1   And thei goon forthe, settiden tentes in the wijlde feeldes of Moab, where bi&yogh;onde Jordan Jericho is set. 2   Seynge forsothe Balach, the sone of Sophor, alle thinges that Yrael dide to Amorrei, 3   and that Moabites dredden hym, and the feersnes of hym thei my&yogh;ten not bere, 4   he seide to the more thur&yogh; birthe of Madian,

So this puple shal doo awey alle that in oure coostis dwellen, what maner is woned an oxe to take eerbe vnto the rotys. He forsothe was kyng that tyme in Moab. 5   Thanne he sente messangers to Balaam, the sone of Beor, dyuynour, that dwelled vpon the flood of the loond of the sones of Amon, that thei my&yogh;ten clepe hym, and seye, Loo! a peple is goon out of Egipte, that couereth the vttermoost of the erthe, sittynge a&yogh;ens me. 6   Com therfore, and curs to this puple, for it is strenger than I, if eny maner Y may smyte, and throwe hym out of my loond; Y haue knowun forsothe, that he is blissid to whom thow blissist, and cursid in whom thow castist cursyngis. 7   The aldren of Moab and the more thur&yogh; birthe of Madian wenten forthe, hauynge prijs of the dyuynynge in the hoondes; and whanne thei weren comen to Balaam, and hadden toold alle the wordes of Balach, 8   he answerde, Dwelle &yogh;e here the ny&yogh;t, and Y shal answere what thing shal seie to me the Lord. Hem forsothe dwellynge anentis Balaam, cam God, and seide to hym, 9   What to hem wolen thes men anent thee? 10   He answerde, Balac, the sone of Sephor, kynge of Moabites, sente to me, 11   seynge, Loo! the puple that is goon out of Egipte couereth the vttermost of the loond; come, and curse to hem, if eny maner Y fi&yogh;tynge may dryue hem out. 12   And God seide to Balaam, Wol thow not goo with hem, ne curs thow to the puple, for it is blissid. 13   The which eerli arysynge, seide to the prynces, Goo &yogh;e into &yogh;oure loond, for God hath defended me to come with &yogh;ow. 14   The princes, turned a&yogh;en, seiden to Balac, Balaam wold not come with vs. 15   Eftsones he many mo, and nobler than he bifore hadde sent, sende; 16   the whiche

whanne thei weren comen to Balaam, seiden, Thus seith Balac, the sone of Sephor, And tary thow not to come to me, redi to worshipe thee; 17   and what euere thow wolt, Y shal &yogh;yue to thee; com, and curs to this puple. 18   Balaam answerde, If Balac &yogh;yue to me his hows ful of siluer and of gold, Y shal not mowe chaunge the word of my God, that other more or lasse I speke. 19   Y biseche, that here &yogh;e dwellen also in this ny&yogh;t, that Y may wite what to me eft the Lord answerith. 20   Thanne the Lord cam to Balaam the ny&yogh;t, and seith to hym, If thes men comen to clepe thee, aryse, and go with hem, so oonly that that Y comaunde to thee, thow doo. 21   Balaam roos eerlich, and maad redy the shee asse, wente forthe with hem. 22   And God is wrooth. And an aungel of the Lord stood in the weye a&yogh;ens Balaam, that satt to the asse, and two children with hym he hadde. 23   The asse biholdynge an aungel stondynge in the weye, with a swerd drawun out, turnede hir out of the weie, and wente bi the feelde. The which whanne Balaam bette, and wold lede a&yogh;en to the path, 24   the aungel stood in the narwenes of two stonen wallis, to the whiche vynes weren boundun. 25   Whom seynge, the asse ioynede hym silf to the wal, and briside the foot of the sitter; and he eftsones bette. 26   And neuerthelater the aungel to a streyt place goynge, where nother at the ri&yogh;t ne at the left my&yogh;t goon out of the weie, metynge stood. 27   And whanne the asse hadde seen the aungel stondynge, she felle down vndir the feet of the sitter, the which more hydowsly wrooth, bette with a staf the sides of hir. 28   And the Lord openyde the mouth of the asse,

and she spak, What haue I doo to thee? whi smytist thow me, loo! now the thridde tyme? 29   Balaam answerde, For thou hast deseruyde, and bigilide me; wold God Y hadde a swerd, that I my&yogh;te smyte thee. 30   And the asse seide, Whethir Y am not thi beeste, to the which euermore thow were wont to sitte vnto the day that is now? sey, what thing lijk euer Y dide to thee? And he seith, Neuer. 31   Anoon the Lord openyde the eyen of Balaam, and he see&yogh; an aungel stondynge in the weie, holdynge a drawun swerd in the hoond; and he lowtide hym redi to the erthe. 32   To whom the aungel, Whi, he seith, thries thow hast bette thin asse? Y am comen, that I be aduersarie to thee, for shrewid is thi weie, and contrarie to me; 33   and but the asse hadde bowide fro the weye, &yogh;yuynge stede to the withstonder, thee I hadde slayn, and she shulde haue lyued. 34   And Balaam seide, I haue synned, vnwitynge that thow stood a&yogh;ens me; and now, if it displese to thee that Y goo, Y shal turne a&yogh;en. 35   The aungel seith, Go with these, but be war lest eny other thing than Y comaunde to thee thow speke. He wente thanne with the prynces. 36   The which thing whanne Balac hadde herde, he wente out into a&yogh;enmetynge of hym, in the wallid town of Moabitis, that is sett in the vttermoost coostis of Arnon. 37   And he seide to Balaam, Y haue sent messangeris, that I clepe thee; whi anoon come thow not to me? whether for I mi&yogh;te not &yogh;eelde mede to thi comynge? 38   To whom he answerde, Loo! I am ny&yogh;, whether othir thing Y may speke but that God shal putte in my mouth? 39   Thanne thei wenten forthe to gidre, and camen into the cytee, that was in the vttermoost

coost of his kyngdom. 40   And whanne Balac hadde slayn sheep and oxen, he sente to Balaam and the prynces that with hym weren, &yogh;iftis. 41   Morwnynge forsothe doon, he ladde hym to hye thingis of Baal, and he beheelde the vttermoost part of the puple.

Previous section

Next section