Come now: Background information about the situation is given in the first part of Balak’s message in verse 5. Now the message moves on to his actual request. Come now is literally “And now please come.” Some languages do not use a temporal word such as now for the transition here. New Jewish Publication Society Version, for example, has “Come then,” and NIRV says “So come.” Revised Standard Version omits the Hebrew particle meaning “please” (naʾ) here. This particle expresses the urgency of the request. NET keeps it by saying “So now, please come,” and so does Good News Bible with “so please come.” In languages that have the option of honorific forms when speaking to an individual, this would probably be a message in which such a form should be used. Some languages will use a second person plural pronoun here for politeness, even though there is only one addressee. Again, it is important not to give the impression that Balak is issuing commands here to Balaam; rather, he is urgently entreating him.

Curse this people for me: In languages that have several types of cursing, depending on the situation, translators will have to select the term for curse that best fits this context. Here Balak is asking Balaam to call on his god(s) to punish the Israelites, so that he can defeat them and drive them away. Most languages have idiomatic expressions for curse, such as “say/put/throw a curse on someone.” However, the notion of cursing varies from one culture to another and translators must be careful not to imply witchcraft or the casting of some kind of spell. In some languages this clause may be rendered “cause the punishment/judgment of your god[s] to fall on these people for me.”

Since they are too mighty for me: This clause is actually still part of the background information or reason for the curse. Perhaps this explains why Good News Bible and De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling place this clause at the beginning of the verse. The Hebrew expression for they are too mighty may mean they are too powerful (so Revised Standard Version) or they are too numerous (so Good News Bible). Good News Bible renders this clause as “They outnumber us.” As in the previous verse, Good News Bible changes the singular pronoun me (referring to Balak) to a plural pronoun (“us”), which follows the Septuagint and may be a natural model to follow in some languages.

Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land: A new sentence should begin here, as in Good News Bible. In some languages the Hebrew particle for perhaps may be expressed as a modal verb or by means of some modification of the verb form. This clear indication of Balak’s doubt here contrasts with the confidence that he expresses in Balaam’s powers in the next sentence. Once again, Good News Bible changes the singular pronoun for Balak (I) to a plural one (“We”), which follows the Septuagint. To defeat them and drive them from the land is literally “to strike it [Israel] and I will drive it from the land.” The land does not refer to the promised land of Canaan, but to “the region” (Bible en français courant) in which Balak was living and ruling. Compare Chewa with “my country/territory.”

For I know that he whom you bless is blessed and he whom you curse is cursed: New Revised Standard Version says “for I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed.” Balak believes that due to Balaam’s authority and direct access to his god(s), his blessings and curses are effective and irrevocable by virtue of the power of his god(s). The Hebrew particle ki rendered for emphasizes the reason that Balak gives here, so it may be translated “surely” or “indeed.” The Hebrew repeats the verbs for bless and curse in different forms. In many languages it will be expressive and forceful to do the same. Good News Bible does it by saying “I know that when you pronounce a blessing, people are blessed, and when you pronounce a curse, they are placed under a curse.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy omits the repetition, translating simply “I know your blessings and your curses always come true.” Contemporary English Version has “I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is similar with “I know that your word can work. When you bless, then all must succeed for him, and when you curse, it rushes toward his ruin.” However, it is doubtful whether blessing should be seen simply in terms of success. Rather, this statement is a reminder of the promise to Abram in Gen 12.3. In some cultures only God can directly bless and curse human beings (see the comments on 6.23). If so, this sentence may be rendered “I know that the person you ask your god[s] to bless will be blessed and the person you ask your god[s] to curse will be cursed.”

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .