Numbers 22
1 The children of Israel traveled, and camped 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: and 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, at Pethor on the river, to the land of the people of Ammon, to call him, saying, "Look, there is a people who came out from Egypt. Look, 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 And now please come, 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 fees for divination in their hand; and 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 And he said to them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD 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 And God came to Balaam, and said, "Who are these men with you?"
What wolen these men at thee `to hem silf?
10 And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,
Balaam answeride, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moabitis, sente to me, and seide, Lo!
11 'Look, this people has come out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the earth. Come now, 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 And God said to Balaam, "You are not to go with them, and you are not to 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 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your lord; for God 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 Then Balak again sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these.
Eft Balaach sente many mo and noblere men, than he hadde sent bifore;
16 They came to Balaam, and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, '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 greatly honor you, and whatever you say to me I will do for you. 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 command of the LORD 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, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what else the LORD will say 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 was kindled because he went; and the angel of the LORD placed himself in the way for 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 the angel of God standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.
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 the angel of God 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 the angel of God, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and 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 The angel of God 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 the angel of God, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, 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 And God 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 to this day? 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 God opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of God 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 The angel of God said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come forth 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 and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside 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 the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned; for I did not 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 The angel of God said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak." 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, "Did I not earnestly send to you to call you? Why did you not 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, "Look, I have come to you: have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall 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 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 It happened in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there 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.
