the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
March 28 - Bible-in-a-Year
csb
Numbers 22:41-23:26
Chapter 22
41 In the morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him to Bamoth-baal.[e] From there he saw the outskirts of the people's camp.
Chapter 23
Balaam's Oracles
1 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." 2 So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the Lord [a] will meet with me. I will tell you whatever He reveals to me." So he went to a barren hill.
4 God[b] met with him and Balaam said to Him, "I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar." 5 Then the Lord put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."
6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.
Balaam's First Oracle
7 Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak brought me from Aram;(a)
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains:
"Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel!"(b)
8 How can I curse someone God has not cursed?
How can I denounce someone the
Lord
has not denounced?
9 I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,
and I watch them from the hills.
There is a people living alone;(c)
it does not consider itself among the nations.
10 Who has counted the dust of Jacob
or numbered the dust clouds[c] of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright;
let the end of my life be like theirs.
11 "What have you done to me?" Balak asked Balaam. "I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!"
12 He answered, "Shouldn't I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth?"(d)
Balaam's Second Oracle
13 Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won't see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me." 14 So Balak took him to Lookout Field[d] on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the Lord over there."
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then He said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."
17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the Lord say?"
18 Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak, get up and listen;
son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!
19 God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?(e)
20 I have indeed received a command to bless;
since He has blessed,[e] I cannot change it.
21 He considers no disaster for Jacob;
He sees no trouble for Israel.[f]
The
Lord
their God is with them,(f)
and there is rejoicing over the King among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;
He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.[g](g)
23 There is no magic curse against Jacob
and no divination against Israel.
It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,
"What great things God has done!"
24 A people rise up like a lioness;
They rouse themselves like a lion.(h)
They will not lie down until they devour the prey
and drink the blood of the slain.
25 Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them and don't bless them!"
26 But Balaam answered him, "Didn't I tell you: Whatever the Lord says, I must do?"(i)
Song of Solomon 3:6-5:1
Chapter 3
6
N
What is this(g) coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense(h)
from every fragrant powder of the merchant?
7 It is Solomon's royal litter[d]
surrounded by 60 warriors
from the mighty of Israel.
8 All of them are skilled with swords
and trained in warfare.
Each has his sword at his side(i)
to guard against the terror of the night.(j)
9 King Solomon made a sedan chair[e] for himself
with wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back[f] of gold,
and its seat of purple.
Its interior is inlaid with love[g]
by the young women of Jerusalem.(k)
11 Come out, young women of Zion,(l)
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother placed on him
the day of his wedding(m)—
the day of his heart's rejoicing.
Chapter 4
1
M
How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Behind your veil,
your eyes are doves.(a)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down Mount Gilead.(b)
2 Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
coming up from washing,
each one having a twin,
and not one missing.[a](c)
3 Your lips are like a scarlet cord,(d)
and your mouth[b] is lovely.
Behind your veil,
your brow[c] is like a slice of pomegranate.(e)
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,(f)
constructed in layers.
A thousand bucklers are hung on it—
all of them shields of warriors.[d]
5 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle,(g) that feed among the lilies.
6 Before the day breaks[e]
and the shadows flee,(h)
I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.(i)
7 You are absolutely beautiful,(j) my darling,
with no imperfection in you.
8 Come with me from Lebanon,[f](k) my bride(l)—
with me from Lebanon!
Descend from the peak of Amana,
from the summit of Senir and Hermon,(m)
from the dens of the lions,
from the mountains of the leopards.
9 You have captured my heart,(n) my sister,[g](o) my bride.
You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How delightful your love is, my sister, my bride.
Your love is much better than wine,(p)
and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.
11 Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride.(q)
Honey and milk(r) are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden—
a locked garden[h] and a sealed spring.(s)
13 Your branches are a paradise[i] of pomegranates
with choicest fruits,(t)
henna with nard—
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,(u)
with all the trees of frankincense,(v)
myrrh and aloes,(w)
with all the best spices.
15 You are a garden spring,
a well of flowing water(x)
streaming from Lebanon.
16
W
Awaken,(y) north wind—
come, south wind.
Blow on my garden,
and spread the fragrance of its spices.
Let my love come to his garden
and eat its choicest fruits.(z)
Chapter 5
1
M
I have come to my garden—my sister, my bride.
I gather[a] my myrrh with my spices.
I eat my honeycomb with my honey.
I drink my wine with my milk.
N
Eat, friends!
Drink, be intoxicated with love
Matthew 23:1-12
Chapter 23
Religious Hypocrites Denounced
1 Then(a) Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:(b) 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. [a](c) 3 Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don't do what they do,[b] because they don't practice what they teach.(d) 4 They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry[c] and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves aren't willing to lift a finger[d] to move them.(e) 5 They do everything[e] to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries [f](f) and lengthen their tassels. [g](g) 6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,(h) 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi' by people.
8 "But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,' because you have one Teacher,[h] and you are all brothers.(i) 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.(j) 10 And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master,[i] the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(k) 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (l)
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