King James Version

Deuteronomy 23:5

Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Deuteronomy 23:6.

וְלֹֽאveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…אָבָ֞הavahbe willingאָבָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be willing”, a completed actionH14to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be acquiescentconsent, rest content will, be willing.יְהוָ֤הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙eloheykhaGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.לִשְׁמֹ֣עַlishmoato hearשָׁמַעpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to hear”, the to-form of the verbH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).בִּלְעָ֔םbilamBalaamבִּלְעָםnoun, proper name — “Balaam”H1109Bilam, a Mesopotamian prophet; also a place in PalestineBalaam, Bileam.וַיַּהֲפֹךְ֩vayahafokheand changeהָפַךְconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and change”, the next action in the storyH2015to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert[idiom] become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).יְהוָ֨הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֶ֧יךָeloheykhaGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.לְּךָ֛lekhatoלְּךָ֛preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toאֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַקְּלָלָ֖הhaqlalahthe curseקְלָלָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the curse”, the ordinary formH7045vilification(ac-) curse(-d, -ing).לִבְרָכָ֑הlivrakhahto blessingבְּרָכָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to blessing”, the ordinary formH1293benediction; by implication prosperityblessing, liberal, pool, present.כִּ֥יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אֲהֵֽבְךָ֖ahevekhaloveאָהַבverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “love”, a completed actionH157to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)(be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.יְהוָ֥הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֶֽיךָeloheykhaGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(23-6) Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

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The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Nevertheless Jehovah thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but Jehovah thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because Jehovah thy God loved thee.

Young’s Literal Translation

and Jehovah thy God hath not been willing to hearken unto Balaam, and Jehovah thy God doth turn for thee the reviling to a blessing, because Jehovah thy God hath loved thee;

World English Bible

Nevertheless Yahweh your God wouldn’t listen to Balaam, but Yahweh your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because Yahweh your God loved you.

Darby Translation

But Jehovah thy God would not listen to Balaam; and Jehovah thy God turned the curse into blessing unto thee, because Jehovah thy God loved thee.

Douay-Rheims

And the Lord thy God would not hear Balaam, and he turned his cursing into thy blessing, because he loved thee.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(23-6) Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

But the Lord thy God would not hearken to Balaam; and the Lord thy God changed the curses into blessings, because the Lord thy God loved thee.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου εἰσακοῦσαι τοῦ Βαλαάμ· καὶ μετέστρεψε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τὰς κατάρας εἰς εὐλογίαν, ὅτι ἠγάπησέ σε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου.