<p class="poetry">Indeed, I have received a command<n id="1" /> to bless;p> <p class="poetry">he has blessed,<n id="2" /> and I cannot reverse it.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will abundantly supply what she needs;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will give her poor all the food they need.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For he makes the bars of your gates strong.p> <p class="poetry">He blesses your children<n id="1" /> within you.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years,<n id="1" /> and the <sc>Lordsc> had blessed him<n id="2" /> in everything.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Balak said to Balaam, &#8220;Neither curse them at all<n id="1" /> nor bless them at all!&#8221;<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.

<p class="poetry">Bless, O <sc>Lordsc>, his goods,p> <p class="poetry">and be pleased with his efforts;p> <p class="poetry">undercut the legs<n id="1" /> of any who attack him,p> <p class="poetry">and of those who hate him, so that they cannot stand.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> his wife said to him, &#8220;Are you still holding firmly to your integrity?<n id="2" /> Curse<n id="3" /> God, and die!&#8221;<n id="4" />

<p class="poetry">Yes,<n id="1" /> the wicked man<n id="2" /> boasts because he gets what he wants;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who robs others<n id="4" /> curses<n id="5" /> and<n id="6" /> rejects the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="7" />p>

Then in a night vision the mystery was revealed to Daniel. So Daniel praised<n id="1" /> the God of heaven,

&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy.<n id="1" /> The Lord<n id="2" /> has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

<p class="bodytext">These<n id="1" /> are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Balak said to Balaam, &#8220;What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary<n id="1" /> you have only blessed them!&#8221;<n id="2" />

However, there should not be any poor among you, for the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> will surely bless<n id="2" /> you in the land that he<n id="3" /> is giving you as an inheritance,<n id="4" />

<p class="poetry">I solemnly make this oath<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">what I say is true and reliable:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Surely every knee will bow to me,p> <p class="poetry">every tongue will solemnly affirm;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Their descendants will be known among the nations,p> <p class="poetry">their offspring among the peoples.p> <p class="poetry">All who see them will recognize thatp> <p class="poetry">the <sc>Lordsc> has blessed them.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

I will indeed bless you,<n id="1" /> and I will greatly multiply<n id="2" /> your descendants<n id="3" /> so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession<n id="4" /> of the strongholds<n id="5" /> of their enemies.

<p class="bodytext">Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there.<n id="1" /> As he blessed him,<n id="2" /> Isaac commanded him, &#8220;You must not marry a Canaanite woman.&#8221;<n id="3" />

For in six days the <sc>Lordsc> made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the <sc>Lordsc> blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together.<n id="1" /> Balak said to Balaam, &#8220;I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless<n id="2" /> them these three times!