So Balak's officials got up, returned to Balak and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us."

Balaam responded to Balak's entourage by saying, "Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I won't double-cross the command of the LORD my God in even the slightest way.

So accompanied by Balaam and Balak's officials, Balak traveled to Kiriath-huzoth,

So the elders of Moab and Midian left to visit Balaam, bringing an honorarium with them, and communicated Balak's concerns to him.

So Balaam got up the next morning and told Balak's officials, "Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused me permission to go with you."

But the angel of the LORD told Balaam, "Go with the men, but deliver only the message that I'm going to give you." So Balaam went with Balak's officials.

So Balak did just as Balaam instructed. Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by the Moabite officials. "What did the LORD say?" Balak asked him.

At that time, Zippor's son Balak was the king of Moab. He sent messengers to Beor's son Balaam in Pethor, near the Euphrates River, the land where the descendants of his people originated, to summon his aid. He said, "Look! A group of people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth, and are sitting here right in front of me.

"Then Zippor's son, King Balak of Moab, showed up and fought against Israel. He sent word to Balaam, summoning Beor's son to put a curse on you.

Zippor's son Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites.

Then Balaam told God, "Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab, sent them to me and said,

who approached Balaam with this message: "This is what Zippor's son Balak says: "Don't let anything get in the way of your coming to me.

So Balak exhorted Balaam, "Let's go right now! I'll take you to another place. Maybe God will agree to have you curse them for me from there."

Also ask yourselves: do you have a better case than Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab? Did he ever have a quarrel with Israel or ever win a fight against them?

"My people, recall how king Balak of Moab deliberated, and how Beor's son Balaam counseled him from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may know the righteousness of the LORD."

In response, Balak sent more officers higher ranking ones, at that!

When Balak heard that Balaam had arrived, he went out to meet him in the city of Moab on the border of Arnon at the extreme end of his territory.

Balak asked Balaam, "Didn't I repeatedly send for you to summon you? Why didn't you come to me? I can pay you well, can't I?"

Balaam answered Balak, "Well, I'm here now. I've come to you, but I can't just say anything, can I? I'll speak only what God puts in my mouth to say."

The next day, Balak brought Balaam up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the community of Israel.

Balaam told Balak, "Build for me here seven altars and prepare here for me seven bulls and seven rams."

Then Balaam instructed Balak, "Stand by your offering and leave me alone by myself. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. I'll tell you whatever he reveals to me."

Then the LORD gave Balaam this message. "Return to Balak and speak to him."

So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by all the Moabite officials.

Then Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "King Balak of Moab brought me from Aram, from the eastern mountains, and told me, "Come and curse Jacob for me. Come and curse Israel.'

"What are you doing to me?" Balak asked Balaam. "I brought you to curse my enemies, not pronounce a blessing!"

"Come with me to another place where you can see them," Balak replied. "You'll only see a portion of them, because you won't be able to see them completely. Come and curse them from there for me."

So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars and then offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Then he told Balak, "Stand by your offering while I go alone to meet the LORD."

Then the LORD met with Balaam and gave a message to him. "Now go back to Balak and speak to him."

In response, Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, you son of Zippor!

Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them or bless them!"

"Didn't I tell you," Balaam responded to Balak, "that I'll say whatever the LORD tells me to say?"

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks the open wilderness.

Balaam told Balak, "Build seven altars for me right here. Then prepare seven bulls and seven rams."

Balak did just what Balaam had instructed he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balak flew into a rage and he started hitting his fists together. "I called you to curse my enemies," he yelled at Balaam. "But look here! You've blessed them three times!

But Balaam replied to Balak, "I told your messengers,

"Even if Balak gives me his palace full of silver and gold, I won't double-cross the command of the LORD and do anything whether good or evil on my own initiative, because I'm going to say whatever the LORD says.'

Then Balaam got up, returned to his country, and Balak went on his way.

However, the king's daughter Jehoshabeath took Ahaziah's son Joash away from the king's children who were about to be assassinated and hid him and his nurse in a bedroom. That's how King Jehoram's daughter Jehoshabeath, who was also the priest Jehoiada's wife and Ahaziah's sister, hid him from Athaliah. As a result, she was not able to kill him.

The Gatekeepers: Shallum's descendants, Ater's descendants, Talmon's descendants, Akkub's descendants, Hatita's descendants, Shobai's descendants: 138

Here are the names of the descendants of Levi who made themselves available to God: Amasai's son Mahath and Azariah's son Joel from the descendants of Kohath; Abdi's son Kish and Jehallelel's son Azariah from the descendants of Merari; Zimmah's son Joah and Joah's son Eden from the descendants of Gershon;

"If a man takes his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, so that he exposes her nakedness and she exposes his nakedness, it's a shameful thing. They are to be eliminated from contact with their people in front of their people's children. He has exposed his sister's nakedness. He'll continue to bear responsibility for his iniquity.

The LORD will repay him for his bloodshed because, without my father David's consent he attacked and murdered two men more righteous and better than he, Ner's son Abner, the commander of Israel's army and Jether's son Amasa, commander of Judah's army.

Starting about noon, Elijah began to tease them: "Shout louder! "He's a god, so maybe he's busy. "Maybe he's relieving himself. "Maybe he's busy someplace. "Maybe he's taking a nap and somebody needs to wake him up."

Seven years later, Jehoiada mustered up some courage and made a deal with the officers who commanded units of hundreds of soldiers, including Jehoram's son Azariah, Jehochanan's son Ishmael, Obed's son Azariah, Adaiah's son Maaseiah, and Zichri's son Elishaphat.

All this comes about due to the transgression of Jacob, and due to the sins of the house of Israel. What is Jacob's sin? It's Samaria, isn't it? And what's Judah's high place? It's Jerusalem, isn't it?

Then they said, "Come, let's make up a plot against Jeremiah. After all, the priest's instruction, the wise man's counsel, and the prophet's message won't be destroyed. So let's verbally attack him. Pay no attention to anything he says!"

he went down to the palace, to the scribe's office, where all the officials were sitting. Elishama the scribe, Shemaiah's son Delaiah, Achbor's son Elnathan, Shaphan's son Gemariah, Hananiah's son Zedekiah, and all the other officials were there.

You are to put the Urim and Thummim into the breast piece of judgment, and they are to be on Aaron's heart when he goes into the LORD's presence. He is to carry the breast piece of decision that depicts Israel's sons on his heart in the LORD's presence continuously."

"You are not to have sexual relations with your sister, whether she's your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she's born in your home or outside your home. You are not to have sexual relations with her.

Then Abraham's servant took ten camels from his master's herd of camels and left on his journey with all kinds of gifts from his master's inventory. Eventually, he traveled as far as Aram-naharaim, Nahor's home town.

Instead, get up, travel to Paddan-aram, and visit the household of Bethuel, your mother's father. Marry one of Laban's daughters, since he's your mother's brother.

When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, accompanied by Laban's sheep, Jacob approached the well, rolled the stone from the opening of the well, and then watered his mother's brother Laban's flock.

So Laban entered Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn't find them. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

At this the king asked, "Isn't there still someone left from Saul's household to whom I may show God's gracious love?" "There's Jonathan's son. He has maimed feet," Ziba answered.

But David's brother Shimeah's son Jonadab reported, "Your majesty, don't assume they've killed all of the young men the king's sons only Amnon has died, since that was Absalom's intention from the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

Then the king asked, "Where is your master's son?" "He's staying in Jerusalem!" Ziba answered the king. "He's saying "The nation of Israel will restore my father's kingdom to me today!'"

The king responded, "If he's alone, he's bringing some news to report." As the man continued to draw near and approach the palace, the watchman observed another man running. So he called out to the gatekeeper, "There's another man running by himself!" The king replied, "He's also bringing some news to report!"

Instead, the king arrested Aiah's daughter Rizpah's two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Barzillai the Meholathite's son Adriel.

But Zeruiah's son Abishai came to David's aid, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. After this, David's army told him, "You're not going out anymore with us to battle, so Israel's beacon won't be extinguished!"

Now Joseph was well built and good looking. That's why, sometime later, Joseph's master's wife looked straight at Joseph and propositioned him: "Come on! Let's have a little sex!"

But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father's hand and started to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

"Get up and go down to meet King Ahab of Israel. He's in Samaria. Look! He's in Naboth's vineyard, where he's gone to confiscate it.

But King Joram's daughter Jehosheba, who was Ahaziah's sister, rescued Ahaziah's son Joash from the group of the king's sons who were being executed and hid him and his nurse in her bedroom, concealing him from Athaliah so he was not put to death.

Uzai's son Palal carried on repairs over against the angle of the wall at the tower that stands out from the king's upper palace, which is located by the royal guard's court. Next to him, Parosh's son Pedaiah carried on repairs.

The king told Queen Esther, "In Susa the capital the Jewish people have killed and destroyed 500 people, including Haman's ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what's your petition? It will be given to you. What's your further request? It will be done."

"Let's go attack Judah, let's terrorize it, and let's conquer it for ourselves. Then we'll install Tabeel's son as king!"'

As a result, you have forgotten the LORD who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations, and you live in constant fear every day because of the oppressor's fury, since he's ready to destroy. Now where is the oppressor's fury?

So the descendants of Levi appointed Joel's son Heman, his relative Berechiah's son Asaph, as well as certain relatives of Merari's sons, including Kushaiah's son Ethan,

Jeroham's son Ibneiah, Uzzi's son Elah, who was also Michri's grandson, and Shephatiah's son Meshullam, who was the grandson of Reuel and great-grandson of Ibnijah,

Mattan's son Shephatiah, Pashhur's son Gedaliah, Shelemiah's son Jucal, and Malchijah's son Pashhur heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people:

Those who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah included Nethaniah's son Ishmael, Jonathan, Kareah's son Jonathan, Tanhumeth's son Seraiah, Ephai's sons from Netophah; and Jezaniah, the son of a man from Maacah. They came along with their men.

Some of the leaders of the descendants of Ephraim, including Johanan's son Azariah, Meshillemoth's son Berechiah, Shallum's son Jehizkiah, and Hadlai's son Amasa, stood up to the army as they were coming back from the battle

Furthermore, every grain offering that's mixed with olive oil or that's dry will be for Aaron's sons, each one like the other."

If the priest undertakes an examination, but there's no white hair in it and it's not more extensive than skin deep, but it's dull, then the priest is to isolate him for seven days.

But if the priest examines it and discovers that there's no bright area or white hair, or if he discovers that it's not more extensive than skin deep and it's dull, then the priest is to isolate him for seven days.

But if the bright spot remains in place, doesn't spread in the skin, and it's dull, it's the swelling of the burned area. The priest is to declare him clean, since it's the scar from a burn."

"When a man's head becomes bare, he's bald, but he's clean.

"Neither your father's nakedness nor your mother's nakedness is to be exposed. She's your mother, so you are not to have sexual relations with her.

"You are not to have sexual relations with your father's wife. It's your own father's nakedness.

"You are not to have sexual relations with your father's sister. She's your father's near blood relative.

"You are not to have sexual relations with your mother's sister. She's your mother's near blood relative.

"You are not to have sexual relations with a woman and her daughter. "You are not to have sexual relations with her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter. They're near blood relatives. It's wickedness.

"If a man takes his brother's wife, it's immoral. He has exposed his brother's nakedness. They'll be childless."

If the priest's daughter is a widow, or is divorced and childless, so that she has to return to her father's house as in her younger days, she may eat her father's food, but no resident alien may eat it.

"From Joseph's descendants through Ephraim: Ammihud's son Elishama. From Manasseh: Pedahzur's son Gamaliel.

Now Izhar's son Korah, the grandson of Kohath, a descendant of Levi, along with Eliab's sons Dathan and Abiram, and Peleth's son On, a descendant of Reuben, took charge

The hilt also penetrated along with the sword blade, and Eglon's fat closed in over the blade. Because he did not withdraw the sword from Eglon's abdomen, the sword point exited from Eglon's entrails.

Then Shem and Japheth took their father's cloak, laid it across both their shoulders, and walking backwards, they both covered their father's genitals. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's genitals.

Then Jerubbaal's son Abimelech went to his mother's relatives in Shechem. He spoke to the entire family of his mother's father, telling them,

to his father's house in Ophrah. There he murdered his own brothers, Jerubbaal's sons all 70 of them in one place. But Jerubbaal's youngest son Jotham survived by hiding himself.

Then Ebed's son Gaal remarked, "Who is this Abimelech? And who is Shechem? Should we serve him? Isn't he Jerubbaal's son? Isn't Zebul his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's ancestor but why are we serving him?

Besides, she really is my sister she's my father's daughter, but not my mother's daughter so she could become my wife.

When you leave me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah. They'll tell you, "The donkeys you went to look for have been found. Now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and he's anxious about you. He's asking, "What will I do about my son?'

Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until dawn, and let's not leave a single one of them alive." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you!" But the priest said, "Let's draw near to God here."

So here's Rebekah she's right in front of you. Take her and go, so she can become a wife for your master's son, just as the LORD has decreed."

So Jacob approached his father, who felt him and said, "It's Jacob's voice, but Esau's hands."