rd

Numbers 23

1 Balaám cauſeth ſeue Altars to be buylt. 5 God teacheth him what to anſwer 8 In ſtede of curſing he bleſſeth Iſraél. 19 God is not like man.
1.And Balaám said vnto Balák, Buyld me here seuen altars, and prepare me here seuen bullockes, and seuen rams.
2.And Balák did as Balaám said, and a Balák and Balaám offred on euerie altar a bullocke and a ram.
3.Then Balaám said vnto Balák, Stand by thy burnt offring, & I wil go, if so be that the Lord wil come and mete me: & whatsoeuer he sheweth me, I wil tel thee: so he " went forthe alone.
4.And God b met Balaám, and Balaám said vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, & haue offred vpon euerie altar a bullocke and a ram.
5.And the Lord c put an answer in Balaás mouth, and said, Go againe to Balak, and say on this wise.
6.So when he returned vnto him, lo, he stode by his burnt offring, he, & all the princes of Moáb.
7.Then he vttered his " parable, and said, Balák the King of Moáb hathe broght me from " Arám out of the mountaines of the East, saying, Come, curse Iaakób for my sake: come, and d detest Israél.
8.How shal I curse, where God hathe not cursed? or how shal I detest, where y~ Lord hathe not detested?
9.For frõ the top of the rocks I did se him, and from the hils I did beholde him: lo, the people shal dwel by them selues, and shal not be rekened among the e nacions.
10.Who can tel the f dust of Iaakób, and the number of the fourth parte of Israél? Let me g dye the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.
11.Then Balák said vnto Balaám, What hast thou done vnto me? I toke thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12.And he answered, and said, Must I not take hede to speake that, which the Lord hathe put in my mouthe?
13.And Balák said vnto him, Come, I pray thee, with me vnto an other place, whence thou maiest se them, and thou shalt se but the vtmost parte of them, and shalt not se them all: therefore curse me them out of that place for my fake.
14.¶ And he broght him into " Sede-sophím to the top of Pisgáh and buylt seuen altars, & offred a bullocke, & a ram on euerie altar.
15.After, he said vnto Balák, Stand here by thy burnt offring, and I wil mete the Lord yonder.
16.And the Lord met Balaám, and * put an answer in his mouth, and said, Go againe vnto Balák, and saie thus.
17.And when he came to him, beholde, he stode by his burnt offring, and the princes of Moáb with him: so Balák said vnto him, What hathe the Lord said?
18.And he vttered his parable, & said, Rise vp, Balák, and heare: hearken vnto me, thou sonne of Zippór.
19.h God is not as man, that he shulde lie, nether as the sonne of man that he shulde repent: hathe he said, and shal he not do it? and hathe he spoken, and shal he not accomplish it?
20.Beholde, I haue receiued commandement to blesse: for he hathe blessed, & I can not alter it.
21.He seeth none iniquitie in Iaakób, nor seeth no transgression in Israél: the Lord his God is with him, & the ioyful shou-te of a King i is among them.
22.God broght them out of Egypt: their strength is as an vnicorne.
23.For there is no forcerie in Iaakób, nor soothsaying in Israél: k acco:ding to this time it shalbe said of Iaakób and of Israél, What hathe God wroght?
24.Beholde, the people shal rise vp as a liõ, and lift vp him self as a yong lion: he shal not lie downe, til he eat of the praie, and til he drinke the blood of the slaine.
25.¶ Then Balák said vnto Balaám, Nether curse, nor blesse them at all.
26.But Balaám answered, and said vnto Balák, Tolde not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that must I do?
27.¶ Againe Balák said vnto Balaám, Come, I pray thee, I wil bring thee vnto another place, if so be it wil please God, that thou maiest thence curse them for my sake.
28.So Balák broght Balaám vnto the top of Peór, that loketh toward Ieshimón.
29.Then Balaám said vnto Balák, Make me here seuen altars, and prepare me here seuen bullockes, and seuen rams.
30.And Balák did as Balaám had said, and offred a bullocke and a ram on euerie al-tar.

Notes

2:a.
For among the Gentiles the Kings oft times vsed to sacrifice, as did Priests
3:".
Or, went vp hier
4:b.
Appeared vnto him
5:c.
Taught him what to say
7:".
Or, prophecie
7:".
Or, Syria.
7:d.
Cause that all men may hate & detest them
9:e.
But shal haue religion & lawes a parte fro the infinite multitude, as the dust of the earth
10:f.
the infinite multitude, as the dust of the earth
10:g.
the feare of Gods iudgements caused him to wish to be ioyned to the housholde of Abrahám thus y~ wicked haue their consciences wounded when thei consider Gods iudgements
14:".
Or, into the field of the watches: so was, left for enemy shulde approche.
16:*.
Chap 22.35.
19:h.
Gods enemies are cõpelled to confesse that his gouernement is stable, constant, & without chãge or repentance.
21:i.
Thei triũphe as victorious Kings ouer their enemies.
23:k.
Consideriug what God shal worke this time for the deliuerance of his people, all the worlde shal wonder.
27:†.
Thus y~ wicked imagine of God, that, that which he wil not grante in one place, he wil do it in another.