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Contemporary English Version

Numbers 23:11

Balak said, "What are you doing? I asked you to come and place a curse on my enemies. But you have blessed them instead!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Curse;   Thompson Chain Reference - Balaam;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Camp, Encampments;   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;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bless;   Genealogy;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Balak said to Bil`am, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them altogether.
King James Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
Lexham English Bible
And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have surely blessed them!"
English Standard Version
And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them."
New Century Version
Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have only blessed them!"
New English Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary you have only blessed them!"
Amplified Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but here you have [thoroughly] blessed them instead!"
New American Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to put a curse on my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Balak saide vnto Balaam, What hast thou done vnto mee? I tooke thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them altogether.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have blessed them repeatedly!"
Complete Jewish Bible
Balak said to Bil‘am, "What have you done to me?! To curse my enemies is why I brought you; and, here, you have totally blessed them!"
Darby Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
Easy-to-Read Version
Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them!"
George Lamsa Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have surely blessed them.
Good News Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you have done is bless them."
Christian Standard Bible®
“What have you done to me?” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!”
Literal Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and lo you have surely blessed.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The saide Balac vnto Balaam: What doest thou vnto me? I caused to set ye for to curse myne enemies, & beholde, thou blessest the.
American Standard Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
Bible in Basic English
Then Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I sent for you so that my haters might be cursed, and see, you have given them a blessing.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Balac sayd vnto Balaam: What hast thou done vnto me? I toke thee to curse myne enemies, and beholde thou hast blessed them altogether.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Balak said unto Balaam: 'What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.'
King James Version (1611)
And Balak saide vnto Balaam, What hast thou done vnto me? I tooke thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balac said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I called thee to curse my enemies, and behold thou hast greatly blessed them.
English Revised Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Balaach seide to Balaam, What is this that thou doist? Y clepide thee, that thou schuldist curse myn enemyes, and ayenward thou blessist hem.
Young's Literal Translation
And Balak saith unto Balaam, `What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken thee -- and lo, thou hast certainly blessed;'
Update Bible Version
And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and, look, you have blessed them altogether.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed [them] altogether.
World English Bible
Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them altogether.
New King James Version
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!"
New Living Translation
Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!"
New Life Bible
Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse those who hate me. But see, you have asked that good would come to them!"
New Revised Standard
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Balak unto Balaam, What hast thou done for me? To revile mine enemies, I summoned thee, and lo! thou hast kept on blessing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Balac said to Balaam: What is this that thou dost? I sent for thee to curse my enemies: and thou contrariwise blessest them.
Revised Standard Version
And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them."
THE MESSAGE
Balak said to Balaam, "What's this? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and all you've done is bless them."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!"

Contextual Overview

1 Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here, then bring seven bulls and seven rams." 2 After Balak had done this, they sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said, "Wait here beside your offerings, and I'll go somewhere to be alone. Maybe the Lord will appear to me. If he does, I will tell you everything he says." And he left. 4 When God appeared to him, Balaam said, "I have built seven altars and have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one." 5 The Lord gave Balaam a message, then sent him back to tell Balak. 6 When Balaam returned, he found Balak and his officials standing beside the offerings. 7 Balaam said: "King Balak of Moab brought me from the hills of Syria to curse Israel and announce its doom. 8 But I can't go against God! He did not curse or condemn Israel. 9 "From the mountain peaks, I look down and see Israel, the obedient people of God. 10 They are living alone in peace. And though they are many, they don't bother the other nations. "I hope to obey God for as long as I live and to die in such peace."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 23:7, Numbers 23:8, Numbers 22:11, Numbers 22:17, Numbers 24:10, Psalms 109:17-20

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:55 - blessed Leviticus 1:3 - a burnt 2 Samuel 3:24 - What hast

Cross-References

Genesis 23:7
Abraham bowed down
Genesis 23:12
Once again, Abraham bowed down
Genesis 23:20
he had bought from the Hittites.
Numbers 35:30
Death is the penalty for murder. But no one accused of murder can be put to death unless there are at least two witnesses to the crime.
Deuteronomy 19:15
Moses said to Israel: Before you are convicted of a crime, at least two witnesses must be able to testify that you did it.
Ruth 4:1
In the meanwhile, Boaz had gone to the meeting place at the town gate and was sitting there when the other close relative came by. So Boaz invited him to come over and sit down, and he did.
Ruth 4:4
I am telling you about this, since you are his closest relative and have the right to buy the property. If you want it, you can buy it now. These ten men and the others standing here can be witnesses. But if you don't want the property, let me know, because I am next in line. The man replied, "I will buy it!"
Ruth 4:9
Boaz told the town leaders and everyone else: All of you are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi the property that belonged to Elimelech and his two sons, Chilion and Mahlon.
Ruth 4:11
The town leaders and the others standing there said: We are witnesses to this. And we pray that the Lord will give your wife many children, just as he did Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob. May you be a rich man in the tribe of Ephrath and an important man in Bethlehem.
Isaiah 32:8
But helpful people can always be trusted to make helpful plans.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Balak said unto Balaam, what hast thou done unto me?.... Or "for me" f; nothing at all, to answer his purpose, or his end in sending for him;

I took thee to curse mine enemies: so he calls the Israelites, though they had never done him any wrong; nor committed any acts of hostility against him, nor showed any intention to commit any; nay, were forbidden by the Lord their God to contend in battle with him and his people;

and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether; or, "in blessing blessed" g, done nothing but bless them, and that with many blessings, or pronounced them blessed, and prophesied of their blessedness, for their number, their safety, and of their happiness, not only in life, but at and after death.

f לי "pro me". g ברכת ברך "benedixisti benedicendo", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator.


 
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