Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Numbers 23:25

And Balak said to Balaam, Do not curse it at all, nor bless it at all.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Balaam;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balak;   Kibroth-Hattaavah;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Balak said to Bil`am, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
King James Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Lexham English Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, nor bless them at all!"
English Standard Version
And Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all."
New Century Version
Then Balak said to Balaam, "You haven't cursed these people, so at least don't bless them!"
New English Translation
Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"
Amplified Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"
New American Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Balak sayde vnto Balaam, Neither curse, nor blesse them at all.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"
Contemporary English Version
Balak shouted, "If you're not going to curse Israel, then at least don't bless them."
Complete Jewish Bible
Balak said to Bil‘am, "Obviously, you won't curse them. But at least don't bless them!"
Darby Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Balak said to Balaam, "You didn't ask for good things to happen to these people, but you didn't ask for bad things to happen to them either!"
George Lamsa Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Good News Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, "You refuse to curse the people of Israel, but at least don't bless them!"
Christian Standard Bible®
Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!”
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Balac vnto Balaam: Thou shalt nether curse him ner blesse him.
American Standard Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Bible in Basic English
Then Balak said to Balaam, If you will not put a curse on them, at all events do not give them a blessing.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Balac sayde vnto Balaam: Neither curse them, nor blesse them at all.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Balak said unto Balaam: 'Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.'
King James Version (1611)
And Balak said vnto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor blesse them at all.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balac said to Balaam, Neither curse the people at all for me, nor bless them at all.
English Revised Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Balach seide to Balaam, Nether curse thou, nether blesse thou hym.
Young's Literal Translation
And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;'
Update Bible Version
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
World English Bible
Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
New King James Version
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!"
New Living Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Fine, but if you won't curse them, at least don't bless them!"
New Life Bible
Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all or pray that good would come to them!"
New Revised Standard
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Balak unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither revile, him, - nor bless him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Balac said to Balaam: Neither curse, nor bless him.
Revised Standard Version
And Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."
THE MESSAGE
Balak said to Balaam, "Well, if you can't curse them, at least don't bless them."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

Contextual Overview

13 And Balak said to him, Now come with me to another place where you will see it; only you will see its edge and shall not see all of it; and curse it for me there. 14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on the altar. 15 And he said to Balak, Station yourself by the burnt offering while I go to meet Him over there. 16 And Jehovah met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, Return to Balak, and say this. 17 And he came to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt offering, and Moab's chiefs with him. And he said to him, What has Jehovah spoken? 18 And he took up his parable and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, son of Zippor. 19 God is not a man that He should lie, or a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and shall He not do it? And has He spoken, and shall He not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received word to bless; yes, He has blessed; I cannot reverse it. 21 He has seen no iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen mischief in Israel. Jehovah his God is with him, and the shout of a king is in him. 22 God who brought them out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild ox.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 2:1-3

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 9:28 - the charge

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Balak said unto Balaam, neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. Signifying that it would be as well or better to do nothing at all, than to do what he did; but the sense is not, that he would not have him curse them, that he could never say, since he had pressed it both before and after this; wherefore the words should be rendered, as they are by some p, "if in cursing thou dost not curse", or will not curse, "neither in blessing bless", or, however, do not bless: if he could not or would not curse Israel, he would not have him bless them on any account; if he could do him and his people no good in ridding them of their enemies, yet he desires him by no means to do them any harm by discouraging them and encouraging Israel.

p So Fagius, Vatablus; with which agree the Arabic version, and Noldius, p. 221. No. 1024.


 
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