Parallel Verses
A Conservative Version
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom LORD has not defied?
New American Standard Bible
And how can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
King James Version
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
Holman Bible
How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?
International Standard Version
But how can I curse those whom God hasn't cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD hasn't denounced?
American Standard Version
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?
Amplified
“How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed?
Or how can I [violently] denounce those the Lord has not denounced?
Bible in Basic English
How may I put curses on him who is not cursed by God? how may I be angry with him with whom the Lord is not angry?
Darby Translation
How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce?
Julia Smith Translation
How shall I curse, God cursing not? And how shall I be angry, God not being angry?
King James 2000
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? or how shall I denounce, whom the LORD has not denounced?
Lexham Expanded Bible
How can I curse [whom] God has not cursed, and how can I denounce [whom] Yahweh has not denounced?
Modern King James verseion
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom Jehovah has not defied?
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
How shall I curse whom God curseth not? And how shall I defy whom the LORD defieth not?
NET Bible
How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?
New Heart English Bible
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?
The Emphasized Bible
How can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged.
Webster
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
World English Bible
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied?
Youngs Literal Translation
What -- do I pierce? -- God hath not pierced! And what -- am I indignant? -- Jehovah hath not been indignant!
Interlinear
Mah
Naqab
'el
References
Morish
Word Count of 20 Translations in Numbers 23:8
Verse Info
Context Readings
Balaam's First Oracle
7 And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom LORD has not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Names
Cross References
Numbers 22:12
And God said to Balaam, Thou shall not go with them. Thou shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.
Numbers 23:20
Behold, I have received to bless. And he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
Numbers 23:23
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!
Isaiah 44:25
who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad, who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish,
Isaiah 47:12-13
Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, in which thou have labored from thy youth, if so be thou shall be able to profit, if so be thou may prevail.