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

CAP. XXIV.

[verse 1] And whanne [Om. S.] Balaam siȝ that it pleside the [to the IKS.] Lord that he schulde blesse Israel, he ȝede not [not forth IS.] as he `hadde go [dide IS.] bifore, `that he schulde [for to I.] seke [speke B.] fals dyuynyng `bi chiteryng of briddis [Om. I.] , but he dresside his face aȝens [verse 2] the desert, and reiside [he reiside vp his IS.] iȝen, and siȝ [he sawȝ I.] Israel dwellynge in tentis bi hise lynagis. And whanne the Spirit of God felde [fel vp IS.] on hym, [verse 3] and whanne a [the IS.] parable was takun, he seide, Balaam, the sone of Beor, seide, a [verse 4] man whois iȝe [of affeccioun S marg.] is stoppid seide, the herere of Goddis wordis seide, which [that IS.] bihelde the reuelacioun [priuytee IS.] of almyȝti God, which [the which I.] fall|ith

doun [bi mekenesse S marg.] , and hise iȝen ben openyd so, [verse 5] Hou faire ben thi tabernaclis, Jacob, and [verse 6] thi tentis, Israel! as valeys ful of woodis [trees IS.] , and moiste gardyns bisidis floodis, as ta|bernaclis whiche the Lord hath set, as ce|dris [cedre trees IS.] [verse 7] bisidis watris; watir [of doctreyne S marg.] schal flowe of his [the I.] bokat [bokat of Israel IS.] , and his seed schal be in to many watris, `that is, puplis [or puplis I marg.] . The kyng of hym schal be takun awei for [fro I.] Agag [blasfemyng him S marg.] , and the rewme of hym schal be doon awai. [verse 8] God ledde hym [hem L.] out of Egipt, whos strengthe is lijk an vnicorn; thei [the sones of Israel S.] schulen deuoure [waaste IS.] [thei schulen deuoure etc. In Ebreu it is thus, Israel schal deuoure hethen men hise enemyes, and schal gnawe the bonys of hem, that is, schal distrie the strengthe of hem. Lire here. C.] hethene men, enemyes [his enemyes IS.] `of hym, that is, of Israel [Om. IS.] ; and thei schulen breke [berste IS.] the boonus [strengthis IS.] of hem, and [and thei K.] schulen [Om. IORST sec. m. W.] perse with [hem with IS.] arowis. [verse 9] He [Israel IS.] restide and slepte as a lyoun, and as a lionesse, whom no man schal dore reise. He that blessith thee [thee, Israel S.] , schal be blessid; he [and he K.] that cursith [cursith thee IS.] , schal be arettid [putt IS.] in to cursyng [verse 10] And Balaach was wrooth aȝens Balaam, and seide [he seide IS.] , whanne [whanne for sorne S.] the [his IS.] hondis weren wrungun to gidere, I clepide thee to curse myn ene|myes, whiche [whom IS.] aȝenward thou hast blessid thries. [verse 11] Turne aȝen to thi place; forsothe [sothely IS.] Y demede [purposide IS.] to onoure [haue honourid IS.] thee greetli, but the Lord priuyde [hath take IS.] thee fro onour [the onour IS.] disposid [ordeyned to thee I. disposid to thee S.] . [verse 12] Balaam answeride to Balaach, Whethir Y seide not to thi messangeris, whiche thou [verse 13] sentist to me, Thouȝ Balaach schal ȝyue to me his hows ful of siluer and of gold, Y schal not mow passe the word of my Lord God, that Y brynge forth of myn herte ony thing, ethir of good ethir [or IS.] of yuel, but what euer thing the Lord schal seie, Y schal speke this [that I.] ? [verse 14] Netheles Y schal go [aȝen fro thee S marg.] to my puple, and Y schal ȝyue counsel to thee, what thi puple schal do in the laste tyme to this [Israel, Goddis S.] puple. [verse 15] Therfor whanne a [the IS.] parable was takun, he seide eft [eft to Balach IS.] , Balaam, the sone of Beor seide, a man

[verse 16] whos iȝe [of good entent S marg.] is [was I.] stoppid, seide, the herere of Goddis wordis seide, which knowith the doctrine of the hiȝeste, and seeth the reue|lacioun [priuytee IS.] of almiȝti God, which fallith [verse 17] doun [fro grace S marg.] and hath opyn [to yuel S marg.] iȝen [hir iȝen IS.] , Y schal se hym, but not now; Y schal biholde hym [afer S marg.] , but not nyȝ; a sterre schal be borun of Jacob, and a ȝerde [of chastising S marg.] schal rise of Israel; and he schal smyte the duykis of Moab, and he schal waste alle the sones of Seth; [verse 18] and Ydumye schal be hys possessioun, the eritage of Seir schal bifalle to his ene|myes; forsothe [sothely IS.] Israel schal do strongli, [verse 19] of Jacob schal [Om. S.] be he that schal be lord, and schal [he schal IS.] leese the relikis [relifs BC. aftir leeuyngis IS.] of the citee [contrarie to him S marg.] . [verse 20] And whanne he [Balaam IS.] hadde seyn Amalech [men of Amalech IS.] , he took a parable, and seide, Amalech is the bigynning [Amalech is the bigynnyng, that is, he roos first aȝenus Israel aftir the goyng out of Egipt. Lire here. BC.] of hethene men, whos laste thingis schulen be lost. [verse 21] Also `he siȝ [Balaam sawȝ IS.] Cy|ney [Euey EFLOX pr. m. P.] , and whanne a parable was takun, he seide, Forsothe [Sothely IS.] thi [the O.] dwellyng place is strong, but if thou schalt sette thi nest in [verse 22] a stoon, and schalt be chosun of the gene|racioun of Cyn [Cham X marg.] , hou longe schalt thou mow dwelle? forsothe [sothely IS.] Assur schal take thee. [verse 23] And whanne a parable was takun [or shewid to him S marg.] , he spak [seide IS.] eft, Alas! who schal lyue, whanne the Lord schal make [do IS.] thes thingis? [verse 24] Thei [Men IS.] schulen come in grete schippis fro Ytalie, thei schulen ouercome Assiries [Assiriens plures.] , and thei schulen distrie Ebrews, and at the last also [Om. S.] thei hem silf schulen perische. [verse 25] And Balaam roos, and turnide aȝen in to his place; and Balaach ȝede aȝen bi the weye [of shrewid pur|pos S marg.] in which he cam.