When the Canaanite king of Arad in the southern part of Canaan heard that the Israelites were coming by way of Atharim, he attacked them and captured some of them.

The LORD heard them and helped them conquer the Canaanites. So the Israelites completely destroyed them and their cities, and named the place Hormah.

and spoke against God and Moses. They complained, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We can't stand any more of this miserable food!"

The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Now pray to the LORD to take these snakes away." So Moses prayed for the people.

So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who had been bitten would look at the bronze snake and be healed.

After leaving that place, they camped at the ruins of Abarim in the wilderness east of Moabite territory.

From there they moved again and camped on the north side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness which extends into Amorite territory. (The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.)

and the slope of the valleys that extend to the town of Ar and toward the border of Moab."

At that time the people of Israel sang this song: "Wells, produce your water; And we will greet it with a song---

and from there they went on to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the Amorite king Sihon to say:

But Sihon would not permit the people of Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered his army and went out to Jahaz in the wilderness and attacked the Israelites.

So the people of Israel captured all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all the surrounding towns, and settled in them.

That is why the poets sing, "Come to Heshbon, to King Sihon's city! We want to see it rebuilt and restored.

How terrible for you, people of Moab! You worshipers of Chemosh are brought to ruin! Your god let the men become refugees, And the women became captives of the Amorite king.

So the people of Israel settled in the territory of the Amorites,

Then the Israelites turned and took the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan marched out with his army to attack them at Edrei.

So the Israelites killed Og, his sons, and all his people, leaving no survivors, and then they occupied his land.

The Israelites moved on and set up camp in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan and opposite Jericho.

he and all his people became terrified.

sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor near the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw. They brought him this message from Balak: "I want you to know that a whole nation has come from Egypt; its people are spreading out everywhere and threatening to take over our land.

So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message.

God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these people that are staying with you?"

that a people who came from Egypt has spread out over the whole land. He wants me to curse them for him, so that he can fight them and drive them out."

The next morning Balaam went to Balak's messengers and said, "Go back home; the LORD has refused to let me go with you."

Then Balak sent a larger number of leaders, who were more important than the first.

I will reward you richly and do anything you say. Please come and curse these people for me."

But please spend the night, as the others did, so that I may learn whether or not the LORD has something else to tell me."

So the next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite leaders.

When the donkey saw the angel standing there holding a sword, it left the road and turned into the fields. Balaam beat the donkey and brought it back onto the road.

When the donkey saw the angel, it moved over against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it. Again Balaam beat the donkey.

This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down. Balaam lost his temper and began to beat the donkey with his stick.

Balaam answered, "Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you."

Then the LORD let Balaam see the angel standing there with his sword; and Balaam threw himself face downward on the ground.

But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it hadn't, I would have killed you and spared the donkey."

But the angel said, "Go on with these men, but say only what I tell you to say." So Balaam went on with them.

Balak said to him, "Why didn't you come when I sent for you the first time? Did you think I wasn't able to reward you enough?"

So Balaam went with Balak to the town of Huzoth,

The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, from where Balaam could see a part of the people of Israel.

He said to Balak, "Build seven altars here for me, and bring me seven bulls and seven rams."

Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I go to see whether or not the LORD will meet me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So he went alone to the top of a hill,

The LORD told Balaam what to say and sent him back to Balak to give him his message.

Balaam uttered this prophecy: "Balak king of Moab has brought me From Syria, from the eastern mountains. 'Come speak for me,' he said. 'Put a curse on the people of Israel.'

From the high rocks I can see them; I can watch them from the hills. They are a nation that lives alone; They know they are blessed more than other nations.

Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you have done is bless them."

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come with me to another place from which you can see only some of the Israelites. Curse them for me from there."

Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, and I will meet God over there."

So he went back and found Balak still standing by his burnt offering, with the leaders of Moab. Balak asked what the LORD had said,

God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done.

I foresee that Israel's future Will bring her no misfortune or trouble. The LORD their God is with them; They proclaim that he is their king.

There is no magic charm, no witchcraft, That can be used against the nation of Israel. Now people will say about Israel, 'Look what God has done!'

Then Balak said to Balaam, "You refuse to curse the people of Israel, but at least don't bless them!"

Balak said, "Come with me, and I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will be willing to let you curse them for me from there."

Balaam said to him, "Build seven altars for me here and bring me seven bulls and seven rams."

Jesus left that place and went back to his hometown, followed by his disciples.

Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him.

He was not able to perform any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits

Wear sandals, but don't carry an extra shirt."

If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!"

They drove out many demons, and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.

Others, however, said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."

Herod himself had ordered John's arrest, and he had him tied up and put in prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, whom he had married, even though she was the wife of his brother Philip.

So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because of Herod.

Finally Herodias got her chance. It was on Herod's birthday, when he gave a feast for all the top government officials, the military chiefs, and the leading citizens of Galilee.

With many vows he said to her, "I swear that I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half my kingdom!"

The girl hurried back at once to the king and demanded, "I want you to give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a plate!"

So he sent off a guard at once with orders to bring John's head. The guard left, went to the prison, and cut John's head off;

When John's disciples heard about this, they came and got his body, and buried it.

There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. So he said to them, "Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while."

Many people, however, saw them leave and knew at once who they were; so they went from all the towns and ran ahead by land and arrived at the place ahead of Jesus and his disciples.

When it was getting late, his disciples came to him and said, "It is already very late, and this is a lonely place.

"You yourselves give them something to eat," Jesus answered. They asked, "Do you want us to go and spend two hundred silver coins on bread in order to feed them?"

Jesus then told his disciples to make all the people divide into groups and sit down on the green grass.

Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

Then the disciples took up twelve baskets full of what was left of the bread and the fish.

At once Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida, on the other side of the lake, while he sent the crowd away.

When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, while Jesus was alone on land.

but they saw him walking on the water. "It's a ghost!" they thought, and screamed.

Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. The disciples were completely amazed,

They crossed the lake and came to land at Gennesaret, where they tied up the boat.

So they ran throughout the whole region; and wherever they heard he was, they brought to him the sick lying on their mats.

Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus.

(For the Pharisees, as well as the rest of the Jews, follow the teaching they received from their ancestors: they do not eat unless they wash their hands in the proper way;

So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, "Why is it that your disciples do not follow the teaching handed down by our ancestors, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?"

It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!'

And Jesus continued, "You have a clever way of rejecting God's law in order to uphold your own teaching.

But you teach that if people have something they could use to help their father or mother, but say, 'This is Corban' (which means, it belongs to God),

In this way the teaching you pass on to others cancels out the word of God. And there are many other things like this that you do."

There is nothing that goes into you from the outside which can make you ritually unclean. Rather, it is what comes out of you that makes you unclean."

When he left the crowd and went into the house, his disciples asked him to explain this saying.

because it does not go into your heart but into your stomach and then goes on out of the body." (In saying this, Jesus declared that all foods are fit to be eaten.)

For from the inside, from your heart, come the evil ideas which lead you to do immoral things, to rob, kill,

all these evil things come from inside you and make you unclean."

A woman, whose daughter had an evil spirit in her, heard about Jesus and came to him at once and fell at his feet.

But Jesus answered, "Let us first feed the children. It isn't right to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."

So Jesus said to her, "Because of that answer, go back home, where you will find that the demon has gone out of your daughter!"

Jesus then left the neighborhood of Tyre and went on through Sidon to Lake Galilee, going by way of the territory of the Ten Towns.

So Jesus took him off alone, away from the crowd, put his fingers in the man's ears, spat, and touched the man's tongue.

At once the man was able to hear, his speech impediment was removed, and he began to talk without any trouble.

And all who heard were completely amazed. "How well he does everything!" they exclaimed. "He even causes the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak!"