Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
- BSB Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
- NKJV Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
- NASB “Cursed is the one who does the Lord’s work negligently, And cursed is the one who restrains his sword from blood.
- NLT Cursed are those who refuse to do the Lord’s work, who hold back their swords from shedding blood!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A curse falls on anyone who does the LORD's work of judgment slackly or holds back the sword from its task.
Overview
This sharply worded verse stresses that the appointed agents of judgment must carry it out fully and not negligently. It reflects the seriousness with which God regards His ordained purposes. While its immediate sense concerns executing judgment on Moab, it also teaches the broader principle that the LORD's work is to be done wholeheartedly and not half-heartedly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Sam 15:3Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
- 1 Kgs 20:42And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
- 1 Sam 15:9But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
- Judg 5:23Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
- Num 31:14–18And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
- 2 Kgs 13:19And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
- Jer 50:25The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.
- Jer 47:6O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
- 1 Sam 15:13–35And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 48:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.