Nehemiah 13:2
New International Version
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)

New Living Translation
For they had not provided the Israelites with food and water in the wilderness. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing.

English Standard Version
for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Berean Standard Bible
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

King James Bible
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

New King James Version
because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

New American Standard Bible
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

NASB 1995
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

NASB 1977
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Legacy Standard Bible
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Amplified Bible
because they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Christian Standard Bible
because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

American Standard Version
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, and they hired Balaam for themselves to curse them, and our God turned his curses into blessings.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Contemporary English Version
This was because they had refused to give food and water to Israel and had hired Balaam to call down a curse on them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water: and they hired against them Balaam, to curse them, and our God turned the curse into blessing.

English Revised Version
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
(After all, they didn't welcome the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.)

Good News Translation
This was because the people of Ammon and Moab did not give food and water to the Israelites on their way out of Egypt. Instead, they paid money to Balaam to curse Israel, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

International Standard Version
because they did not greet the Israelis with food and water, but instead hired Balaam to oppose them by cursing them, even though our God turned the curse into a blessing.

JPS Tanakh 1917
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them; howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Literal Standard Version
because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turns the reviling into a blessing.

Majority Standard Bible
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

New American Bible
for they did not meet the Israelites with food and water, but they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing.”

NET Bible
for 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.)

New Revised Standard Version
because they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.

New Heart English Bible
because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: however our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Webster's Bible Translation
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Baalam against them, that he should curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

World English Bible
because they didn’t meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them; however, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Young's Literal Translation
because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turneth the reviling into a blessing.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Foreigners Excluded
1At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing). 3As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.…

Cross References
2 Peter 2:15
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

Numbers 22:3
and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites.

Numbers 23:11
Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!"

Deuteronomy 23:3
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation.

Deuteronomy 23:4
For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.

Deuteronomy 23:5
Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.


Treasury of Scripture

Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: however, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Because.

Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

hired Balaam.

Numbers 22:3-6
And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel…

Joshua 24:9,10
Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: …

our God.

Numbers 23:8-11,18
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? …

Numbers 24:5-10
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! …

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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Balaam Blessing Bread Children Curse Food Hire Hired Howbeit However Israel Israelites Meet Met Revile Reviling Turned Turneth Water
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Balaam Blessing Bread Children Curse Food Hire Hired Howbeit However Israel Israelites Meet Met Revile Reviling Turned Turneth Water
Nehemiah 13
1. Upon the reading of the law, separation is made from the mixed multitude.
4. Nehemiah, at his return, causes the chambers to be cleansed.
10. He reforms the offices in the house of God;
15. the violation of the Sabbath;
23. and the marriages with the strange wives.














Verse 2. follows closely Deuteronomy 23:4, 5, merely substituting the third for the second person, and abbreviating a little. On the turning of Balaam's proposed curse into a blessing see Numbers 24:10.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
because
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they had not
לֹ֧א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

met
קִדְּמ֛וּ (qid·də·mū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6923: To project, precede, to anticipate, hasten, meet

the Israelites
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

with food
בַּלֶּ֣חֶם (bal·le·ḥem)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

and water,
וּבַמָּ֑יִם (ū·ḇam·mā·yim)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

but had hired
וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֨ר (way·yiś·kōr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7936: To hire

Balaam
בִּלְעָם֙ (bil·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1109: Balaam -- a prophet

to call down a curse
לְקַֽלְל֔וֹ (lə·qal·lōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling

against them
עָלָ֤יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

(although our God
אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

had turned
וַיַּהֲפֹ֧ךְ (way·ya·hă·p̄ōḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2015: To turn about, over, to change, overturn, return, pervert

the curse
הַקְּלָלָ֖ה (haq·qə·lā·lāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7045: Vilification

into a blessing).
לִבְרָכָֽה׃ (liḇ·rā·ḵāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1293: Benediction, prosperity


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OT History: Nehemiah 13:2 Because they didn't meet the children (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 13:1
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