Deuteronomy 23:5

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

But the LORD your God refused to listen to Balaam and changed the curse to a blessing, for the LORD your God loves you.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Deut 7:7-8 : 7 The Basis of Israel’s Election It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the LORD favored and chose you– for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. 8 Rather it is because of his love for you and his faithfulness to the promise he solemnly vowed to your ancestors that the LORD brought you out with great power, redeeming you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
  • Rom 8:31 : 31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
  • 2 Cor 4:17 : 17 For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison
  • Eph 2:4-5 : 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you are saved!–
  • Num 23:5-9 : 5 Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said,“Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.” 6 So he returned to him, and he was still standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab. 7 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying,“Balak, the king of Moab, brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying,‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’ 8 How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see them; from the hills I watch them. Indeed, a nation that lives alone, and it will not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let the end of my life be like theirs.” 11 Balaam Relocates Then Balak said to Balaam,“What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary you have only blessed them!” 12 Balaam replied,“Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?”
  • Num 24:9 : 9 They crouch and lie down like a lion, and as a lioness, who can stir him? Blessed is the one who blesses you, and cursed is the one who curses you!’”
  • Rom 11:28 : 28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers.
  • Num 22:35 : 35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam,“Go with the men, but you may only speak the word that I will speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
  • Num 23:16-26 : 16 Then the LORD met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said,“Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.” 17 When Balaam came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him,“What has the LORD spoken?” 18 Balaam Prophesies Again Balaam uttered his oracle, and said,“Rise up, Balak, and hear; Listen to me, son of Zippor: 19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? 20 Indeed, I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 21 He has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; his acclamation as king is among them. 22 God brought them out of Egypt. They have, as it were, the strength of a wild bull. 23 For there is no spell against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. At this time it must be said of Jacob and of Israel,‘Look at what God has done!’ 24 Indeed, the people will rise up like a lioness, and like a lion raises himself up; they will not lie down until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of the slain.” 25 Balaam Relocates Yet Again Balak said to Balaam,“Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” 26 But Balaam replied to Balak,“Did I not tell you,‘All that the LORD speaks, I must do’?”
  • Deut 33:3 : 3 Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words.
  • Ps 73:1 : 1 Book 3(Psalms 73-89) A psalm by Asaph. Certainly God is good to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure!
  • Prov 26:2 : 2 Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause does not come to rest.
  • Jer 31:3 : 3 In a far-off land the LORD will manifest himself to them. He will say to them,‘I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.
  • Ezek 16:8 : 8 “‘Then I passed by you and watched you, noticing that you had reached the age for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I swore a solemn oath to you and entered into a marriage covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.
  • Mic 6:5 : 5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, how Balaam son of Beor responded to him. Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal, so you might acknowledge that the LORD has treated you fairly.”
  • Mal 1:2 : 2 “I have shown love to you,” says the LORD, but you say,“How have you shown love to us?”“Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the LORD explains,“yet I chose Jacob
  • Rom 9:13 : 13 just as it is written:“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Deut 23:4
    83%

    4for they did not meet you with food and water on the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore, they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram Naharaim to curse you.

  • Josh 24:9-10
    2 verses
    82%

    9Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment on you.

    10I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept prophesying good things about you, and I rescued you from his power.

  • Num 22:10-13
    4 verses
    82%

    10Balaam said to God,“Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying,

    11“Look, a nation has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out.”

    12But God said to Balaam,“You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

    13So Balaam got up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak,“Go to your land, for the LORD has refused to permit me to go with you.”

  • Neh 13:2
    81%

    2for 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.)

  • Num 23:25-27
    3 verses
    80%

    25Balaam Relocates Yet Again Balak said to Balaam,“Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

    26But Balaam replied to Balak,“Did I not tell you,‘All that the LORD speaks, I must do’?”

    27Balak said to Balaam,“Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”

  • Num 23:11-13
    3 verses
    79%

    11Balaam Relocates Then Balak said to Balaam,“What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary you have only blessed them!”

    12Balaam replied,“Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?”

    13Balak said to him,“Please come with me to another place from which you can observe them. You will see only a part of them, but you will not see all of them. Curse them for me from there.”

  • Num 24:1
    77%

    1Balaam Prophesies Yet Again When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to seek for omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

  • Num 23:7-8
    2 verses
    76%

    7Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying,“Balak, the king of Moab, brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying,‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’

    8How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced?

  • Num 22:16-18
    3 verses
    75%

    16And they came to Balaam and said to him,“Thus says Balak son of Zippor:‘Please do not let anything hinder you from coming to me.

    17For I will honor you greatly, and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.’”

    18Balaam replied to the servants of Balak,“Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment of the LORD my God to do less or more.

  • Num 24:9-13
    5 verses
    75%

    9They crouch and lie down like a lion, and as a lioness, who can stir him? Blessed is the one who blesses you, and cursed is the one who curses you!’”

    10Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam,“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless them these three times!

    11So now, go back where you came from! I said that I would greatly honor you, but now the LORD has stood in the way of your honor.”

    12Balaam said to Balak,“Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me,

    13‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD to do either good or evil of my own will, but whatever the LORD tells me I must speak’?

  • Num 22:5-7
    3 verses
    75%

    5And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying,“Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me.

    6So now, please come and curse this nation for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”

    7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported to him the words of Balak.

  • Num 23:5
    75%

    5Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said,“Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”

  • Deut 23:6
    75%

    6You must not seek peace and prosperity for them through all the ages to come.

  • Num 23:15-17
    3 verses
    73%

    15And Balaam said to Balak,“Station yourself here by your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD there.”

    16Then the LORD met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said,“Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”

    17When Balaam came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him,“What has the LORD spoken?”

  • Deut 30:7
    72%

    7Then the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies, on those who hate you and persecute you.

  • Deut 28:45
    72%

    45All these curses will fall on you, pursuing and overtaking you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the LORD your God by keeping his commandments and statutes that he has given you.

  • Deut 28:15
    72%

    15Curses as Reversal of Blessings“But if you ignore the LORD your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force:

  • Deut 11:26-29
    4 verses
    72%

    26Anticipation of a Blessing and Cursing Ceremony Take note– I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse:

    27the blessing if you take to heart the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you today,

    28and the curse if you pay no attention to his commandments and turn from the way I am setting before you today to pursue other gods you have not known.

    29When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are to possess, you must pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.

  • Deut 28:8
    72%

    8The LORD will decree blessing for you with respect to your barns and in everything you do– yes, he will bless you in the land he is giving you.

  • Num 22:20
    71%

    20God came to Balaam that night, and said to him,“If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them, but the word that I will say to you, that you must do.”

  • Deut 13:17
    71%

    17You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment. Then the LORD will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors.

  • Num 22:35
    71%

    35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam,“Go with the men, but you may only speak the word that I will speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

  • Num 23:20
    70%

    20Indeed, I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

  • Deut 28:2
    70%

    2All these blessings will come to you in abundance if you obey the LORD your God:

  • Deut 7:13
    70%

    13He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children, with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land which he promised your ancestors to give you.