1 And the children of Israel set out, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan across from Jericho.2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.3 And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the presence of the children of Israel.4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.5 And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to summon him, saying: Behold, a people has come from Egypt. Behold, they cover the eye of the earth, and are staying next to me!6 Therefore please come, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail and strike them and drive them out of the land, for I have perceived that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviners fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.8 And he said to them, Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as Jehovah speaks to me. So the rulers of Moab stayed with Balaam.9 And God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you?10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,11 Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the eye of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall prevail to wage war and drive them out.12 And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.13 And Balaam arose in the morning and said to the rulers of Balak, Go back to your land, for Jehovah has refused to give me permission to go with you.14 And the rulers of Moab arose and went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.15 And Balak again sent rulers, more numerous and more honorable than they.16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me;17 for I will honor you with great honor, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the mouth of Jehovah my God, to do less or more.19 Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more Jehovah will say to me.20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the men have come to summon you, arise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.21 And Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the rulers of Moab.22 And Gods anger burned because he went, and the Angel of Jehovah stationed Himself in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants with him.23 And the donkey saw the Angel of Jehovah 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. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.24 And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of Jehovah, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaams foot against the wall; so he struck her some more.26 And the Angel of Jehovah went farther, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of Jehovah, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaams anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff.28 And Jehovah 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?29 And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have been cruel to me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!30 And the donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Has it ever been my habit to do this to you? And he said, No.31 Then Jehovah opened Balaams eyes, and he saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed down and prostrated himself on his face.32 And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary against you, because your way is perverse before Me.33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely now I would have killed you, and let her live.34 And Balaam said to the Angel of Jehovah, I have sinned, for I did not know You were standing in the way against me. Now therefore, if it has been displeasing to Your eye, I will turn back.35 And the Angel of Jehovah said to Balaam, Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak. So Balaam went with the rulers of Balak.36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is in the territory at the Arnon, at the border of the territory.37 And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not reach out to send for you, to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not truly able to honor you?38 And Balaam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to you. Now, am I able at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the rulers who were with him.41 And it was the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.
1 And thei yeden forth, and settiden tentis in the feeldi places of Moab, where Jerico is set ouer Jordan.2 Forsothe Balach, the sone of Sephor, siy alle thingis whiche Israel hadde do to Ammorrei,3 and that men of Moab `hadden dred Israel, and miyten not bere the assailing of him.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.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.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.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,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,9 What wolen these men at thee `to hem silf?10 Balaam answeride, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moabitis, sente to me, and seide, Lo!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.12 And God seide to Balaam, Nyle thou go with hem, nether curse thou the puple, for it is blessid.13 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 turneden ayen, and seiden to Balaach, Balaam nolde come with vs.15 Eft Balaach sente many mo and noblere men, than he hadde sent bifore;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;17 and what euer thing thou wolt, Y schal yyue to thee; come thou, and curse this puple.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.19 Y biseche, that ye dwelle here also in this nyyt, that Y may wite what the Lord schal answere eft to 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.21 Balaam roos eerli, and whanne his femal asse was sadelid, he yede forth with hem.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.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,24 the aungel stood in the streitnessis of twei wallis, with whiche the vyneris weren cumpassid.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.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.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.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?29 Balaam answeride, For thou hast disserued, and hast scornyd me; Y wolde that Y hadde a swerd to sle thee.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.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.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;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.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.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.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.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?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?39 Therfor thei yeden forth to gidere, and camen in to a citee, which was in the laste coost of `his rewme.40 And whanne Balaach hadde slayn scheep and oxun, he sente yiftis to Balaam and the princes that weren with hym.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.