Balak Summons Balaam

1And the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab, on the other side of Iordane from Iericho.

2And Balac the sonne of Ziphor, sawe all that Israel had done to ye Amorites. 3And the Moabites were sore afrayde of the people, because they were many, and they were stroken with feare of the chyldren of Israel. 4And Moab sayde vnto the elders of Madian: Nowe shall this companie lycke vp all that are rounde about vs, as an oxe licketh vp the grasse of ye fielde. And Balac the sonne of Ziphor, was kyng of the Moabites at that tyme. 5He sent messengers therefore vnto Balaam the sonne of Beor to Pethor, which is by the riuer of the lande of the chyldren of his folke, to call him, saying: Beholde, there is a people come out of Egypt, and beholde they couer the face of the earth, & dwell ouer against me. 6Come nowe therfore I pray thee, and curse me this people, for they are to mightie for me, so peraduenture I myght be able to smyte them, & to driue them out of the lande: For I wote that he whom thou blessest, is blessed, and whom thou cursest is cursed.

7And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Madian departed, hauyng the rewarde of the southsaying in their hande: And they came vnto Balaam, and tolde hym the wordes of Balac. 8He aunswered them: Tary here this nyght, and I wyll bryng you worde, euen as the Lorde shall say vnto me. And the lordes of Moab abode with Balaam. 9And God came vnto Balaam, and sayd: What men are these with thee? 10And Balaam sayd vnto God: Balac the sonne of Ziphor kyng of Moab hath sent vnto me saying: 11Beholde, there is a people come out of Egypt, and couereth the face of the earth: Come nowe therefore, and curse them for my sake, if so peraduenture I may be able to ouercome them in battayle, and to dryue them out. 12And God said vnto Balaam: Go not thou with them, neither curse the people: for they are blessed. 13And Balaam rose vp in the mornyng, and sayd vnto the lordes of Balac, Get you vnto your lande: for the Lord wyll not suffer me to go with you. 14And the lordes of Moab rose vp, and went vnto Balac and sayde: Balaam would not come with vs.

15And Balac sent againe a greater companie of lordes, and more honourable then they. 16Whiche came to Balaam, and tolde hym, Thus sayeth Balac the sonne of Ziphor: Oh let nothyng let thee, but come vnto me: 17For I wyll greatly promote thee vnto great honour, and wyll do whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me: come I pray thee, curse this people for my sake. 18And Balaam aunswered and said vnto the seruauntes of Balac: If Balac woulde geue me his house full of syluer and golde, I can not go beyonde the worde of the Lorde my God, to do lesse or more: 19Nowe therefore I pray thee, tarie ye here this nyght, that I may wit what the Lorde wyll say vnto me more. 20And God came vnto Balaam by night, and sayde vnto hym: If the men come to call thee, ryse vp and go with them: but loke what I say vnto thee, that shalt thou do.

21And Balaam rose vp early, and sadled his asse, & went with the lordes of Moab.

The Angel and Balaam’s Donkey

22And the wrath of God was kindled, because he went: And the angell of the Lorde stoode in the way to be agaynst hym, as he rode vpon his asse, and his two seruauntes were with hym. 23And when the asse sawe the angell of the Lord stand in the way, and hauyng his sworde drawen in his hand, the asse turned aside out of the way, and went out into the fielde: And Balaam smote the asse, to turne her into the way. 24But the angell of the Lorde stoode in a path betweene the vineyardes, and there was a wall on the one syde, and another on the other. 25And when the asse sawe the angell of the Lorde, she thrust her selfe vnto the wall, & crusht Balaams foote agaynst the wall: and he smote her agayne. 26And the angell of the Lord went further, & stoode in a narowe place, where was no way to turne either to the right hande, or to the left. 27And when the asse sawe the angell of the Lorde, she fell downe vnder Balaam: and Balaam was wroth, & smote the asse with a staffe. 28And the Lorde opened the mouth of the asse, and she sayde vnto Balaam: What haue I done vnto thee, that thou hast smytten me nowe three tymes? 29And Balaam sayd vnto the asse, Because thou hast mocked me: I would also there were a sworde in myne hande, for euen nowe woulde I kyll thee. 30And the asse sayd vnto Balaam: Am not I thine asse, whiche thou hast rydden vpon since the first tyme vnto this day? Was I euer wont to do so vnto thee? He sayde, nay.

31And the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, hauing his sworde drawen in his hande: He bowed hym selfe therefore, and fell flat on his face. 32And the angell of the Lorde said vnto him: Wherfore hast thou smytten thine asse these three times? Beholde, I came out to withstande thee, because thyne heart hath declined out of the way before me. 33And the asse saw me, and turned from me now three times: or els if she had not turned fro me, I had surely slayne thee, and saued her aliue. 34Balaam sayde vnto the angell of the Lorde: I haue sinned, for I wyst not that thou stoodest in the way agaynst me: Nowe therefore if it displease thee, I wyll turne home agayne. 35The angell of the Lorde sayde vnto Balaam, Go with the men: but what I say vnto thee, that shalt thou speake. And so Balaam went with the lordes of Balac.

36And when Balac heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meete hym, vnto a citie of Moab, whiche is in the border of Arnon, eue in the vtmost coast. 37And Balac sayd vnto Balaam: Dyd I not sende for thee to call thee? And wherfore camest thou not vnto me: Am I not able in deede to promote thee vnto honour? 38And Balaam made aunswere vnto Balac, Lo, I am come vnto thee, and can I nowe say any thyng at all? The worde that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speake. 39And Balaam went with Balac, and they came vnto a citie of streates. 40And Balac offered oxen and sheepe, and sent thereof to Balaam, and to the lordes that were with hym.

41And on the morowe Balac toke Balaam, and brought hym vp into the hye places of Baal, that thence he might see the vtmost part of the people.