Numbers 22:29

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!”

Parallel Translations

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."

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.

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.

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."

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.

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!"

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;'

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!"

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

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.

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!"

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."

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.

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!"

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.

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
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!"

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 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."

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."

Contextual Overview

²²But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. ²⁴Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. ²⁵The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her once again. ²⁶The angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. ²⁷When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick. ²⁸Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” ²⁹Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!”³⁰But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” ³¹Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship 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.