Numbers 23:25

Contemporary English Version

Balak shouted, "If you're not going to curse Israel, then at least don't bless them."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Balak said to Bil`am, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

King James Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Lexham English Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, nor bless them at all!"

English Standard Version
And Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all."

New Century Version
Then Balak said to Balaam, "You haven't cursed these people, so at least don't bless them!"

New English Translation
Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

Amplified Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

New American Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Balak sayde vnto Balaam, Neither curse, nor blesse them at all.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

Complete Jewish Bible
Balak said to Bil‘am, "Obviously, you won't curse them. But at least don't bless them!"

Darby Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Balak said to Balaam, "You didn't ask for good things to happen to these people, but you didn't ask for bad things to happen to them either!"

George Lamsa Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Good News Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, "You refuse to curse the people of Israel, but at least don't bless them!"

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!”

Literal Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, Do not curse it at all, nor bless it at all.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Balac vnto Balaam: Thou shalt nether curse him ner blesse him.

American Standard Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Bible in Basic English
Then Balak said to Balaam, If you will not put a curse on them, at all events do not give them a blessing.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Balac sayde vnto Balaam: Neither curse them, nor blesse them at all.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Balak said unto Balaam: 'Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.'

King James Version (1611)
And Balak said vnto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor blesse them at all.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balac said to Balaam, Neither curse the people at all for me, nor bless them at all.

English Revised Version
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Balach seide to Balaam, Nether curse thou, nether blesse thou hym.

Young's Literal Translation
And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;'

Update Bible Version
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

World English Bible
Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

New King James Version
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!"

New Living Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Fine, but if you won't curse them, at least don't bless them!"

New Life Bible
Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all or pray that good would come to them!"

New Revised Standard
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Balak unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither revile, him, - nor bless him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Balac said to Balaam: Neither curse, nor bless him.

Revised Standard Version
And Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."

THE MESSAGE
Balak said to Balaam, "Well, if you can't curse them, at least don't bless them."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

Contextual Overview

¹³ Balak said to Balaam, "Let's go somewhere else. Maybe if you see a smaller part of the Israelites, you will be able to curse them for me." ¹⁴ So he took Balaam to a field on top of Mount Pisgah where lookouts were stationed. Then he built seven altars there and sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one. ¹⁵ "Wait here beside your offerings," Balaam said. "The Lord will appear to me over there." ¹⁶ The Lord appeared to Balaam and gave him another message, then he told him to go and tell Balak. ¹⁷ Balaam went back and saw him and his officials standing beside the offerings. Balak asked, "What did the Lord say?" ¹⁸ Balaam answered: "Pay close attention to my words— ¹⁹ God is no mere human! He doesn't tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises. ²⁰ "My command from God was to bless these people, and there's nothing I can do to change what he has done. ²¹ Israel's king is the Lord God. He lives there with them and intends them no harm. ²² With the strength of a wild ox, God led Israel out of Egypt.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 2:1-3

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 9:28 - the charge

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Balak said unto Balaam, neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. Signifying that it would be as well or better to do nothing at all, than to do what he did; but the sense is not, that he would not have him curse them, that he could never say, since he had pressed it both before and after this; wherefore the words should be rendered, as they are by some p, "if in cursing thou dost not curse", or will not curse, "neither in blessing bless", or, however, do not bless: if he could not or would not curse Israel, he would not have him bless them on any account; if he could do him and his people no good in ridding them of their enemies, yet he desires him by no means to do them any harm by discouraging them and encouraging Israel.

p So Fagius, Vatablus; with which agree the Arabic version, and Noldius, p. 221. No. 1024.