Numbers 22
1 The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
And thei yeden forth, and settiden tentis in the feeldi places of Moab, where Jerico is set ouer Jordan.
2 Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
Forsothe Balach, the sone of Sephor, siy alle thingis whiche Israel hadde do to Ammorrei,
3 Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
and that men of Moab `hadden dred Israel, and miyten not bere the assailing of him.
4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of 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 He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite 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 Please come now therefore, and curse this people for me; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is 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 The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand. They came to Balaam, and spoke to 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 He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed 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 God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?”
What wolen these men at thee `to hem silf?
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me,
Balaam answeride, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moabitis, sente to me, and seide, Lo!
11 ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them 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 God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
And God seide to Balaam, Nyle thou go with hem, nether curse thou the puple, for it is blessid.
13 Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit me to 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 The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
The princes turneden ayen, and seiden to Balaach, Balaam nolde come with vs.
15 Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they.
Eft Balaach sente many mo and noblere men, than he hadde sent bifore;
16 They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Balak the son of Zippor says, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to 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 promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’”
and what euer thing thou wolt, Y schal yyue to thee; come thou, and curse this puple.
18 Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word 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 please stay here tonight as well, that I may know what else Yahweh will speak to me.”
Y biseche, that ye dwelle here also in this nyyt, that Y may wite what the Lord schal answere eft to me.
20 God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall 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 Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam roos eerli, and whanne his femal asse was sadelid, he yede forth with hem.
22 God’s anger burned because he went; and Yahweh’s angel placed himself in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were 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 The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned out of the path, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the path.
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 Then Yahweh’s angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
the aungel stood in the streitnessis of twei wallis, with whiche the vyneris weren cumpassid.
25 The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.
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 Yahweh’s angel went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either 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 The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his 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 Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck 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 Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.”
Balaam answeride, For thou hast disserued, and hast scornyd me; Y wolde that Y hadde a swerd to sle thee.
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?” He said, “No.”
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 Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.
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 Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse 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 The donkey saw me, and turned away before me these three times. Unless she had turned away from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.”
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 Balaam said to Yahweh’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go 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 Yahweh’s angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but you shall only speak the word that I shall speak to you.” So Balaam went 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 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.
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 Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send for you to summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?”
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 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? I will speak the word that God puts in my mouth.”
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 Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.
Therfor thei yeden forth to gidere, and camen in to a citee, which was in the laste coost of `his rewme.
40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.
And whanne Balaach hadde slayn scheep and oxun, he sente yiftis to Balaam and the princes that weren with hym.
41 In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there 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.
