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 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 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 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 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 nacions.
10.Who can tel the duſt of Iaakób, and the number of the fourth parte of Iſraél? Let me 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.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 ſhoute of a King 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: 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 altar.

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.