rd

Numbers 22

5 King Balák ſendeth for Balaám to curſe the Iſraeli-tes. 12 The Lord forbiddeth him to go. 22 The Angel of the Lord meteth him, & his aſſe ſpeaketh. 38 Balaám proteſteth that he wil ſpeake nothing but that which the Lord putteth in his mouthe.
1.AFter, the children of Iſraél departed and pitched in the plaine of Moáb on the a other ſide of Iordén from Ierichó.
2.¶Now Balák the ſonne of Zippór ſawe all that Iſraél had done to the Amorites.
3.And the Moabites were ſore afraide of the people, becauſe they were manie, and Moáb " freated againſt the children of Iſraél.
4.Therefore Moáb ſaid vnto the b Elders of Midián, Now ſhal this multitude licke vp all that are rounde about vs, as an oxe licketh vp the graſſe of the field: and Balák the ſonne of Zippór was King of the Moabites at that time.
5.* He ſent meſſengers therefore vnto Balaám the ſonne of Beór to Pethór (which is by the c riuer of the land of the childré of his folke) to call him, ſaying, Beholde, there is a people come out of Egypt, which couer the face of the earth, and lie ouer againſt me.
6.Come now therefore, I pray thee, and curſe me this people (for they are ſtronger then I) ſo it may be that I ſhal be able to ſmite thé and to driue them out of the lād: for I knowe that he, whome thou bleſſeſt, is bleſſed, and he whome thou curſeſt, ſhalbe curſed.
7.And the Elders of Moáb, and the Elders of Midián departed, hauing d the rewarde of the ſoothſaying in their hand, and they came vnto Balaám, & tolde him the wordes of Balák.
8.Who anſwered them, Tary here this night, and I wil giue you an anſwer, as the Lord ſhal ſay vnto me So e the princes of Moáb abode with Balaám.
9.Then God came vnto Balaám, and ſaid, What men are theſe with thee?
10.And Balaám ſaid vnto God, Balák the ſonne of Zippór, King of Moáb hathe ſent vnto me, ſaying,
11.Beholde, there is a people come out of Egypt and couereth the face of the earth: come nowe, curſe them for my ſake: ſo it may be that I ſhal be able to ouercome them in battel, and to driue them out.
12.And God f ſaid vnto Balaám, Go not thou with them, nether curſe the people, for they are bleſſed.
13.And Balaám roſe vp in the morning, and ſaid vnto the princes of Balák, Returne vnto your land: for the Lord hathe refuſed to giue g me leaue to go with you.
14.So the princes of Moáb roſe vp, and wēt vnto Balák, and ſaid, Balaám hathe refuſed to come with vs.
15.¶ Balák yet ſent againe mo princes, and more honorable then they.
16.Who came to Balaám, and ſaid to him, Thus ſaieth Balák the ſonne of Zippór, h Be not thou ſtayed, I pray thee, from cōming vnto me.
17.For I wil promote thee vnto great honour, and wil do whatſoeuer thou ſayeſt vnto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curſe me this people.
18.And Balaám anſwered, and ſayd vnto the ſeruantes of Balák, * If Balák wolde giue me his houſe ful of ſiluer and gold, I can not go beyonde the worde of the Lord my God, to do leſſe or more.
19.But nowe, I pray you, tary here this night, that I may wit, what the Lord wil ſay vnto me i more.
20.And God came vnto Balaám by night, and ſaid vnto him, If the mē come to call thee, riſe vp, and go with them: but onely what thing I ſay vnto thee, that ſhalt thou do.
21.So Balaám roſe vp early, and ſadled his aſſe, and went with the princes of Moáb.
22.And the wrath of God was kindled, becauſe he k went: & the Angel of the Lord ſtode in the way to be againſt him, as he rode vpon his aſſe, and his two ſeruantes were with him.
23.And * when the aſſe ſawe the Angel of yͤ Lord ſtād in the way, and his ſworde drawen in his hand, the aſſe turned out of yͤ waie and went into the field, but Balaám ſmote the aſſe, to turne her into the way.
24.l Againe the Angel of the Lord ſtode in a path of the vineyardes, hauing a wall on the one ſide, and a wall on the other.
25.And when the aſſe ſawe the Angel of the Lord, ſhe thruſt her ſelfe vnto the wall, and daſht Balaams fote againſt the wall: wherefore he ſmote her againe.
26.Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and ſtode in a narowe place, where was no way to turne, either to the right hand, or to the left.
27.And when the aſſe ſawe the Angel of the Lord, ſhe lay downe vnder Balaám: therefore Balaám was very wrath, and ſmote the aſſe with a ſtaffe.
28.Then the Lord m opened the mouth of the aſſe, and ſhe ſaid vnto Balaám, What haue I done vnto thee, that thou haſt ſmitten me nowe thre times?
29.And Balaám ſaid vnto the aſſe, Becauſe thou haſt mocked me: I wolde there were a ſworde in mine hand, for now wolde I kil thee.
30.And the aſſe ſaid vnto Balaám, Am not I thine aſſe, which thou haſt ridden vpon n ſince thy firſt time vnto this day? haue I vſed at anie time to do thus vnto thee? Who ſaid, Nay.
31.And the Lord o opened the eies of Balaam, and he ſawe the Angel of the Lord ſtāding in the way with his ſworde drawē in his hand: then he bowed him ſelfe, and fel flat on his face.
32.And the Angel of the Lord ſaid vnto him, Wherefore haſt thou now ſmitten thine aſſe thre times? beholde, I came out to withſtand thee, becauſe thy p way is not ſtraight before me.
33.But the aſſe ſawe me, and turned fro me now thre times: for els, if ſhe had not turned fro me, ſurely I had euē now ſlaine thee, and ſaued her aliue.
34.Then Balaám ſaid vnto the Angel of the Lord, I haue ſinned: for I wiſt not that thou ſtodeſt in the way againſt me: " now therefore if it diſpleaſe thee, I wil turne " home againe.
35.But the Angel ſaid vnto Balaám, Go with the men: but q what I ſay vnto thee, that ſhalt thou ſpeake. So Balaám went with the princes of Balák.
36.And when Balák heard that Balaám came, he went out to mete him vnto a citie of Moáb, which is in the r border of Arnón, euen in the vtmoſt coſte.
37.Then Balák ſaid vnto Balaám, Did I not ſend for thee to call thee? wherefore cameſt thou not vnto me? am I not able in dede to promote thee vnto honour.
38.And Balaám made anſwer vnto Balák, Lo, I am come vnto thee, & can I now ſay [ſ] anie thing at all? the worde that God putteth in my mouth, that ſhal I ſpeake.
39.So Balaám went with Balák, and thei came vnto the citie of " Huzóth.
40.Thē Balák offred bullockes, and ſhepe, and ſent thereof to Balaám, and to yͤ princes that were with him.
41.And on the morow Balák toke Balaám, and broght him vp into the hie places of t Baál, that thence he might ſe the vtmoſt parte of the people.

Notes

1:a.
Being at Ierichó, it was beyonde Iordén: but where the Israelites were, it was on this side
3:".
Or, was vexed.
4:b.
Which were the heades & gouerners.
5:*.
Ioſh.24,9.
5:c.
To wit, Euphrátes, vpon ye which ſtode this citie Pethor.
7:d.
Thinking to bribe him wt giftes to curſe the Iſraelites.
8:e.
Whome before he called the princes Elders meaning, the gouerners, & after calleth thē ſeruants: that is, ſubiects to their King.
12:f.
He warned him by a dreame yͤ he shulde not conſent to the kings wicked request
13:g.
Els he shewed him selfe willing, couetousnes had so blinded his heart.
16:h.
The wicked seke by all means to forther their naughty enterprises, thogh they knowe that God is against them
18:*.
Chap 24.13.
19:i.
Because he tempted God to require hi cōtrary to his cōmandement, his petition was granted, but it turned to his owne cōdempnation.
22:k.
Moued rather with couetousnes, thē to obey God.
23:*.
2. Pet. 2,16. Iude 11.
24:l.
The ſeconde time.
28:m.
Gaue her power to speake.
30:n.
Since thou hast bene my master
31:o.
For whose eyes the Lord doeth not opē, they can neither se his angre, nor his loue.
32:p.
Bothe thy heart is corrupt and thine ētrepriſe wicked.
34:".
Or, before me, or, to mete me.
34:".
Ebr I wil returne to me
35:q.
Because his heart was euil his charg was renued, that he shulde not pre tend ignorāce.
36:r.
Nere the place, where the Israelites camped.
38:ſ.
of my ſelfe I can ſpeake nothing: onely what God reueleth, yͤ wil I vtter, ſeme it good or bad
39:".
Or, of stretes: or, a populous citie.
41:t.
Where the idole Baál was worshipped.