Read the Bible

¹ And whanne Balaam siy that it pleside the Lord that he schulde blesse Israel, he yede not as he `hadde go bifore, `that he schulde seke fals dyuynyng `bi chiteryng of briddis, but he dresside his face ayens the desert,<sup>2</sup> and reiside iyen, and siy Israel dwellynge in tentis bi hise lynagis. And whanne the Spirit of God felde on hym, and whanne a parable was takun,<sup>3</sup> he seide, Balaam, the sone of Beor, seide, a man whois iye is stoppid seide,<sup>4</sup> the herere of Goddis wordis seide, which bihelde the reuelacioun of almyyti God, which fallith doun, and hise iyen ben openyd so, Hou faire ben thi tabernaclis,<sup>5</sup> Jacob, and thi tentis, Israel!<sup>6</sup> as valeys ful of woodis, and moiste gardyns bisidis floodis, as tabernaclis whiche the Lord hath set, as cedris bisidis watris;<sup>7</sup> watir schal flowe of his bokat, and his seed schal be in to many watris, `that is, puplis. The kyng of hym schal be takun a wei for Agag, and the rewme of hym schal be doon awai.⁸ God ledde hym out of Egipt, whos strengthe is lijk an vnicorn; thei schulen deuoure hethene men, enemyes `of hym, that is, of Israel; and thei schulen breke the boonus of hem, and schulen perse with arowis.⁹ He restide and slepte as a lyoun, and as a lionesse, whom no man schal dore reise. He that blessith thee, schal be blessid; he that cursith, schal

¹⁰ be arettid in to cursyng And Balaach was wrooth ayens Balaam, and seide, whanne the hondis weren wrungun to gidere, I clepide thee to curse myn enemyes, whiche ayenward thou hast blessid thries.¹¹ Turne ayen to thi place; forsothe Y demede to onoure thee greetli, but the Lord priuyde thee fro onour disposid.¹² Balaam answeride to Balaach, Whethir Y seide not to thi messangeris, whiche thou sentist to me,¹³ Thouy Balaach schal yyue 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 of yuel, but what euer thing the Lord schal seie, Y schal speke this?¹⁴ Netheles Y schal go to my puple, and Y schal yyue counsel to thee, what thi puple schal do in the laste tyme to this puple.

¹⁵ Therfor whanne a parable was takun, he seide eft, Balaam, the sone of Beor seide, a man whos iye is stoppid,¹⁶ seide, the herere of Goddis wordis seide, which knowith the doctrine of the hiyeste, and seeth the reuelacioun of almiyti God, which fallith doun and hath opyn iyen,¹⁷ Y schal se hym, but not now; Y schal biholde hym, but not nyy; a sterre schal be borun of Jacob, and a yerde schal rise of Israel; and he schal smyte the duykis of Moab, and he schal waste alle the sones of Seth; and Ydumye schal be hys possessioun,¹⁸ the eritage of Seir schal bifalle to his enemyes; forsothe Israel schal do strongli, of Jacob schal be he that schal be lord,¹⁹ and schal leese the relikis of the citee.²⁰ And whanne he hadde seyn Amalech, he took a parable, and seide, Amalech is the bigynning of hethene men, whos laste thingis schulen be lost.²¹ Also `he siy Cyney, and whanne a parable was takun, he seide, Forsothe thi dwellyng place is strong, but if thou schalt sette thi nest in a stoon,²² and schalt be chosun of the generacioun of Cyn, hou longe schalt thou mow dwelle? forsothe Assur schal take thee.²³ And whanne a parable was takun, he spak eft, Alas! who schal lyue, whanne the Lord schal make thes thingis?²⁴ Thei schulen come in grete schippis fro Ytalie, thei schulen ouercome Assiries, and thei schulen distrie Ebrews, and at the last also thei hem silf schulen perische.²⁵ And Balaam roos, and turnide ayen in to his place; and Balaach yede ayen bi the weye in which he cam.