The Wilderness Years

He coucheth and lieth downe as a yong lion, and as a lion: who shall stirre him vp? blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

Then Balak was very angry with Balaam, and smote his handes together: so Balak sayde vnto Balaam, I sent for thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them nowe three times.

Therefore nowe flee vnto thy place: I thought surely to promote thee vnto honour, but loe, the Lord hath kept thee backe from honour.

Then Balaam answered Balak, Tolde I not also thy messengers, which thou sentest vnto me, saying,

If Balak would giue me his house ful of siluer and gold, I can not passe the commandement of the Lord, to doe either good or bad of mine owne minde? what the Lord shall commaund, the same will I speake.

And nowe behold, I goe vnto my people: come, I will aduertise thee what this people shall doe to thy folke in the later dayes.

And he vttered his parable, and sayd, Balaam the sonne of Beor hath sayde, and the man whose eyes were shut vp, hath sayd,

He hath said that heard the words of God, and hath the knowledge of the most High, and sawe the vision of the Almightie, and falling in a traunce had his eyes opened:

I shall see him, but not nowe: I shall behold him, but not neere: there shall come a starre of Iaakob, and a scepter shall rise of Israel, and shall smite the coastes of Moab, and destroy all the sonnes of Sheth.

And Edom shalbe possessed, and Seir shall be a possession to their enemies: but Israel shall do valiantly.

He also that shall haue dominion shall bee of Iaakob, and shall destroy the remnant of the citie.

And when he looked on Amalek, he vttered his parable, and sayd, Amalek was the first of the nations: but his latter ende shall come to destruction.

And he looked on the Kenites, and vttered his parable, and sayde, Strong is thy dwelling place, and put thy nest in the rocke.

Neuerthelesse, the Kenite shalbe spoyled vntill Asshur cary thee away captiue.

Againe he vttered his parable, and sayd, Alas, who shall liue when God doeth this?

The ships also shall come from the coastes of Chittim, and subdue Asshur, and shall subdue Eber, and he also shall come to destruction.

Then Balaam rose vp, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.

Nowe whiles Israel abode in Shittim, the people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab:

Which called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods, and the people ate, and bowed downe to their gods.

And Israel coupled himselfe vnto Baal Peor: wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel:

And the Lord sayde vnto Moses, Take all the heades of the people, and hang them vp before the Lord against ye sunne, that the indignation of the Lords wrath may be turned from Israel.

Then Moses sayd vnto the Iudges of Israel, Euery one slay his men that were ioyned vnto Baal Peor.

And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought vnto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the Congregation of the children of Israel, who wept before the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

And when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest sawe it, hee rose vp from the middes of the Congregation, and tooke a speare in his hand,

And followed ye man of Israel into the tent, and thrust them both through: to wit, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly: so the plague ceased from the children of Israel.