Parallel Verses

Julia Smith Translation

How shall I curse, God cursing not? And how shall I be angry, God not being angry?

New American Standard Bible

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
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 curse someone God has not cursed?
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?

A Conservative Version

How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom LORD has not defied?

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?

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

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
How
מה מ־ מ־ מה מה 
Mah 
Usage: 751

אל 
'el 
Usage: 114

hath not cursed
קבב 
Qabab 
curse, at all
Usage: 11

or how shall I defy
זעם 
Za`am 
Usage: 12

whom the Lord

Usage: 0

References

Context Readings

Balaam's First Oracle

7 And he will take up his parable, and say, From Aram, Balak, king of Moab, will transfer me from the mountains of the east; Come curse to me Jacob and come and be angry at Israel 8 How shall I curse, God cursing not? And how shall I be angry, God not being angry? 9 From the head of the rocks I shall see him, and from the hills I shall look after him: behold, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Cross References

Numbers 22:12

And God will say to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for he is praised.

Numbers 23:20

Behold, I was taken to praise: and he praised and I shall not turn it back.

Numbers 23:23

For no enchantment in Jacob, and no divination in Israel; according to the time it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, What did God do!

Isaiah 44:25

Bringing to naught the signs at vain boasters, and he will make those divining, foolish; turning back the wise backward, and he will frustrate their knowledge.

Isaiah 47:12-13

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries in which thou didst labor from thy youth; perhaps thou wilt be able to be of use, perhaps thou wilt cause fear.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain