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.

Numbers 23:27-30 and John 18:39-40: John 19:1-16 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 23:27-30

BALAAM THIRD PROPHECY

27  Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.”

28  So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland. 

29  Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” ³⁰ So Balak did as Balaam ordered and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.

JOHN 18:39-40 AND JOHN 19:1-16

JESUS IS SENTENCED TO DEATH

39  But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”

40  But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)
JOHN 19:1-16

1    Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. 

2    The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. 

3    “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.

4    Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” 

5    Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”

6    When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”
7    The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”
8    When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever.
9    He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer.
10  “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”
11  Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
12  Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”
13  When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha).
14  It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people,  “Look, here is your king!”
15  “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”  “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.
16  Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.  So they took Jesus away.

Numbers 23:13-26 and John 18:28-38 (New Living Translation)

NUMBERS 23:13-26
BALAAM SECOND PROPHECY

13  Then King Balak told him, “Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!” 

14  So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.

15  Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the Lord.”

16  And the Lord met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”

17  So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked eagerly.

18  This was the message Balaam delivered:  “Rise up, Balak, and listen!  Hear me, son of Zippor.

19  God is not a man, so he does not lie.  He is not human, so he does not change his mind.  Has he ever spoken and failed to act?  Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

20  Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!  

21  No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel.  For the Lord their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.

22  God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox. 

23  No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel.  For now it will be said of Jacob,

    ‘What wonders God has done for Israel!’  

24  These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself.  They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!”

25  Then Balak said to Balaam, “Fine, but if you won’t curse them, at least don’t bless them!”

26  But Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you that I can do only what the Lord tells me?”

JOHN 18:28-38

JESUS BEFORE PILATE

28  Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 

29  So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”

30  “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.

31  “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.  “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. 

32  (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die)

33  Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.

34  Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

35  “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”

36  Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

37  Pilate said, “So you are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”
38  “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.