Numbers 22

Wycliffe Bible

22 And the sons of Israel went forth, and setted tents in the field places of Moab, where Jericho is set, over Jordan. (And the Israelites went forth, and pitched their tents on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, opposite Jericho.)

² Soothly Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all things that Israel had done to (the) Amorites,

³ and that men of Moab dreaded Israel, and they might not bear the assailing of Israel. (and that the Moabites feared the Israelites, for they could not survive an assault from Israel.)

⁴ And he said to the greater men in birth of Midian, So this people shall do away all men that dwell in our coasts, as an ox is wont to do away an herb till to the roots. Forsooth he, that is, Balak, was king in that time in Moab. (And the Moabites said to the men of great age, that is, the elders, of Midian, These people shall do away all the men who live in our land, as easily as an ox is wont to do away grass unto its roots. And he, that is, Balak, was king at that time in Moab.)

⁵ Therefore he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a false diviner, that dwelled (in Pethor) on, or nigh, the flood of the land of the sons of Amaw, that they should call him, and should say, Lo! a people went out of Egypt, which people covered the face of the earth, and sitteth against me. (And so he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a false diviner, who lived at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of Amaw, and instructed the messengers to say to him, Lo! a people went out of Egypt, which people covered the face of the earth, and now they be ready to come against me.)

⁶ Therefore come thou, and curse this people, that is stronger than I, if in any manner I may smite and drive him out of my land; for I know, that he is blessed whom thou blessest, and he is cursed whom thou hast cursed. (And so come thou, and curse these people who be stronger than I, and then I may be able to fight against them, and drive them out of my land; for I know that he is blessed whom thou blessest, and he is cursed whom thou cursest.)

⁷ The elder men of Moab and the elder men of Midian went forth, having in their hands the price of false divining; and when they had come to Balaam, and had told to him all the words of Balak, (The elders of Moab and of Midian went forth, having in their hands the payment for the curse; and when they had come to Balaam, and had told him all of Balak’s words,)

⁸ he answered, Dwell ye here tonight, and I shall answer to Balak whatever thing the Lord shall say to me. And the princes of Moab dwelled at Balaam (And so the leaders of Moab stayed that night with Balaam).

⁹ God came, and said to him, What will these men with thee? (And God came, and said to him, Who be these men with thee?)

¹⁰ Balaam answered, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moabites, sent (them) to me, and (he) said,

¹¹ Lo! a people that is gone out of Egypt hath covered the face of the earth; come thou, and curse them, if in any manner I may fight with them (for then I may be able to fight against them), and drive them away.

¹² And God said to Balaam, Do not thou go with them, neither curse thou the people, for it is blessed (for they be blessed/for on the contrary, they should be blessed).

¹³ And Balaam rose early, and said to the princes, Go ye into your land (Go ye back to your land), for God hath forbade me to come with you.

¹⁴ The princes turned again (So the leaders returned), and said to Balak, Balaam would not come with us.

¹⁵ Again Balak sent many more, and nobler, men, than he had sent before;

¹⁶ which said (who said), when they had come to Balaam, Balak, the son of Zippor, saith thus, Tarry thou not to come to me,

¹⁷ (for I am) ready to honour thee; and whatever thing thou wilt, I shall give to thee; come thou, and curse this people (so then come thou, and curse these people).

¹⁸ Balaam answered, Though Balak shall give to me his house full of silver and of gold, I shall not be able to change the word of my God, that I speak either more or less. (But Balaam answered, Even if Balak should give me all the gold and silver in his house, I could not change the word of my God, so that I speak something else, either more or less.)

¹⁹ I beseech you, that ye dwell here also in this night (But I beseech you, stay ye here this night), (so) that I may know what the Lord shall answer again to me.

²⁰ Therefore the Lord came to Balaam in that night, and said to him, If these men (have) come to call thee, rise thou, and go with them, so only that thou do that that I shall command to thee (but do only what I shall command thee to do).

²¹ (So) Balaam rose early, and when his she ass was saddled, he went forth with them.

²² And God was wroth with Balaam. And the angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, that sat upon the she ass, and had two servants with him. (But God was angry with Balaam for going. And so the angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who rode on his donkey, and had his two servants with him.)

²³ The (she) ass saw the angel standing in the way, with sword drawn, and the (she) ass turned herself from the way, and went by the field (And the donkey saw the angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn, and she turned herself from the way, and went into a field). And when Balaam beat her, and would lead her again to the path,

²⁴ the angel stood in the straitness of two walls with which the vineries were (en)compassed. (the angel stood in the narrowness between two walls which went all around, or enclosed, the vineyards on either side.)

²⁵ And the female ass saw the angel, and she went herself nigh to the wall, and she hurtled the foot of the sitter upon her; and he beat again her. (And the female donkey saw the angel again, and she brought herself near to the wall, and hurtled the foot of her rider against it; and so he beat her again.)

²⁶ And nevertheless the angel went to a strait place, where was no going out of the way, neither to the right side, nor to the left, and stood against Balaam (Nevertheless the angel went to a narrow place, where there was no going out of the way, neither to the right side, nor to the left, and stood before Balaam.)

²⁷ And when the (she) ass saw the angel standing (there), she felled down under the feet of the sitter upon her, the which was wroth full greatly (who then was greatly angered), and (once more) he beat her sides with a staff.

²⁸ And the Lord opened the mouth of the (she) ass, and she spake, (And the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said), What have I done to thee? why smitest thou me, lo! now the third time?

²⁹ Balaam answered, For thou hast dis-served (me), and hast scorned me; I would that I had a sword to slay thee.

³⁰ And the (she) ass said, Whether I am not thy beast upon which thou were wont to ride ever[more] till into this present day? say thou, what like thing to this I did ever to thee? And Balaam said, Never thus thou servedest me. (And the donkey said, Am I not the beast upon which thou were always wont to ride until this present day? say thou, what thing like this have I ever done to thee before? And Balaam said, Never before hast thou served me thus.)

³¹ Anon the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way, holding a drawn sword in his hand; and Balaam worshipped him lowly into the earth. (And at once the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel standing in the way, holding a drawn sword in his hand; and Balaam worshipped, or honoured, him lowly on the ground.)

³² To whom the angel said, Why hast thou thrice beaten thine ass? I came (here) to be (an) adversary to thee, for thy way is wayward, and contrary to me;

³³ and if the (she) ass had not bowed away from the way, and given place to the against-stander, I had slain thee, and the (she) ass should have lived. (and if the donkey had not turned aside from the way, and given place to the one who stood against thee, I would have already killed thee, but the donkey would have lived.)

³⁴ Balaam said, I have sinned, not witting that thou stoodest against me; and now, if it displeaseth thee that I go, I shall turn again. (And Balaam said, I have sinned, not knowing that thou stoodest against me; and now, if it displeaseth thee I shall turn back/I shall go back home.)

³⁵ The angel said, (Nay,) Go thou with these men, but beware, that thou speak not [any] other thing than (what) I shall command to thee. Therefore Balaam went with the princes (And so Balaam went forth with Balak’s leaders).

³⁶ And when Balak heard that Balaam was nigh, he went out into the coming of him, in (Ar,) the city of Moabites, which is set in the last coast of (the) Arnon. (And when Balak heard that Balaam was near, he went out to meet him, at Ar, the city of the Moabites, which is set on their most distant border, by the Arnon River.)

³⁷ And Balak said to Balaam, I sent messengers to call thee; why camest thou not anon to me? whether for I may not yield meed to thy coming? (And Balak said to Balaam, I sent messengers to call thee; why did thou not come at once to me? did you think that I would not reward thee for coming?)

³⁸ To whom Balaam answered, Lo! I am present, (but) whether I shall be able to speak (any) other thing than that, that God shall put in my mouth? (To whom Balaam answered, Lo! I am present, but do not think that I shall speak anything, other than what God himself shall put in my mouth!)

³⁹ Therefore they went forth together, and they came into a city, which was in the last coast of his realm (which was Kiriathhuzoth, that is, the City of Huzoth).

⁴⁰ And when Balak had slain sheep, and oxen, he sent (part of them as) gifts to Balaam and the princes that were with him.

⁴¹ Forsooth when the morrowtide was made, Balak led Balaam (up) to the high places of Baal (Balak led Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, that is, the Heights of Baal), and (there) he beheld (unto) the last part of the people, that is, (he saw) all the host (of the Israelites) till to the last part.