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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Numbers 22:29

And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Anger;   Animals;   Ass (Donkey);   Balaam;   Miracles;   Repentance;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Beasts;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Midianites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anthropomorphism;   Kill, Killing;   Miracle;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ass;   Balaam;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ass;   Balaam;   Balak;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Miracles;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Balaam;   Balak;   Midian;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Balaam;   Numbers, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Balaam;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafá¹­arah;   Joshua, the Samaritan Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Bil`am said to the donkey, Because you have mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed you.
King James Version
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
Lexham English Bible
Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you made a mockery of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!"
English Standard Version
And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you."
New Century Version
Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made me look foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!"
New English Translation
And Balaam said to the donkey, "You have made me look stupid; I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now."
Amplified Bible
Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now!"
New American Standard Bible
And Balaam said to the donkey, "It is because you have made a mockery of me! If only there had been a sword in my hand! For I would have killed you by now!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Balaam saide vnto the asse, Because thou hast mocked me: I woulde there were a sworde in mine hand, for nowe would I kill thee.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now."
Contemporary English Version
"You made me look stupid!" Balaam answered. "If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!"
Complete Jewish Bible
Bil‘am said to the donkey, "It's because you've been making a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand; I would kill you on the spot!"
Darby Translation
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee!
Easy-to-Read Version
Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made me look foolish. If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!"
George Lamsa Translation
And Balaam said to the she-ass, Because you have mocked me; I would there were a sword in my hands, for now would I kill you.
Good News Translation
Balaam answered, "Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you."
Christian Standard Bible®
Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!”
Literal Translation
And Balaam said to the ass, Because you have insulted me. If only there were a sword in my hand now I would kill you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Balaam sayde vnto ye Asse: Because thou hast mocked me. Oh yt I had a swerde now in my hande, I wolde kyll the.
American Standard Version
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.
Bible in Basic English
And Balaam said to the ass, You have made me seem foolish: if only I had a sword in my hand I would put you to death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Balaam sayd vnto the asse, Because thou hast mocked me: I would also there were a sworde in myne hande, for euen nowe woulde I kyll thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Balaam said unto the ass: 'Because thou hast mocked me; I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.'
King James Version (1611)
And Balaam said vnto the asse, Because thou hast mocked mee: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; and if I had had a sword in my hand, I would now have killed thee.
English Revised Version
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now I had killed thee.
Berean Standard Bible
Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Balaam answeride, For thou hast disserued, and hast scornyd me; Y wolde that Y hadde a swerd to sle thee.
Young's Literal Translation
and Balaam saith to the ass, `Because thou hast rolled thyself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain thee;'
Update Bible Version
And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have mocked me, If there were a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee.
World English Bible
Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed you.
New Living Translation
"You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!"
New Life Bible
Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now!"
New Revised Standard
Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Balaam said unto the ass, Surely thou hast been making sport of me, - Would there had been a sword in my hand, for, now, would I have slain thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee.
Revised Standard Version
And Balaam said to the ass, "Because you have made sport of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you."
THE MESSAGE
Balaam said, "Because you've been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now."

Contextual Overview

22 Then God's anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24 Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam's anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!" 30 So the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?" And he said, "No." 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for now would: Proverbs 12:10, Proverbs 12:16, Ecclesiastes 9:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:1 - he said Genesis 30:34 - General Matthew 2:16 - when

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Balaam said unto the ass, because thou hast mocked me,.... Or rather "defiled me", as the word is rendered in Job 16:15 by running with him against a wall, and by lying down with him in the dust and dirt, and so the Arabic version renders it,

"because thou hast rolled me in the dirt;''

the sense of mocking is not easy to be understood, unless it be that it exposed him to be mocked and laughed at by others, by turning aside, and lying down, and being so unruly; but then there were only his servants with him, to whom only he could be exposed in such a manner, which one would think would not have given him so much concern, and put him into such a passion: the word sometimes is used for seeking occasion, and such a sense it may have here, as that it sought an opportunity or occasion to throw him, and so to kill him, or at least to do him harm, see Daniel 6:4

I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee: so enraged was he, and his passion was so great, that he was not at all frightened and amazed to hear the ass speak, though Josephus q represents him as disturbed and astonished at it; but some think, he being used to converse with spirits in the shapes of various creatures, it was no surprise to him to hear it speak.

q Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect. 3.


 
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