Numbers 24
1 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,
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 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,
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding [in his tents] according to their tribes, and the spirit of God came upon him.
3 he seide, Balaam, the sone of Beor, seide, a man whois iye is stoppid seide,
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4 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,
He hath said, who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having his eyes open:
5 Jacob, and thi tentis, Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, [and] thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6 as valeys ful of woodis, and moiste gardyns bisidis floodis, as tabernaclis whiche the Lord hath set, as cedris bisidis watris;
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign-aloes which the LORD hath planted, [and] as cedar-trees beside the waters.
7 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.
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed [shall be] in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 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.
God brought him forth from Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce [them] through with his arrows.
9 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
He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall rouse him? Blessed [is] he that blesseth thee, and cursed [is] he that curseth thee.
10 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.
And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed [them] these three times.
11 Turne ayen to thi place; forsothe Y demede to onoure thee greetli, but the Lord priuyde thee fro onour disposid.
Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee to great honor; but lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honor.
12 Balaam answeride to Balaach, Whethir Y seide not to thi messangeris, whiche thou sentist to me,
And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not speak also to thy messengers whom thou sentest to me, saying,
13 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?
If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do [either] good or bad of my own mind; [but] what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
14 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.
And now, behold, I go to my people: come [therefore], I will advertise thee what this people will do to thy people in the latter days.
15 Therfor whanne a parable was takun, he seide eft, Balaam, the sone of Beor seide, a man whos iye is stoppid,
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16 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,
He hath said, who heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, [who] saw the vision of the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having his eyes open:
17 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,
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18 the eritage of Seir schal bifalle to his enemyes; forsothe Israel schal do strongli, of Jacob schal be he that schal be lord,
And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 and schal leese the relikis of the citee.
Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20 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.
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek [was] the first of the nations, but his latter end [shall be] that he shall perish for ever.
21 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,
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22 and schalt be chosun of the generacioun of Cyn, hou longe schalt thou mow dwelle? forsothe Assur schal take thee.
Nevertheless, the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asher shall carry thee away captive.
23 And whanne a parable was takun, he spak eft, Alas! who schal lyue, whanne the Lord schal make thes thingis?
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24 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.
And ships [shall come] from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Ashur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25 And Balaam roos, and turnide ayen in to his place; and Balaach yede ayen bi the weye in which he cam.
And Balaam arose, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
