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Tuesday, April 29th, 2025
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Nehemiah 13:2

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 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.
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.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
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.
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 they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever; 2 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. 3 And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the alien mixture. 4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah, 5 had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the heave-offerings for the priests. 6 But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went unto the king, and after certain days asked I leave of the king; 7 and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me sore; therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings 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
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.
Genesis 13:3
And he went on his journeys from the South even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai;
Genesis 13:9
Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left.'
Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.
Genesis 13:12
Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
Genesis 13:13
Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the LORD exceedingly.
Genesis 24:35
And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He hath 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 the LORD thy God, for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
1 Samuel 2:7
The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich; He bringeth low, He also lifteth up.
Job 1:3
His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children 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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