and God met him there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.”
That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”
That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?”
Then Balaam said to King Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
And the Lord met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the Lord will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill,
The Lord gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”
‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.