Numbers 22:7-28

⁷The 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,

⁸Dwelle 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,

⁹What wolen these men at thee `to hem silf?

¹⁰Balaam answeride, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moabitis, sente to me, and seide, Lo!

¹¹a 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.

¹²And God seide to Balaam, Nyle thou go with hem, nether curse thou the puple, for it is blessid.

¹³Which Balaam roos eerli, and seide to the princes, Go ye in to youre lond, for God forbeed me to come with you.

¹⁴The princes turneden ayen, and seiden to Balaach, Balaam nolde come with vs.

¹⁵Eft Balaach sente many mo and noblere men, than he hadde sent bifore;

¹⁶whiche 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;

¹⁷and what euer thing thou wolt, Y schal yyue to thee; come thou, and curse this puple.

¹⁸Balaam 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.

¹⁹Y biseche, that ye dwelle here also in this nyyt, that Y may wite what the Lord schal answere eft to me.

²⁰Therfor 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.

²¹Balaam roos eerli, and whanne his femal asse was sadelid, he yede forth with hem.

²²And 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.

²³The 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,

²⁴the aungel stood in the streitnessis of twei wallis, with whiche the vyneris weren cumpassid.

²⁵And 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.

²⁶And 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.

²⁷And 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.

²⁸And 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?