Parallel Verses
New Heart English Bible
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the 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?
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?
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?
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 He took up his parable, and said, "From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Names
Cross References
Numbers 22:12
God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed."
Numbers 23:20
Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can't 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 done.
Isaiah 44:25
who foils the omens of the empty talkers, and makes fools of diviners; who turns wise men back, and makes their knowledge foolish;
Isaiah 47:12-13
"Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth; if so be you shall be able to profit, if so be you may prevail.