King ouer(.) amor(.) reos(.) ſeon, for to figten cam he_m_ ageon; 3912 ðiſ folc him ſlog and hiſ lond tok, Suð fro arnon, norð to iabok, And weſten al to flu_m_ iordan; The king of Bashan is slain. Oc he ſlugen king of baſaan. 3916 To lond moab drugen he ſo, ðor nu iſ a burg, ierico. Balaac king was for-dred for-ðan, And ſente in to lond madian, 3920 To hiſe frend ðe ben hi_m_ neſt; Balak sends after Balaam, And ſente after balaam ðe preſt, Wið riche men an[d] giftes oc, for to ſtillen hiſe [vn-]eðe mod, 3924 And bad him cumen for to don to curse the folk of Israel. fol[c] of yſrael hiſ curſing on. [Fol. 76b.] Balaam wið-[h]eld him ðor ðat nagt The failure of the first message. To witen q_u_at him ſal wurðen tagt; 3928 Al waſ iſ fultu_m_ and hiſ ſped [367] beren-tem? [368] For this see 2 Kings, xviii. 4. BALAAM SETS OUT TO CURSE ISRAEL. Bi-luken ille, in fendes red. On nigt hi_m_ cam ſonde fro gode, Agen ðiſ kinges[369] red for-bode, 3932 God forbids Balaam to curse the Israelites. And ðat he ne curſe non del ðiſ folc ðat god bliſcede wel. O morgen ſeide he, "fare ic nogt, for bode iſ me fro gode brogt." 3936 Balak's second message to the prophet. Balaac ſente richere an[d] mo Medes, and oðer men to ðo. "Sondes, ſondes," q_u_að balaam, Or he ðeſe oðere medes nam, 3940 Balaam's answer to the messengers. "Ðog balaac king me goue hold, Hiſ huſ ful of ſiluer and of gold, Ne mai ic wenden her bi-neðen;" Godes wurd iſ cumen alſ it iſ q_ue_ðen;[370] 3944 Oc or or ge wenden agen, ðiſ nigt ic ſal fonden and ſen." Q_u_at tiding so it cam on ðe nigt, On morgen, at ðe daiges ligt, 3948 He consents to go with the princes of Moab, Vp-on hiſe aſſe hiſ ſadel he dede, To madian lond wente he hiſ ride, And wente iſ herte on werre ðhogt; Wicke giſcing it haueð[371] al wrogt. 3952 being influenced by covetousness. ðuſ rideð forð ðiſ man for-loren,