Numbers 22
1 And thei yeden forth, and settiden tentis in the feeldi places of Moab, where Jerico is set ouer Jordan.
Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho.
2 Forsothe Balach, the sone of Sephor, siy alle thingis whiche Israel hadde do to Ammorrei,
Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
3 and that men of Moab `hadden dred Israel, and miyten not bere the assailing of him.
and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites.
4 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.
So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,
5 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.
he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
6 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.
So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”
7 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,
The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak.
8 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,
“Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and I will give you the answer that the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 What wolen these men at thee `to hem silf?
Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam answeride, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moabitis, sente to me, and seide, Lo!
And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:
11 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.
‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”
12 And God seide to Balaam, Nyle thou go with hem, nether curse thou the puple, for it is blessid.
But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”
13 Which Balaam roos eerli, and seide to the princes, Go ye in to youre lond, for God forbeed me to come with you.
So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
14 The princes turneden ayen, and seiden to Balaach, Balaam nolde come with vs.
And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Eft Balaach sente many mo and noblere men, than he hadde sent bifore;
Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers.
16 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;
They came to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,
17 and what euer thing thou wolt, Y schal yyue to thee; come thou, and curse this puple.
for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on this people for me!’”
18 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.
But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
19 Y biseche, that ye dwelle here also in this nyyt, that Y may wite what the Lord schal answere eft to me.
So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.”
20 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.
That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”
21 Balaam roos eerli, and whanne his femal asse was sadelid, he yede forth with hem.
So in the morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 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.
Then God’s anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23 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,
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path.
24 the aungel stood in the streitnessis of twei wallis, with whiche the vyneris weren cumpassid.
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side.
25 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.
And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her once again.
26 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.
And the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left.
27 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.
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff.
28 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?
Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”
29 Balaam answeride, For thou hast disserued, and hast scornyd me; Y wolde that Y hadde a swerd to sle thee.
Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”
30 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.
But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied.
31 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.
Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.
32 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;
The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me.
33 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.
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live.”
34 Balaam seide, Y synnede, not witynge that thou stodist ayens me; and now, if it displesith thee that Y go, Y schal turne ayen.
“I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.”
35 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.
But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 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.
When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.
37 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?
And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to richly reward you?”
38 To whom Balaam answeride, Lo! Y am present, whethir Y schal mow speke other thing than that, that God schal putte in my mouth?
“See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
39 Therfor thei yeden forth to gidere, and camen in to a citee, which was in the laste coost of `his rewme.
So Balaam accompanied Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
40 And whanne Balaach hadde slayn scheep and oxun, he sente yiftis to Balaam and the princes that weren with hym.
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him.
41 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.
The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.
