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Monday, August 11th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Nehemiah 13:2

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.

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.
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

1 On that day, a portion, was read in the book of Moses, in the ears of the people, - and it was found written therein, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not enter into the convocation of God, unto times age-abiding; 2 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. 3 So it came to pass, when they had heard the law, - that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel. 4 Now, before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over a chamber of the house of God, was allied unto Tobiah; 5 so he prepared him a large chamber, where aforetime they used to lay the meal-offering, the frankincense, and the utensils, and the tithe of the corn, the new wine and the oil, in charge of the Levites, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, - and the heave-offerings for the priests. 6 But, throughout all this time , was I not in Jerusalem, - for, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I came unto the king, and, at the end of certain days, obtained I leave of the king; 7 and came to Jerusalem, - and had intelligence of the wickedness which Eliashib had committed for Tobiah, in preparing for him a chamber, in the courts of the house of God; 8 and it grieved me exceedingly, - and I cast forth all the household utensils of Tobiah, outside of the chamber. 9 Then commanded I, and they purified the chambers, - and I put back there, the utensils of the house of God, the meal-offering 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
So Abram came up out of Egypt he and his wife and all that he had and Lot with him, towards the South.
Genesis 13:3
And he went his way, by his removals, from the South even as far as to Bethel, - as far as the place where his tent was at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai:
Genesis 13:9
Is not, all the land, before thee? I pray thee, separate thyself from me, - if to the left hand, then I will go to the right, if to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Genesis 13:10
So Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the circuit of the Jordan, that the whole of it, was well-watered, - before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the Garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as thou enterest into Zoar.
Genesis 13:12
Abram, fixed his dwelling in the land of Canaan, - but, Lot, fixed his dwelling among the cities, of the circuit, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
Genesis 13:13
Now, the men of Sodom were base and sinful, - against Yahweh, exceedingly.
Genesis 24:35
Now, Yahweh, having blessed my lord exceedingly, and made him great, - and given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels, and asses,
Deuteronomy 8:18
But thou shalt remember Yahweh thy God, that it was, he, who had been giving thee strength to get wealth, - that so he might establish his covenant which he sware to thy fathers as at this day.
1 Samuel 2:7
Yahweh, maketh poor, and enricheth, - Layeth low, yea exalteth;
Job 1:3
And his substance was - seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a body of servants exceeding large, - thus was that man the greatest of all 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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