5 Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, 'Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.'
6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he took up his oracle and said: 'Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east. 'Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!'
8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, Not reckoning itself among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his!'
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, 'What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!'
12 So he answered and said, 'Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?'
Officiant: The Word of the Lord.
The People: Thanks be to God.
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
20 All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 The salutation with my own hand -- Paul's. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Officiant: The Word of the Lord.
The People: Thanks be to God.
After the Gospel reading, the deacon can elevate the book and says:
Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.People: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.