The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXIV.

[verse 1] And whanne Balaam hadde seen that he shulde plese to the Lord for to blesse to Yrael, he wente not as he wente bi|fore, for to seche dyuininge, but dressynge [verse 2] his chere aȝens the deseert, and arerynge the eyen, sawȝ Irael in the tentis dwell|ynge bi her lynagis. And the Spirit of [verse 3] God fallynge into hym, takun to a para|ble, seith, Balaam, the sone of Beor, seide, a man whos eye is stoppid seide, [verse 4] the herer of the wordes of God seide, the which the siȝt of the almyȝti God hath inwardli lokid, the which fallith, and so

[verse 5] ben openyd his eyen, How feyr thi taber|naclis, [verse 6] Jacob, and thi tentis, Yrael! as wodi valeys, and as watri gardeyns bi|side the flodis, as the tabernacles that the [verse 7] Lord piȝte, as cedres biside watres; and watris shal flowe of his boket, and the seed of hym shal be into many watris. The kyng of hym for Agag shal be take a wey, and the kyngdom of hym shal be doon a wey. [verse 8] God hath ladde hym out of Egipte, whos strengthe is lijk to an vny|corn; gentilis shulen deuowre the ene|myes of hym, and the boonus of hem thei shulen breek, and thrille [thirle CE.] with arwis. [verse 9] Liggynge [Liynge C.] he shal sleep as a lioun, and as a liones, that no man shal be hardi to rere. Who [And who A sec. m. Who SO B.] blessith to thee, he shal be blessid; and who cursith, into cursynge shal he be rettyd. [verse 10] And Balac wrooth aȝen Balaam, with wrongun hoondis seith, To curse to my enemyes I haue clepid thee, to whom aȝenward the thridde tyme thow hast blissid. [verse 11] Turn aȝen to thi place; Y ordeynede forsothe hugeli to honoure thee, but the [thi A.] Lord hath [Om. A.] priu|yde thee thi worship set down. [verse 12] Balaam answerde to Balac, Whether seide Y not to thi messangers, that thow sendist to [Om. BDEFH.] [verse 13] me, If Balac ȝyue to me his hous ful of siluer and gold [of gold CE.] , Y may not ouerpasse the word of the Lord my God, that other of good or of yuel I speke of myn herte, but what thing seith the Lord, that I shal speke? [verse 14] Netheles [Neuerthelese BDFH. Nertheles E.] goynge to my pu|ple, I shal ȝyue to thee [the A.] counsel, what thi puple to this puple shal doo the last tyme. [verse 15] Thanne the parable taken, eft seith, Balaam, the sone of Beor, seide, a [verse 16] man whos stoppid is the eye, seide, the herer of the wordis of God seide, that knewe the lore of althir [the althir CE.] heiȝest, and the

seynge of the Almyȝti seeith, that fall|ynge [verse 17] hath the eyen openyd, I shal se hym, but not now; I shal inwardly loke hym, but not nyȝ; a sterre shal sprynge of Jacob, and a ȝeerde shal ryse of Yrael; and he shal smyte the dukis of Moab, and he shal wast alle the sones of Seth; [verse 18] and Ydume shal be the possessioun of hym, the herytage of Seir shal falle to his enemyes; Yrael forsothe strongly [verse 19] shal doo, of Jacob shal be that lordship [shal haue lordship E pr. m.] , and leese the relykes of the cytee. [verse 20] And whanne he hadde seen Amalech, takynge to a parable, seith, The bigynnynge of gentiles Amalech, whos eendis shulen be lost. [verse 21] He seeȝ forsothe Cyneum, and taken to a parable, seith, Stronge forsothe is thi dwellynge place, but if yn a stoon thow [verse 22] puttist [putt BCDEFH.] thi nest, and were chosen of the lynage of Synne, how longe mowe [mai CE.] thow dwelle? Assur forsothe shal take thee. [verse 23] And taken to a parable, eft spak, Alas! who to lyuynge [liue C.] , whanne the Lord shal doo thes thingis? [verse 24] Thei shulen come in greet shippis fro Ytalie, and thei shulen ouercome Assiries, and thei shulen waast the Ebrewis, and at the last thei also shulen perishe. [verse 25] And Balaam roos, and is turned aȝen into his place; Balac for|sothe the weye that he cam, turnyde aȝen.