Numbers 22
1 Then did the sons of Israel break up, —and encamp in the waste plains of Moab, on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho.
And thei yeden forth, and settiden tentis in the feeldi places of Moab, where Jerico is set ouer Jordan.
2 And Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done unto the Amorites;
Forsothe Balach, the sone of Sephor, siy alle thingis whiche Israel hadde do to Ammorrei,
3 and Moab shrank with great fear from the presence of the people because, many, they were, —and Moab was alarmed at the presence of the sons of Israel.
and that men of Moab `hadden dred Israel, and miyten not bere the assailing of him.
4 So Moab said unto the elders of Midian—Now, shall the gathered host lick up all that are round about us, as the ox doth lick up the verdure of the field. But, Balak son of Zippor, was king unto Moab at that time.
And he seide to the grettere men in birthe of Madian, So this puple schal do a wei alle men that dwellen in oure coostis, as an oxe is wont to do awei an eerbe `til to the rootis. Forsothe he, `that is, Balaac, was kyng in that tyme in Moab.
5 So he sent messengers unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor which was by the river of the land of the sons of his people to call him, —saying Lo! a people, hath come forth out of Egypt Lo! he hath covered the eye of the land, Yea he, is tarrying over against me.
Therfor he sente messangeris to Balaam, the sone of Beor, a fals diuynour, that dwellide on the flood of the lond of the sones of Amon, that thei schulden clepe hym, and schulden seie, Lo! a puple yede out of Egipt, `which puple hilide the face of erthe, and sittith ayens me.
6 Now, therefore, do come, I pray thee curse me this people. For stronger, he is than I, If peradventure I prevail, we shall smite him, That I may drive him out of the land, —For I know that, he whom thou dost bless, is to be blessed, And, he whom thou dost curse, is to be cursed.
Therfor come thou, and curse this puple, which is strongere than Y, if in ony maner Y may smyte and dryue hym out of my lond; for Y knowe, that he is blissid whom thou blissist, and he is cursid whom thou hast cursid.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went their way, with the rewards of divination in their hand, —so they came in unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
The eldere men of Moab and the grettere men in birthe of Madian yeden forth, hauynge in hondis the prijs of fals dyuynyng; and whanne thei hadden come to Balaam, and hadden teld to hym alle the wordis of Balaach, he answeride,
8 And he said unto them—Tarry ye here for the night, and I will bring you back word, as Yahweh shall speak unto me. So the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
Dwelle ye here to nyyt, and Y schal answere what euer thing the Lord schal seie to me. Sotheli while thei dwelliden at Balaam, God cam, and seide to hym,
9 And God came in unto Balaam, —and said, Who are these men with thee?
What wolen these men at thee `to hem silf?
10 Then said Balaam unto God, —Balak, son of Zippor king of Moab, hath sent unto me:
Balaam answeride, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moabitis, sente to me, and seide, Lo!
11 Lo! the people that hath come forth out of Egypt—he covereth the eye of the land. Now, do come, do revile me him, Peradventure I shall prevail in making war with him, And shall drive him out.
a puple which is gon out of Egipt hilide the face of erthe; come thou, and curse hem, if in ony maner Y may fiyte, and dryue hym awey.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, —Thou shalt not curse the people, For blessed, he is.
And God seide to Balaam, Nyle thou go with hem, nether curse thou the puple, for it is blessid.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your own land, —For Yahweh hath refused to let me go with you.
Which Balaam roos eerli, and seide to the princes, Go ye in to youre lond, for God forbeed me to come with you.
14 So the princes of Moab arose, and came in unto Balak, —and said, Balaam refused to come with us.
The princes turneden ayen, and seiden to Balaach, Balaam nolde come with vs.
15 Then added Balak again, —to send princes, more and weightier than these.
Eft Balaach sente many mo and noblere men, than he hadde sent bifore;
16 And they came in unto Balaam, —and said unto him—Thus, said Balak son of Zippor, Do not be withheld, I pray thee from coming unto me:
whiche seiden, whanne thei hadden come to Balaam, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, seith thus, Tarye thou not to come to me, redi to onoure thee;
17 For I will honour, thee, exceedingly, and all that thou shalt say unto me, will I do. Do come therefore I pray thee oh revile me this people.
and what euer thing thou wolt, Y schal yyue to thee; come thou, and curse this puple.
18 And Balaam responded and said unto the servants of Balak, Though Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the bidding of Yahweh my God, to do less or more.
Balaam answeride, Thouy Balaach schal yyue to me his howsful of siluer and of gold, Y schal not mowe chaunge the word of my God, that Y speke ethir more ethir lesse.
19 Now, therefore abide here, I pray you even ye, —for the night, —that I may get to know what further Yahweh may be speaking with me.
Y biseche, that ye dwelle here also in this nyyt, that Y may wite what the Lord schal answere eft to me.
20 And God came in unto Balaam, by night, and said unto him—If, to call thee, the men have come in, arise go with them, —But only, the thing that I shall speak unto thee, that, shalt thou do.
Therfor the Lord cam to Balaam in the nyyt, and seide to hym, If these men comen to clepe thee, rise thou, and go with hem, so oneli that thou do that that Y schal comaunde to thee.
21 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his ass, —and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam roos eerli, and whanne his femal asse was sadelid, he yede forth with hem.
22 Then kindled the anger of God, because he was going, and the messenger of Yahweh stationed himself in the way, to withstand him, —as he was riding upon his ass, his two young men being with him.
And God was wrooth. And the `aungel of the Lord stood in the weie ayens Balam, that sat on the femal asse, and hadde twei children with hym.
23 And the ass saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, so the ass turned aside out of the road and went into the field, —and Balaam smote the ass, to make her turn back into the road.
The femal asse siy the aungel stondynge in the weie, with swerd drawun, and `turnede a wei hir silf fro the weie, and yede bi the feeld. And whanne Balaam beet hir, and wolde lede ayen to the path,
24 But the messenger of Yahweh took his stand, in a hollow pass of the vineyards, —with a fence on this side, and a fence on that side.
the aungel stood in the streitnessis of twei wallis, with whiche the vyneris weren cumpassid.
25 And when the ass saw the messenger of Yahweh, she squeezed herself against the wall, and squeezed the foot of Balaam against the wall, —and again he smote her.
And the femal asse siy the aungel, and ioynede hir silf to the wal, and hurtlide the foot of the sittere; and he beet eft `the asse.
26 And the messenger of Yahweh went on further, and took his stand in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn to the right hand or to the left.
And neuer the lesse the aungel yede to the streit place, where me `myyte not go out of the weie, nether to the riyt side nether to the left side, and stood ayens hym.
27 And, when the ass saw the messenger of Yahweh, she sank down under Balaam, —then was Balaam’s anger kindled, and he smote the ass with the staff.
And whanne the femal asse siy the aungel stondynge, sche felde doun vndir the feet of the sittere, which was wrooth ful greetli, and beet hir sidis with a staaf.
28 And Yahweh opened the mouth of the ass, —and she said unto Balaam—What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me, these three times?
And the Lord openyde the `mouth of the femal asse, and sche spak, What have Y doon to thee? whi smytist thou me, lo! now the thridde tyme?
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Surely thou hast been making sport of me, —Would there had been a sword in my hand, for, now, would I have slain thee.
Balaam answeride, For thou hast disserued, and hast scornyd me; Y wolde that Y hadde a swerd to sle thee.
30 Then said the ass unto Balaam—Am not I thine own ass on which thou hast ridden all thy life, until this day? Have I, been wont, to do unto thee, thus? And he said, Nay!
And the femal asse seide, Whether Y am not thi beeste on which thou were wont to sitte euere til in to this present dai? seie thou, what lijk thing Y dide euere to thee? And he seide, Neuere.
31 Then did Yahweh unveil the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road, with his sword drawn in his hand, —so he bent his head and bowed down before him.
Anoon the Lord openyde `the iyen of Balaam, and he siy the aungel stondynge in the weie, holdynge a drawun swerd in the hoond; and Balaam worschipide hym lowli in to erthe.
32 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass, these three times? Lo! I, myself, am come forth to withstand thee, because headlong was thy way before me.
To whom the aungel seide, Whi `betist thou thi femal asse `the thridde tyme? Y cam to be aduersarie to thee, for thi weie is weiward, and contrarye to me;
33 And the ass hath seen me, and hath turned aside at my presence these three times: Unless she had turned aside from my presence, yea now even thee, had I slain, but, her, had I suffered to live.
and if the femal asse hadde not bowid a wey fro the weie, and youe place to ayenstondere, Y hadde slayn thee, and sche schulde lyue.
34 Then said Balaam unto the messenger of Yahweh—I have sinned, for I knew not, that, thou, wast stationed to meet me in the road, —Now, therefore, if it be displeasing in thine eyes, I must get me back again.
Balaam seide, Y synnede, not witynge that thou stodist ayens me; and now, if it displesith thee that Y go, Y schal turne ayen.
35 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto Balaam—Go with the men: Only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that, shalt thou speak. So Balaam went his way with the princes of Balak.
The aungel seide, Go thou with these men, but be war that thou speke not other thing than Y schal comaunde to thee. Therfor Balaam yede with the princes.
36 And Balak heard that Balaam, was coming, —so he went forth to meet him unto a city of Moab which was upon the boundary of Arnon, which was in the utmost part of the boundary.
And whanne Balaach hadde herde this, he yede out in to the comyng of hym, in the citee of Moabitis, whiche is set in the laste coostis of Arnon.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam: Did I not, send, unto thee, to call thee? Wherefore didst thou not come unto me? Am I not in very deed, able to honour thee?
And he seide to Balaam, Y sente messangeris to clepe thee; whi camest thou not anoon to me? whethir for Y may not yelde meede to thi comyng?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak—Lo! I am come unto thee, Now, can, I, possibly, promise anything? The word that God shall put in my mouth, that, must I speak.
To whom Balaam answeride, Lo! Y am present, whethir Y schal mow speke other thing than that, that God schal putte in my mouth?
39 So Balaam went with Balak, —and they entered Kiriath-huzoth.
Therfor thei yeden forth to gidere, and camen in to a citee, which was in the laste coost of `his rewme.
40 And Balak sacrificed herd and flock, —and sent unto Balaam, and unto the princes that were with him.
And whanne Balaach hadde slayn scheep and oxun, he sente yiftis to Balaam and the princes that weren with hym.
41 And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up the high places of Baal, —and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people.
Forsothe whanne the morewtid was maad, Balaach ledde Balaam to the hiye placis of Baal, and he bihelde the laste part of the puple, `that is, al the oost til to the laste part.
