Numbers 24:1-14 and John 19:17-27 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 24:1-14
SPIRIT OF GOD CAME ON BALAAM
1    Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.
2    When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him ³ and he spoke his message:  “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
4    the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5    “How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel
6    “Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters.
7    Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water.  “Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.
8    “God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.  They devour hostile nations
    and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them.
9    Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them?  “May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”
10  Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.
11  Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
12  Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,
13  ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says’?
14  Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”

JOHN 19:17-27
JESUS IS CRUCIFIED
17  Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
18  There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle
19  Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.
20  Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
21  The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22  Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
23  When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24  “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”  This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”   So this is what the soldiers did.
25  Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,  here is your son,”
27  and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.