the sunrise.
From there they moved and camped in the valley of Zerid.
From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness
that extends from the border of the Amorites.
For the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
Therefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, Wahab and Sufa, the brooks of
the Arnon, and the slope of the brooks, that reaches to the dwelling of Ar and lies on
the border of Moab.
From there they went to Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, Gather
the people together and I will give them water.
Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it.
And the well the leaders sang, dug by the nations nobles, by the law giver with their
staffs.
From the wilderness they went to Matana, from Matana to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamud,
and from Bamud in the valley that is in the country of Moab to the top of Pisgah, which
looks down on the wasteland.
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, Let me pass through
your land, we will not turn aside into fields or vineyards, we will not drink water from
wells, we will go by the king's highway until we have passed through your territory.
But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people
together and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and he came to Jehaz and fought
against Israel.
Then Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land
from the Arnon to the Jabak, as far as the people of Amon, for the border of the people
of Amon was fortified.
So Israel took all these cities and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in
Hezbon and in all its villages.
For Hezbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former
king of Moab and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon.
Therefore, those who speak in Proverbs say, Come to Hezbon, let it be built, let the city
of Sihon be repaired.
For fire went out from Hezbon, a flame from the city of Sihon, it consumed the hour of
Moab, the lords of the heights of the Arnon.
Woe to you, Moab, you have perished, O people of Chemosh.
He has given his sons as fugitives and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of
the Amorites, but we have shot at them.
Hezbon has perished as far as Dabon.
Then we laid waste as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
Then Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they took its villages and drove out the Amorites
who were there.
Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan, so all king of Bashan went out against
them, he and all his people to battle at Idre.
Then the Lord said to Moses, Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with
all his people and his land, and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the
Amorites who dwelt at Hezbon.
So they defeated him, his sons and all his people, until there was no survivor left him,
and they took possession of his land.
Chapter 22
Then the children of Israel moved and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan
across from Jericho.
Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was exceedingly
afraid of the people because there were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the
children of Israel.
So Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this company will lick up everything around
us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.
And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
Then he sent messengers to Balam the son of Beor at Pitor, which is near the river in
the land of the sons of his people, to call him saying, Look, a people has come from Egypt,
see they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me.
Therefore please come at once, curse these people for me, for they are too mighty for
me.
Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.
For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviners fee in their hand,
and they came to Balam and spoke to him the words of Balak.
And he said to them, Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord
speaks to me.
So the princes of Moab stayed with Balam.
Then God came to Balam and said, Who are these men with you?
So Balam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me saying, Look,
a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth, come now curse them
for me, perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.
And God said to Balam, You shall not go with them, you shall not curse the people, for
they are blessed.
So Balam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, Go back to your land, for
the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.
And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, Balam refuses to come with us.
Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they.
Then they came to Balam and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, Please let
nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I
will do whatever you say to me.
Therefore please come, curse these people for me.
Then Balam answered and said to the servants of Balak, Though Balak were to give me his
house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to
do less or more.
Therefore please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say
to me.
And God came to Balam at night and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise and
go with them, but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.
So Balam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
Then God's anger was aroused because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in
the way as an adversary against him.
And he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.
Now the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand.
And the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field.
So Balam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on
this side and a wall on that side.
And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed
Balam's foot against the wall, so he struck her again.
Then the angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no
way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balam, so Balam's anger
was aroused and he struck the donkey with his staff.
Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Balam, what have I done to
you that you have struck me these three times?
And Balam said to the donkey, because you have abused me, I wish there were a sword
in my hand, for now I would kill you.
So the donkey said to Balam, am I not your donkey on which you have ridden?
Ever since I became yours, to this day, was I ever disposed to do this to you?
And he said, no.
Then the Lord opened Balam's eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the
way with his drawn sword in his hand.
And he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.
And the angel of the Lord said to him, why have you struck your donkey these three times?
Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before me.
The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times.
If she had not turned aside from me, surely I would also have killed you by now and let
her live.
And Balam said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know you stood
in the way against me.
Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will turn back.
Then the angel of the Lord said to Balam, go with the men, but only the word that I
speak to you, that you shall speak.
So Balam went with the princes of Balak.
Now when Balak heard that Balam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab,
which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory.
Then Balak said to Balam, did I not earnestly send to you calling for you, why did you not
come to me?
Am I not able to honor you?
And Balam said to Balak, look, I have come to you, now have I any power at all to say
anything.
The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.
So Balam went with Balak and he came to Kirjat Huzot.
Then Balak offered oxen and sheep and he sent them to Balam and to the princes who were
with him.
So it was the next day that Balak took Balam and brought him up to the high places of Baal,
that from there he might observe the extent of the people.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did and I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.