Numbers 24
1 When Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, he chose not to use divination as he had previously. Instead he turned towards the desert,
And whanne Balaam siy that it pleside the Lord that he schulde blesse Israel, he yede not as he `hadde go bifore, `that he schulde seke fals dyuynyng `bi chiteryng of briddis, but he dresside his face ayens the desert,
2 and as he looked at Israel camped there according to their respective tribes, the Spirit of God came on him.
and reiside iyen, and siy Israel dwellynge in tentis bi hise lynagis. And whanne the Spirit of God felde on hym, and whanne a parable was takun,
3 He gave a declaration, saying:
he seide, Balaam, the sone of Beor, seide, a man whois iye is stoppid seide,
4 “This is the prophecy of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophecy of a man who sees with eyes are wide open, the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision given by Almighty, who bows down in respect with open eyes.
the herere of Goddis wordis seide, which bihelde the reuelacioun of almyyti God, which fallith doun, and hise iyen ben openyd so, Hou faire ben thi tabernaclis,
5 How well set out your tents are, Jacob; the places where you live, Israel!
Jacob, and thi tentis, Israel!
6 They look like wooded valleys, like gardens beside a river, like aloe trees the Lord has planted, like cedars at the water's edge.
as valeys ful of woodis, and moiste gardyns bisidis floodis, as tabernaclis whiche the Lord hath set, as cedris bisidis watris;
7 The Israelites will pour out bucketfuls of water; their descendants will have plenty of water. Their king will be greater than King Agag; their kingdom will be glorious.
watir schal flowe of his bokat, and his seed schal be in to many watris, `that is, puplis. The kyng of hym schal be takun a wei for Agag, and the rewme of hym schal be doon awai.
8 God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox, destroying enemy nations, breaking their bones, piercing them with arrows.
God ledde hym out of Egipt, whos strengthe is lijk an vnicorn; thei schulen deuoure hethene men, enemyes `of hym, that is, of Israel; and thei schulen breke the boonus of hem, and schulen perse with arowis.
9 They are like a lion that crouches and lies down. They are like a lioness that nobody dares to disturb. Those who bless you will be blessed; those who curse you will be cursed.”
He restide and slepte as a lyoun, and as a lionesse, whom no man schal dore reise. He that blessith thee, schal be blessid; he that cursith, schal
10 Balak got angry with Balaam, and beat his fists together. He told Balaam, “I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! You keep on blessing them, doing it three times.
be arettid in to cursyng And Balaach was wrooth ayens Balaam, and seide, whanne the hondis weren wrungun to gidere, I clepide thee to curse myn enemyes, whiche ayenward thou hast blessid thries.
11 Leave right now! Go home! I promised to pay you well, but the Lord has made sure you wouldn't receive any payment.”
Turne ayen to thi place; forsothe Y demede to onoure thee greetli, but the Lord priuyde thee fro onour disposid.
12 But Balaam said to Balak, “Didn't I already explain to the messengers you sent
Balaam answeride to Balaach, Whethir Y seide not to thi messangeris, whiche thou sentist to me,
13 that even if you gave me your whole palace full of silver and gold, I couldn't do anything I wanted or disobey the command of the Lord my God in any way? I can only say what the Lord tells me.
Thouy Balaach schal yyue to me his hows ful of siluer and of gold, Y schal not mow passe the word of my Lord God, that Y brynge forth of myn herte ony thing, ethir of good ethir of yuel, but what euer thing the Lord schal seie, Y schal speke this?
14 Listen! I'm going back home now to my own people, but first let me warn you what these Israelites are going to do to your people in the future.”
Netheles Y schal go to my puple, and Y schal yyue counsel to thee, what thi puple schal do in the laste tyme to this puple.
15 Then Balaam gave a declaration, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are wide open
Therfor whanne a parable was takun, he seide eft, Balaam, the sone of Beor seide, a man whos iye is stoppid,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who receives knowledge from the Most High, who sees the vision given by Almighty, who bows down in respect with open eyes.
seide, the herere of Goddis wordis seide, which knowith the doctrine of the hiyeste, and seeth the reuelacioun of almiyti God, which fallith doun and hath opyn iyen,
17 I see him, but this isn't now. I observe him, but this isn't close at hand. In the future a leader like a star will come from Jacob, a ruler with a scepter will come to power from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites, and destroy all the people of Seth.
Y schal se hym, but not now; Y schal biholde hym, but not nyy; a sterre schal be borun of Jacob, and a yerde schal rise of Israel; and he schal smyte the duykis of Moab, and he schal waste alle the sones of Seth; and Ydumye schal be hys possessioun,
18 The country of Edom will be conquered, his enemy Seir will be conquered, and the Israelites will be victorious.
the eritage of Seir schal bifalle to his enemyes; forsothe Israel schal do strongli, of Jacob schal be he that schal be lord,
19 A ruler from Jacob will come and destroy those left in the city.”
and schal leese the relikis of the citee.
20 Balaam turned his attention to the Amalekites and gave this declaration about them, saying, “Amalek was first among the nations, but they will end up being destroyed.”
And whanne he hadde seyn Amalech, he took a parable, and seide, Amalech is the bigynning of hethene men, whos laste thingis schulen be lost.
21 He turned his attention to the Kenites and gave this declaration about them, saying, “Where you live is safe and secure, like a nest on a cliff-face.
Also `he siy Cyney, and whanne a parable was takun, he seide, Forsothe thi dwellyng place is strong, but if thou schalt sette thi nest in a stoon,
22 But Kain will be burned down when Assyria conquers you.”
and schalt be chosun of the generacioun of Cyn, hou longe schalt thou mow dwelle? forsothe Assur schal take thee.
23 Then Balaam gave another declaration, saying, “It's a tragedy! Who can survive when God does this?
And whanne a parable was takun, he spak eft, Alas! who schal lyue, whanne the Lord schal make thes thingis?
24 Ships will be sent from Cyprus to attack Assyria and Eber, but they too will be permanently destroyed.”
Thei schulen come in grete schippis fro Ytalie, thei schulen ouercome Assiries, and thei schulen distrie Ebrews, and at the last also thei hem silf schulen perische.
25 Then Balaam left and returned to his own country, and Balak left too.
And Balaam roos, and turnide ayen in to his place; and Balaach yede ayen bi the weye in which he cam.
