Catholic Public Domain Version
"How shall I curse him, whom God has not cursed? For what reason would I condemn him, whom the Lord does not condemn? "
— Numbers 23:8, Catholic Public Domain Version
“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?”
“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied? ”
“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied?”
“How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced?”
“How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?”
“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?”
“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?”
Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.”
Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites.
And taking up his parable, he said: “Balak, king of the Moabites, has led me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘and curse Jacob. Hurry and condemn Israel.’
How shall I curse him, whom God has not cursed? For what reason would I condemn him, whom the Lord does not condemn?
I will look upon him from the tops of the stones, and I will consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and they shall not be counted among the nations.
Who can number the dust that is Jacob, and who can know the number of the stock of Israel? May my soul die a just death, and may my end be like theirs.”
And Balak said to Balaam: “What is this that you are doing? I called for you, in order to curse my enemies, and to the contrary, you bless them.”