Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Nehemiah 13:2

because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turns the reviling into a blessing.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Balaam;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Moabites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Eliashib;   Marriage;   Tobiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Samaria, samaritans;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ammon;   Balaam;   Mixed Multitude;   Tobiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Balaam;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Balaam;   Hire;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Balaam;   Blessing and Cursing;   Moab;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Hebrew Names Version
because they didn't meet the children of Yisra'el with bread and with water, but hired Bil`am against them, to curse them: however our God turned the curse into a blessing.
King James Version
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
English Standard Version
for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.
New Century Version
The Ammonites and Moabites had not welcomed the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they had hired Balaam to put a curse on Israel. (But our God turned the curse into a blessing.)
New English Translation
for they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.)
Amplified Bible
because they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.
New American Standard Bible
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
World English Bible
because they didn't meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: however our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: and our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Legacy Standard Bible
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Berean Standard Bible
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).
Contemporary English Version
This was because they had refused to give food and water to Israel and had hired Balaam to call down a curse on them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Complete Jewish Bible
because they did not supply the people of Isra'el with food and water, but hired Bil‘am against them to put a curse on them — although our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Darby Translation
because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and with water, and had hired Balaam against them, to curse them; but our God turned the curse into blessing.
Easy-to-Read Version
That law was written because those people didn't give the Israelites food and water. And they had paid Balaam to say a curse against the Israelites. But our God changed that curse and made it a blessing for us.
George Lamsa Translation
Because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Baalam to curse them; but our God turned his curses into blessings.
Good News Translation
This was because the people of Ammon and Moab did not give food and water to the Israelites on their way out of Egypt. Instead, they paid money to Balaam to curse Israel, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Lexham English Bible
because they did not come to meet the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them in order to curse them—but our God changed the curse into a blessing.
Literal Translation
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. But our God turned the curse to a blessing.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
because they mett not the children of Israel wt bred and water, and hyred Balaam against the, that he shulde curse them: neuertheles oure God turned ye curse in to a blessynge.
American Standard Version
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Bible in Basic English
Because they did not give the children of Israel bread and water when they came to them, but got Balaam to put a curse on them: though the curse was turned into a blessing by our God.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them: and our God turned the curse into a blessing.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them; howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
King James Version (1611)
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread, and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.
English Revised Version
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for thei metten not the sones of Israel with breed and watir, and thei hiriden ayens the sones of Israel Balaam, for to curse hem; and oure God turnede the cursyng in to blessyng.
Update Bible Version
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: nevertheless our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Webster's Bible Translation
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Baalam against them, that he should curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.
New King James Version
because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
New Living Translation
For they had not provided the Israelites with food and water in the wilderness. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing.
New Life Bible
It was because they did not meet the sons of Israel with food and water, but paid Balaam to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into good.
New Revised Standard
because they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
because they met not the sons of Israel, with bread and with water, - but hired against them Balaam, to curse them, although our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water: and they hired against them Balaam, to curse them, and our God turned the curse into blessing.
Revised Standard Version
for they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them--yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Young's Literal Translation
because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turneth the reviling into a blessing.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Contextual Overview

1On that day there was read in the scroll of Moses, in the ears of the people, and it has been found written in it that an Ammonite and Moabite does not come into the assembly of God for all time, 2because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turns the reviling into a blessing.3And it comes to pass, at their hearing the Law, that they separate all the mixed people from Israel. 4And before this Eliashib the priest, appointed over chambers of the house of our God, [is] a relation of Tobiah, 5and he makes for him a great chamber, and there they were formerly putting the present, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil—the commanded thing of the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers—and the raised-offering of the priests. 6And during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king, and at the end of days I have asked of the king, 7and I come to Jerusalem, and understand concerning the evil that Eliashib has done for Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the courts of the house of God, 8and it is very displeasing to me, and I cast all the vessels of the house of Tobiah outside, out of the chamber, 9and I command, and they cleanse the chambers, and I bring back there the vessels of the house of God with the present and the frankincense.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Because: Matthew 25:40

hired Balaam: Numbers 22:3-6, Joshua 24:9, Joshua 24:10

our God: Numbers 23:8-11, Numbers 23:18, Numbers 24:5-10, Deuteronomy 23:5, Psalms 109:28, Micah 6:5

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:5 - sent Numbers 22:6 - curse me Numbers 24:10 - I called Deuteronomy 23:3 - Ammonite Deuteronomy 23:4 - because they hired Proverbs 26:2 - so Jeremiah 49:1 - their king

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
And Abram goes up from Egypt (he and his wife, and all that he has, and Lot with him) toward the south;
Genesis 13:3
And he goes on his journeys from the south, even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the commencement, between Bethel and Hai—
Genesis 13:9
Is not all the land before you? Please be parted from me; if to the left, then I to the right; and if to the right, then I to the left."
Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifts up his eyes, and sees the whole circuit of the Jordan that it [is] all a watered country (before YHWH's destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, as YHWH's garden, as the land of Egypt), in your coming toward Zoar,
Genesis 13:12
Abram has dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot has dwelt in the cities of the circuit, and moves [his] tent to Sodom;
Genesis 13:13
and the men of Sodom [are] evil, and sinners before YHWH exceedingly.
Genesis 24:35
and YHWH has blessed my lord exceedingly, and he is great; and He gives to him flock, and herd, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and donkeys;
Deuteronomy 8:18
And you have remembered your God YHWH, for it [is] He who is giving power to you to make wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He has sworn to your fathers, as [at] this day.
1 Samuel 2:7
YHWH dispossesses, and He makes rich, || He makes low, indeed, He makes high.
Job 1:3
and his substance is seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred pairs of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and a very abundant service; and that man is greater than any of the sons of the east.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because they met not the children of Israel with bread,.... The same reason is given, and what follows in this verse is observed in

Deuteronomy 23:4;

Deuteronomy 23:4- : Deuteronomy 23:4- :.


 
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