Balak Summons Balaam

1Afterwarde wete ye children of Israel, & pitched in ye felde of Moab beyonde Iordane by Iericho.

2And whan Balac ye sonne of Ziphor sawe all that Israel had done vnto the Amorites, 3and that the Moabites were sore afrayed of the people (yt was so greate) and that the Moabites stode in feare of the children of Israel, 4he sayde vnto ye Elders of the Madianites: Now shal this heape licke vp all that is aboute vs, eue as an oxe licketh vp the grasse in the felde. (And Balac ye sonne of Ziphor was kynge of the Moabites at that tyme.) 5And he sent out messaungers vnto Balaam the sonne of Beor, which was an interpreter. (The same dwelt by the water of the lande of ye children of his people) that they shulde call him, and he caused to saye vnto him: Beholde, there is come out of Egipte, a people, which couereth ye face of ye earth, and lyeth ouer agaynst me. 6Come now therfore, and curse me this people, for they are to mightie for me, yf peraduenture I might be able to smyte them, and to dryue them out of the lande. For I wote, that whom thou blessest, he is blessed: and whom thou cursest, he is cursed.

7And the Elders of the Moabites wente on with ye Elders of the Madianites, and had the rewarde of ye soyth sayenge in their handes, and they came vnto Balaam, & tolde him the wordes of Balaac. 8And he saide vnto the: Tary here all night, & I will bringe you worde agayne, euen as the LORDE shal saye vnto me. So ye prynces of ye Moabites abode with Balaam. 9And God came vnto Balaam, & sayde: What men are these, which are with ye? 10Balaam sayde vnto God: Balac ye sonne of Ziphor the kynge of the Moabites hath sent vnto me: 11Beholde, there is a people come out of Egipte, and couereth the face of the earth, come now therfore, & curse me the, yf peradueture I maye be able to fighte with them, & to dryue the out. 12But God sayde vnto Balaam: Go not with them, & curse not that people, for they are blessed. 13Then rose Balaam vp in the mornynge, & sayde vnto the prynces of Balac: Get you vnto youre londe, for the LORDE wyll not suffer me to go with you. 14And the prynces of ye Moabites gat the vp, came to Balac, & saide: Balaam refuseth to come wt vs.

15Then sent Balac yet a greater copany of prynces, & more honorable the they. 16Whan they came to Balaam, they tolde him: Balac ye sonne of Ziphor sendeth ye this worde: Oh refuse not to come vnto me, 17for I wyll promote the vnto hye honoure, & wil do what so euer thou sayest vnto me. Come I praye the, curse me this people. 18Balaam answered, & sayde vnto ye seruautes of Balac: Yf Balac wolde geue me his house full of syluer & golde, yet coulde I not go beyonde ye worde of the LORDE my God, to do litle or greate. 19Neuertheles tary ye here this night, yt I maye were, what the LORDE wil saye more vnto me. 20Then came God to Balaam by night, & saide vnto him: Yf the men are come to call the, get the vp then, and go with the: but what I shal saye vnto the, that shalt thou do.

21Then rose Balaam vp in the mornynge, & sadled his Asse, & wente wt the prynces of ye Moabites.

The Angel and Balaam’s Donkey

22But the wrath of God waxed whote, because he wete. And the angell of ye LORDE stode in the waye, to withstode him. But he rode vpo his Asse, & two seruauntes wt him. 23And ye Asse sawe ye angell of ye LORDE stodinge in ye waye, & his swerde drawen in his hade. And ye Asse turned a syde out of ye waye, & wete in to the felde. But Balaam smote her, yt she shulde go in the waye. 24Then stode the angell of the LORDE in ye pathe by the vynyardes, where there were walles on both the sydes. 25And whan ye Asse sawe the angell of the LORDE, she wrenshed vnto the wall, & thrust Balaams fote vnto the wall. And he smote her agayne. 26The wete the angell of the LORDE farther, & stode in a narow place, where there was no waye to turne, nether to the righte hade ner to ye lefte. 27And whan the Asse sawe the angell of the LORDE, she fell downe vnder Balaam. Then was Balaams wrath furious, & smote the Asse with a staffe. 28Then opened the LORDE the mouth of ye Asse, and she sayde vnto Balaam: What haue I done vnto the, that thou hast smytten me now thre tymes? 29Balaam sayde vnto ye Asse: Because thou hast mocked me. Oh yt I had a swerde now in my hande, I wolde kyll the. 30The Asse sayde vnto Balaam: Am not I thine Asse, which thou hast rydden vpon in yi tyme vnto this daye? Was I euer wonte to do so vnto the? He sayde: No.

31Then opened the LORDE the eyes of Balaam, yt he sawe ye angell of the LORDE stondinge in ye waye, & a drawe swerde in his hade. And he enclyned him selfe, & bowed downe wt his face. 32And the angell of the LORDE sayde vnto him: Wherfore hast thou smytte thine Asse now thre tymes? Beholde, I am come out to resiste ye, for yi waye is frowarde, & cotrary vnto me. 33And ye Asse sawe me, & auoyded fro me thre tymes: or els yf she had not turned asyde fro me, I had slayne the, & saued the Asse alyue. 34Then sayde Balaam vnto ye angell of ye LORDE: I haue synned, for I wyst not, that thou stodest in the waye agaynst me. And now yf it displease ye, I wil turne agayne. 35The angell of ye LORDE saide vnto him: Go with the me: but thou shalt speake nothinge els, then yt I shal saye vnto ye. So Balaam wente forth wt the princes of Balac.

36Whan Balac herde yt Balaam came, he wente out to mete him (in the cite of the Moabites yt lieth on the coaste of Arnon, which is on ye vttemost border) 37& sayde vnto him: Dyd not I sende for ye to call the? Wherfore camest thou not then vnto me? Thinkest thou yt I am not able to promote ye vnto honor? 38Balaam answered him: Lo, I am come vnto ye But how can I saye eny thinge els, the yt God putteth in my mouth? yt I must speake 39So Balaam wente with Balac, and they came vnto the cite on the vttemost border of his lande. 40And Balac slewe oxen and shepe, and sent for Balaam, and for the prynces that were with him.

41And in the mornynge, Balac toke Balaam, and they wete vp to the hye place of Baal, that from thece he might se vnto the vttemost parte of ye people