Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
the Third Week after Easter
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Numbers 22:29

"You made me look stupid!" Balaam answered. "If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!"

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."
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 King James Version
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!"
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 Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the Lord 's angels stood in the road to stop him. 23 When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road. 24 Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel, it walked so close to one of the walls that Balaam's foot scraped against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey again. 26 The angel moved once more and stood in a spot so narrow that there was no room for the donkey to go around. 27 So it just lay down. Balaam lost his temper, then picked up a stick and smacked the donkey. 28 When that happened, the Lord told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that made you beat me three times?" 29 "You made me look stupid!" Balaam answered. "If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!" 30 "But you're my owner," replied the donkey, "and you've ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?" "No," Balaam admitted. 31 Just then, the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile