Numbers 22

Matthew^{(i) 1} and the children of of Israel remoued & pytched in the feldes of Moab, on the other syde of Iordane, by Iericho. ² And Balac the sonne of Ziphor sawe all that Israell had done to the Amorites, ³ and the Moabites were sore afraied of the people bycause they were many, and abhorred the children of Israel. ⁴ And Moab sayed vnto the Elders of Madian, nowe shall thys companye lycke vp all that are rounde aboute vs, as an oxe lycketh vp the grasses of the fyeld. And Balac the sonne of Ziphor was Kynge of the Moabites at that tyme. ⁵ And he sent menssengers vnto Balam the sonne of Beor, the interpreter which dwelte vpon the riuer of the lande of the children of hys folke, to call hym saying: beholde, there is a people come out of Egypte which couereth the face of the earth and lyeth euen hard by me. ⁶ Come nowe a feloweshyp and curse me thys people. For they are to myghty for me, so peraduenture I might be able to smite them & to dryue them out of the Land. For I wot that whom thou blessest shalbe blessed, and whom thou cursest shalbe cursed. ⁷ And the elders of Moab wente wyth the elders of Madian, & the reward of the sothsayinge in their handes. And they came vnto Balam and tolde hym the wordes of Balac. ⁸ And he sayed vnto them, tary here al night and I wyll brynge you worde, euen as the Lorde shal saye vnto me. And the Lordes of Moab abode with Balam. ⁹ And God cam vnto Balam & said: what men are these whych are wyth the? ¹⁰ And Balam sayed vnto God: Balac the sonne of Ziphor kyng of Moab hath sente vnto me sayinge: ¹¹ beholde ther is a people come out of Egypt and couereth the face of the earth: come nowe therefore and curse me them, that so peraduenture I maye be able to ouercome them in battell, & to driue them oute. ¹² And God sayed vnto Balam: thou shalt not go wt them, neyther curse the people, for they are blessed. ¹³ And Balam rose vp in the mornyng and sayd vnto the Lordes of Balac: get you vnto your land, for the Lorde wyll not suffer me to go wt you. ¹⁴ And the Lordes of Moab rose vp & went vnto Balac and said. Balam wolde not come wyth vs. ¹⁵ And Balac sent againe a greater company of lordes & more honourable then they. ¹⁶ And they came to Balam and tolde hym. Thus sayeth Balac the sonne of Ziphor: oh, let nothynge let the to come vnto me, ¹⁷ for I wyll greately promote the vnto greate honour. and wyl do whatsoeuer thou sayeste vnto me, come therefore I praye the curse me thys peole. ¹⁸ And Balam answered and sayd vnto the seruauntes of Balac. If Balac would gyue me hys house ful of syluer and gold, I can go no further then the worde of the Lorde my God, to do lesse or more. ¹⁹ Neuertheles tarye ye here al nyght: that I may wete, what the Lorde wil say vnto me once more. ²⁰ And God came vnto Balam by nyghte and sayd vnto hym: If the men come to fette the ryse vp & go wyth them: but what I say vnto the, that onely thou shalt do. ²¹ And Balam rose vp early & saddeled hys asse & went wyth the Lordes of Moab. ²² But God was angry bycause he wente. And the angel of the Lorde stode in the way agaynst hym. And he ryd vpon hys asse & .ij. seruauntes wyth him. ²³ And when the asse sawe the angel of the Lorde stand in the waye & his swerde drawen in hys hand, she turned a side out of the way & went out into the feld. And Balam smot the asse, to turne hir into the waye. ²⁴ And the angell of the Lord wente & stode in a path betwen the viniyardes, wher was a wal on the one syde, & another on the other. ²⁵ When the asse sawe the angel of the Lorde, she wrenched vnto the wall and thrust Balams fote vnto the wall, and he smote hyr againe. ²⁶ And the angel of the Lorde went further and stode in a narrow place, whher was no waye to turne, eyther to the ryghte hande or to the lyfte. ²⁷ And when the asse saw the angel of the lord, she fel downe vnder Balam: and Balam was wrath and smote the asse wyth a staffe. ²⁸ And the Lorde opened the mouth of the asse, & she sayed vnto Balam: what haue I done vnto the, that thou smyteste me thus .iij. tymes? ²⁹ And Balam sayed vnto the asse: bycause thou hast mocked me? I would that I had a swerde in myne hande, that I myght now kyll the. ³⁰ And the asse sayd vnto Balam am I not thyne asse whych thou hast ridden vpon sence thou wast borne vnto this daye? Was I euer wont to do so vnto the? And he sayed naye. ³¹ And the Lord opened the eyes of Balam that he sawe the angel of the Lord standyng in the waye, wyth hys swerd drawen in hys hande. And he bowed him selfe & fel flatt on hys face. ³² And the angell of the Lorde sayed vnto him. Wherfore smitest thou thyne asse thus .iij. tymes? behold I came out to resiste the for the waye is contrarye vnto me, ³³ & the asse sawe me and auoyded me thre tymes: or else (had she not turned fro me). I had surely slayne the and saued hyr a lyue. ³⁴ And Balam sayed vnto the aungell of the Lorde: I haue synned for I wist not that thou stodest in the wai against me. Now therfore if it displease thine eyes, I wyl turne agayne. ³⁵ And the angel sayed vnto Balam, go wyth the men: but in any myse, what I saye vnto the, that saye. And Balam went with the lordes of Balac. ³⁶ And when Balac heard that Balam was come he went out agaynst him vnto a city of Moab that stode in the border of Arnon whiche was the vtmost part of his contrye. ³⁷ And Balac sayd vnto Balam: did I not sende for the, to call the? wherfore camest thou not vnto me? thinkest thou that I am not able to promote the vnto honour. ³⁸ And Balam sayd vnto Balac: Loo, I am come vnto the. But I can saye nothynge at all saue what God putteth into my mouth that must I speake. ³⁹ And Balam went wyth Balac, & they came vnto the large city. ⁴⁰ And Balac offered oxen & shepe and sente for Balam and for the Lordes that were with hym. ⁴¹ And on the mornynge Balac toke Balam and brought hym vp into the hye place of Baal: and thence he sawe vnto the vtmost part of the people.