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Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

The Darby Translation

Numbers 23:12

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah puts in my mouth?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Minister, Christian;   Prophets;   Thompson Chain Reference - Balaam;   Inspiration;   Prophets;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Camp, Encampments;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Magic;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Kibroth-Hattaavah;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Revelation;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD puts in my mouth?
King James Version
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
Lexham English Bible
He answered and said, "Should I not speak what Yahweh puts in my mouth?"
English Standard Version
And he answered and said, "Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?"
New Century Version
But Balaam answered, "I must say what the Lord tells me to say."
New English Translation
Balaam replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?"
Amplified Bible
Balaam answered, "Must I not be obedient and careful to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?"
New American Standard Bible
He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he answered, and said, Must I not take heede to speake that, which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
Legacy Standard Bible
And he replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what Yahweh puts in my mouth?"
Contemporary English Version
Balaam answered, "I can say only what the Lord tells me."
Complete Jewish Bible
He answered, "Mustn't I take care to say just what Adonai puts in my mouth?"
Easy-to-Read Version
But Balaam answered, "I must say the things that the Lord tells me to say."
George Lamsa Translation
And Balaam answered and said, Behold, whatever the LORD puts in my mouth that thing will I speak.
Good News Translation
He answered, "I can say only what the Lord tells me to say."
Christian Standard Bible®
He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
Literal Translation
And he replied and said, Must not I take heed to speak what Jehovah has put in my mouth?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He answered & saide: Must I not kepe & speake yt, which the LORDE putteth in to me mouth?
American Standard Version
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth?
Bible in Basic English
And in answer he said, Am I not ordered to say only what the Lord puts into my mouth?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He aunswered and sayd: Must I not take heede to speake that whiche the lorde hath put in my mouth?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he answered and said: 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?'
King James Version (1611)
And he answered, and said, Must I not take heede to speake that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balaam said to Balac, Whatsoever the Lord shall put into my mouth, shall I not take heed to speak this?
English Revised Version
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?
Berean Standard Bible
But Balaam replied, "Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whom Balaam answeride, Whether Y may speke othir thing no but that that the Lord comaundith?
Young's Literal Translation
and he answereth and saith, `That which Jehovah doth put in my mouth -- it do I not take heed to speak?'
Update Bible Version
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?
Webster's Bible Translation
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
World English Bible
He answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?
New King James Version
So he answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?"
New Living Translation
But Balaam replied, "I will speak only the message that the Lord puts in my mouth."
New Life Bible
Balaam answered, "Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?"
New Revised Standard
He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he answered and said, - Was it not to be so that whatsoever Yahweh should put into my mouth, the same, should I take heed to speak?
Douay-Rheims Bible
He answered him: Can I speak any thing else but what the Lord commandeth?
Revised Standard Version
And he answered, "Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"
THE MESSAGE
Balaam answered, "Don't I have to be careful to say what God gives me to say?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

Contextual Overview

1 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered up a bullock and a ram on [each] altar. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatever he shews me I will tell thee. And he went to a hill. 4 And God met Balaam; and [Balaam] said to him, I have disposed seven altars, and have offered up a bullock and a ram upon [each] altar. 5 And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. 6 And he returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, curse me Jacob, and come, denounce Israel! 8 How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: Lo, [it is] a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 23:20, Numbers 23:26, Numbers 22:38, Numbers 24:13, Proverbs 26:25, Romans 16:18, Titus 1:16

Reciprocal: Exodus 4:15 - and I Numbers 22:8 - General Numbers 22:20 - but yet 2 Chronicles 18:13 - even what my God

Cross-References

Genesis 18:2
And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing near him. And when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself to the earth,
Genesis 19:1
And the two angels came to Sodom at even. And Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed down, the face toward the ground,
Genesis 23:7
And Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he answered and said,.... By reply to Balak:

must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? pretending a great regard to the word of God, and to great carefulness to speak it, exactly and punctually as he received it, whereas he was forced to it, and could not do otherwise.


 
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