Bible (Wycliffe)/Genesis

For other versions of this work, see Genesis (Bible).

Chapter 1

¹ In the bigynnyng God made of nouyt heuene and erthe.

² Forsothe the erthe was idel and voide, and derknessis weren on the face of depthe; and the Spiryt of the Lord was borun on the watris.

³ And God seide, Liyt be maad, and liyt was maad.

⁴ And God seiy the liyt, that it was good, and he departide the liyt fro derknessis,

⁵ and he clepide the liyt, dai, and the derknessis, nyyt. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, o daie.

⁶ And God seide, The firmament be maad in the myddis of watris, and departe watris fro watris.

⁷ And God made the firmament, and departide the watris that weren vndur the firmament fro these watris that weren on the firmament; and it was don so.

⁸ And God clepide the firmament, heuene. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the secounde dai.

⁹ Forsothe God seide, The watris, that ben vndur heuene, be gaderid in to o place, and a drie place appere; and it was doon so.

¹⁰ And God clepide the drie place, erthe; and he clepide the gadryngis togidere of watris, the sees. And God seiy that it was good;

¹¹ and seide, The erthe brynge forth greene eerbe and makynge seed, and appil tre makynge fruyt bi his kynde, whos seed be in it silf on erthe; and it was doon so.

¹² And the erthe brouyte forth greene erbe and makynge seed bi his kynde, and a tre makynge fruyt, and ech hauynge seed by his kynde. And God seiy that it was good.

¹³ And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the thridde dai.

¹⁴ Forsothe God seide, Liytis be maad in the firmament of heuene, and departe tho the dai and niyt; and be tho in to signes, and tymes, and daies, and yeeris;

¹⁵ and shyne tho in the firmament of heuene, and liytne tho the erthe; and it was doon so.

¹⁶ And God made twei grete liytis, the gretter liyt that it schulde be bifore to the dai, and the lesse liyt that it schulde be bifore to the niyt;

¹⁷ and God made sterris; and settide tho in the firmament of heuene, that tho schulden schyne on erthe,

¹⁸ and that tho schulden be bifore to the dai and nyyt, and schulden departe liyt and derknesse. And God seiy that it was good.

¹⁹ And the euentid and the morwetid was maad, the fourthe dai.

²⁰ Also God seide, The watris brynge forth a `crepynge beeste of lyuynge soule, and a brid fleynge aboue erthe vndur the firmament of heuene.

²¹ And God made of nouyt grete whallis, and ech lyuynge soule and mouable, whiche the watris han brouyt forth in to her kyndis; and God made of nouyt ech volatile bi his kynde. And God seiy that it was good;

²² and blesside hem, and seide, Wexe ye, and be ye multiplied, and fille ye the watris of the see, and briddis be multiplied on erthe.

²³ And the euentid and the morwetid was maad, the fyuethe dai.

²⁴ And God seide, The erthe brynge forth a lyuynge soul in his kynde, werk beestis, and `crepynge beestis, and vnresonable beestis of erthe, bi her kyndis; and it was don so.

²⁵ And God made vnresonable beestis of erthe bi her kyndes, and werk beestis, `and ech crepynge beeste of erthe in his kynde. And God seiy that it was good; and seide,

²⁶ Make we man to oure ymage and liknesse, and be he souereyn to the fischis of the see, and to the volatilis of heuene, and to vnresonable beestis of erthe, and to ech creature, and to ech `crepynge beest, which is moued in erthe.

²⁷ And God made of nouyt a man to his ymage and liknesse; God made of nouyt a man, to the ymage of God; God made of nouyt hem, male and female.

²⁸ And God blesside hem, and seide, Encreesse ye, and be ye multiplied, and fille ye the erthe, and make ye it suget, and be ye lordis to fischis of the see, and to volatilis of heuene, and to alle lyuynge beestis that ben moued on erthe.

²⁹ And God seide, Lo! Y haue youe to you ech eerbe berynge seed on erthe, and alle trees that han in hem silf the seed of her kynde, that tho be in to mete to you;

³⁰ and to alle lyuynge beestis of erthe, and to ech brid of heuene, and to alle thingis that ben moued in erthe, and in whiche is a lyuynge soule, that tho haue to ete; and it was doon so.

³¹ And God seiy alle thingis whiche he made, and tho weren ful goode. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the sixte day.

Chapter 2

¹ Therfor heuenes and erthe ben maad perfit, and al the ournement of tho.

² And God fillide in the seuenthe dai his werk which he made; and he restide in the seuenthe dai fro al his werk which he hadde maad;

³ and he blesside the seuenthe dai, and halewide it; for in that dai God ceesside of al his werk which he made of nouyt, that he schulde make.

⁴ These ben the generaciouns of heuene and of erthe, in the day wherynne the Lord God made heuene and erthe,

⁵ and ech litil tre of erthe bifore that it sprong out in erthe; and he made ech erbe of the feeld bifore that it buriownede. For the Lord God had not reyned on erthe, and no man was that wrouyte erthe;

⁶ but a welle stiede out of the erthe, and moistide al the hiyere part of erthe.

⁷ Therfor the Lord God formede man of the sliym of erthe, and brethide in to his face the brething of lijf; and man was maad in to a lyuynge soule.

⁸ Forsothe the Lord God plauntide at the bigynnyng paradis of likyng, wherynne he settide man whom he hadde formed.

⁹ And the Lord God brouyte forth of the erthe ech tre fair in siyt, and swete to ete; also he brouyte forth the tre of lijf in the middis of paradis, and the tre of kunnyng of good and of yuel.

¹⁰ And a ryuer yede out fro the place of likyng to moyste paradis, which ryuer is departid fro thennus in to foure heedis.

¹¹ The name of the o ryuer is Fyson, thilke it is that cumpassith al the lond of Euilath, where gold cometh forth,

¹² and the gold of that lond is the beste, and there is foundun delium, that is, a tree of spicerie, and the stoon onychyn;

¹³ and the name to the secounde ryuer is Gyon, thilke it is that cumpassith al the loond of Ethiopie;

¹⁴ forsothe the name of the thridde ryuer is Tigris, thilke goith ayens Assiriens; sotheli the fourthe ryuer is thilke Eufrates.

¹⁵ Therfor the Lord God took man, and settide hym in paradis of likyng, that he schulde worche and kepe it.

¹⁶ And God comaundide to hym and seide, Ete thou of ech tre of paradis;

¹⁷ forsothe ete thou not of the tre of kunnyng of good and of yuel; for in what euere dai thou schalt ete therof, thou schalt die bi deeth.

¹⁸ And the Lord God seide, It is not good that a man be aloone, make we to hym an help lijk to hym silf.

¹⁹ Therfor whanne alle lyuynge beestis of erthe, and alle the volatils of heuene weren formed of erthe, the Lord God brouyte tho to Adam, that he schulde se what he schulde clepe tho; for al thing that Adam clepide of lyuynge soule, thilke is the name therof.

²⁰ And Adam clepide bi her names alle lyuynge thingis, and alle volatils, and alle vnresonable beestis of erthe. Forsothe to Adam was not foundun an helpere lijk hym.

²¹ Therfore the Lord God sente sleep in to Adam, and whanne he slepte, God took oon of hise ribbis, and fillide fleisch for it.

²² And the Lord God bildide the rib which he hadde take fro Adam in to a womman, and brouyte hir to Adam.

²³ And Adam seide, This is now a boon of my boonys, and fleisch of my fleisch; this schal be clepid virago, `for she is takun of man.

²⁴ Wherfor a man schal forsake fadir and modir, and schal cleue to his wijf, and thei schulen be tweyne in o fleisch.

²⁵ Forsothe euer eithir was nakid, that is, Adam and his wijf, and thei weren not aschamed.

Chapter 3

¹ But and the serpent was feller than alle lyuynge beestis of erthe, whiche the Lord God hadde maad. Which serpent seide to the womman, Why comaundide God to you, that ye schulden not ete of ech tre of paradis?

² To whom the womman answerde, We eten of the fruyt of trees that ben in paradis;

³ sothely God commaundide to vs, that we schulden not eate of the fruyt of the tre, which is in the myddis of paradijs, and that we schulden not touche it, lest perauenture we dien.

⁴ Forsothe the serpent seide to the womman, ye schulen not die bi deeth;

⁵ for whi God woot that in what euere dai ye schulen ete therof, youre iyen schulen be opened, and ye schulen be as Goddis, knowynge good and yuel.

⁶ Therfore the womman seiy that the tre was good, and swete to ete, and fair to the iyen, and delitable in bi holdyng; and sche took of the fruyt therof, and eet, and yaf to hir hosebande, and he eet.

⁷ And the iyen of bothe weren openid; and whanne thei knowen that thei weren nakid, thei sewden the leeues of a fige tre, and maden brechis to hem silf.

⁸ And whanne thei herden the vois of the Lord God goynge in paradijs at the wynd after myddai, Adam and his wijf hidden hem fro the face of the Lord God in the middis of the tre of paradijs.

⁹ And the Lord God clepide Adam, and seide to hym, Where art thou?

¹⁰ And Adam seide, Y herde thi vois in paradijs, and Y drede, for Y was nakid, and Y hidde me.

¹¹ To whom the Lord seide, Who forsothe schewide to thee that thou were nakid, no but for thou hast ete of the tre of which Y comaundide to thee that thou schuldist not ete?

¹² And Adam seide, The womman which thou yauest felowe to me, yaf me of the tre, and Y eet.

¹³ And the Lord seide to the womman, Whi didist thou this thing? Which answerde, The serpent disseyued me, and Y eet.

¹⁴ And the Lord God seide to the serpent, For thou didist this, thou schalt be cursid among alle lyuynge thingis and vnresonable beestis of erthe; thou schalt go on thi brest, and thou schalt ete erthe in alle daies of thi liif;

¹⁵ Y schal sette enemytees bitwixe thee and the womman, and bitwixe thi seed and hir seed; sche schal breke thin heed, and thou schalt sette aspies to hir heele.

¹⁶ Also God seide to the womman, Y schal multiplie thi wretchidnessis and thi conseyuyngis; in sorewe thou schalt bere thi children; and thou schalt be vndur power of the hosebonde, and he schal be lord of thee.

¹⁷ Sothely God seyde to Adam, For thou herdist the voys of thi wijf, and hast ete of the tree, of which Y comaundide to thee that thou schuldist not ete, the erthe schal be cursid in thi werk; in traueylis thou schalt ete therof in alle daies of thi lijf;

¹⁸ it schal brynge forth thornes and breris to thee, and thou schalt ete eerbis of the erthe;

¹⁹ in swoot of thi cheer thou schalt ete thi breed, til thou turne ayen in to the erthe of which thou art takun; for thou art dust, and thou schalt turne ayen in to dust.

²⁰ And Adam clepide the name of his wijf Eue, for sche was the moder of alle men lyuynge. And the Lord God made cootis of skynnys to Adam and Eue his wijf, and clothide hem; and seide, Lo!

²² Adam is maad as oon of vs, and knowith good and yuel; now therfore se ye, lest perauenture he putte his hond, and take of the tre of lijf, and ete, and lyue with outen ende.

²³ And the Lord God sente hym out of paradijs of likyng, that he schulde worche the erthe, of which he was takun.

²⁴ And God castide out Adam, and settide bifore paradis of lykyng cherubyn, and a swerd of flawme and turnynge aboute to kepe the weie of the tre of lijf.

Chapter 4

¹ Forsothe Adam knewe Eue his wijf, which conseyuede, and childide Cayn, and seide, Y haue gete a man bi God.

² And efte sche childide his brother Abel. Forsothe Abel was a kepere of scheep, and Cayn was an erthe tilyere.

³ Sotheli it was don after many daies, that Cayn offride yiftis to the Lord of the fruytis of erthe;

⁴ and Abel offride of the first gendrid of his floc, and of the fatnesse of tho. And the Lord bihelde to Abel and to the yiftis of hym;

⁵ sotheli he bihelde not to Cayn and to hise yiftis. And Cayn was wrooth greetli, and his cheer felde doun.

⁶ And the Lord seide to hym, Whi art thou wrooth, and whi felde doun thi face?

⁷ Whether not if thou schalt do wel, thou schalt resseyue; but if thou doist yuele, thi synne schal be present anoon in the yatis? but the desir therof schal be vndur thee, and thou schalt be lord therof.

⁸ And Cayn seide to Abel his brother, Go we out. And whanne thei weren in the feeld, Cayn roos ayens his brother Abel, and killide him.

⁹ And the Lord seide to Cayn, Where is Abel thi brother? Which answerde, Y woot not; whether Y am the kepere of my brothir?

¹⁰ And God seide to Cayn, What hast thou do? the vois of the blood of thi brother crieth to me fro erthe.

¹¹ Now therfor thou schalt be cursid on erthe, that openyde his mouth, and resseyuede of thin hond the blood of thi brothir.

¹² Whanne thou schalt worche the erthe, it schal not yyue his fruytis to thee; thou schalt be vnstable of dwellyng and fleynge aboute on erthe in alle the daies of thi lijf.

¹³ And Cayn seide to the Lord, My wickidnesse is more than that Y disserue foryyuenesse; lo!

¹⁴ to dai thou castist me out fro the face of the erthe; and Y schal be hid fro thi face, and Y schal be vnstable of dwellyng and fleynge aboute in erthe; therfore ech man that schal fynde me schal slee me.

¹⁵ And the Lord seide to hym, It schal not be don so, but ech man that schal slee Cayn shal be punyschid seuenfold. And the Lord settide a signe in Cayn, that ech man that schulde fynde hym schulde not slee hym.

¹⁶ And Cayn yede out fro the face of the Lord, and dwellide fleynge aboute in erthe, at the eest coost of Eden.

¹⁷ Forsothe Cayn knewe his wiif, which conseyuede, and childide Enoth; and Cayn bildide a citee, and clepide the name therof of the name of hise sone Enoth.

¹⁸ Forsothe Enoth gendride Irad, and Irad gendride Manyael, and Manyael gendride Matusael, and Matusael gendride Lameth;

¹⁹ that took twei wyues, the name to o wijf was Ada, and the name to the tother was Sella.

²⁰ And Ada gendride Jabel, that was the fadir of dwellers in tentis and of shepherdis;

²¹ and the name of his brother was Tubal, he was the fadir of syngeris in harpe and orgun.

²² And Sella gendride Tubalcayn, that was an hamerbetere, and smyyt on alle werkis of bras and of yrun; forsothe the sistir of Tubalcayn was Neoma.

²³ And Lameth seide to his wyues Ada and Sella, Ye wyues of Lameth, here my vois, and herkne my word; for Y haue slayn a man bi my wounde, and a yong wexynge man bi my `violent betyng;

²⁴ veniaunce schal be youun seuenfold of Cayn, forsothe of Lameth seuentisithis seuensithis.

²⁵ Also yit Adam knewe his wijf, and sche childide a sone, and clepide his name Seth, and seide, God hath put to me another seed for Abel, whom Cayn killide.

²⁶ But also a sone was borun to Seth, which sone he clepide Enos; this Enos bigan to clepe inwardli the name of the Lord.

Chapter 5

¹ This is the book of generacioun of Adam, in the dai wher ynne God made man of nouyt. God made man to the ymage and licnesse of God;

² God formede hem male and female, and blesside hem, and clepide the name of hem Adam, in the day in which thei weren formed.

³ Forsothe Adam lyuede an hundrid yeer and thretti, and gendride a sone to his ymage and liknesse, and clepide his name Seth.

⁴ And the daies of Adam after that he gendride Seth weren maad eiyte hundrid yeer, and he gendride sones and douytris.

⁵ And al the tyme in which Adam lyuede was maad nyne hundrid yeer and thretti, and he was deed.

⁶ Also Seth lyuede an hundrid and fyue yeer, and gendride Enos.

⁷ And Seth lyuede aftir that he gendride Enos eiyte hundrid and seuen yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

⁸ And alle the daies of Seth weren maad nyne hundrid and twelue yeer, and he was deed.

⁹ Forsothe Enos lyuede nynti yeer, and gendride Caynan;

¹⁰ aftir whos birthe Enos lyuede eiyte hundrid and fiftene yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

¹¹ And alle the daies of Enos weren maad nyne hundrid and fyue yeer, and he was deed.

¹² Also Caynan lyuyde seuenti yeer, and gendride Malalehel.

¹³ And Caynan lyuede after that he gendride Malalehel eiyte hundrid and fourti yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

¹⁴ And alle the dayes of Caynan weren maad nyn hundrid and ten yeer, and he was deed.

¹⁵ Forsothe Malalehel lyuede sixti yeer and fyue, and gendride Jared.

¹⁶ And Malalehel lyuede aftir that he gendride Jared eiyte hundrid and thretti yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

¹⁷ And alle the daies of Malalehel weren maad eiyte hundrid nynti and fyue yeer, and he was deed.

¹⁸ And Jared lyuede an hundrid and two and sixti yeer, and gendride Enoth.

¹⁹ And Jared lyuede aftir that he gendride Enoth eiyte hundrid yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

²⁰ And alle the dayes of Jared weren maad nyn hundrid and twei and sexti yeer, and he was deed.

²¹ Forsothe Enoth lyuede fyue and sixti yeer, and gendride Matusalem.

²² And Enoth yede with God; and Enoth lyuede after that he gendride Matusalem thre hundrid yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

²³ And alle the daies of Enoth weren maad thre hundride and fyue and sexti yeer.

²⁴ And Enoth yeed with God, and apperide not afterward, for God took hym awei.

²⁵ Also Matusalem lyuede an hundrid and `fourscoor yeer and seuene, and gendride Lameth.

²⁶ And Matusalem lyuede after that he gendride Lameth seuene hundrid and `fourscoor yeer and twei, and gendride sones and douytris.

²⁷ And alle the daies of Matusale weren maad nyn hundrid and nyn and sixti yeer, and he was deed.

²⁸ Forsothe Lameth lyuede an hundrid and `fourscoor yeer and two, and gendride a sone;

²⁹ and clepide his name Noe, and seide, This man schal comforte vs of the werkis and traueilis of oure hondis, in the loond which the Lord curside.

³⁰ And Lameth lyuede after that he gendride Noe fyue hundrid `nynti and fyue yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

³¹ And alle the daies of Lameth weren maad seuene hundrid `thre scoor and seuentene yeer, and he was deed.

Chapter 6

¹ Forsothe Noe whanne he was of fyue hundrid yeer gendride Sem, Cham, and Jafeth. And whanne men bigunnen to be multiplied on erthe, and hadden gendrid douytris,

² the sones of God seiyen the douytris of men that thei weren faire, and token wyues to hem of alle whiche thei hadden chose.

³ And God seide, My spirit schal not dwelle in man with outen ende, for he is fleisch; and the daies of hym schulen be an hundrid and twenti yeer.

⁴ Sotheli giauntis weren on erthe in tho daies, forsothe aftir that the sones of God entriden to the douytris of men, and tho douytris gendriden; these weren myyti of the world and famouse men.

⁵ Sotheli God seiy that myche malice of men was in erthe, and that al the thouyt of herte was ententif to yuel in al tyme,

⁶ and repentide him ^[1] that he hadde maad man in erthe; and God was war bifore ayens tyme to comyng, and was touchid with sorewe of herte ^[2] with ynne;

⁷ and seide, Y schal do awei man, whom Y made of nouyt, fro the face of the erthe, fro man til to lyuynge thingis, fro crepynge beeste til to the briddis of heuene; for it repentith me that Y made hem.

⁸ Forsothe Noe foond grace bifore the Lord.

⁹ These ben the generaciouns of Noe. Noe was a iust man and perfit in hise generaciouns; Noe yede with God,

¹⁰ and gendride thre sones, Sem, Cam, and Jafeth.

¹¹ Forsothe the erthe was corrupt bifore God, and was fillid with wickidnes.

¹² And whanne God seiy, that the erthe was corrupt, for ech fleisch ether man hadde corrupt his weie on erthe,

¹³ he seide to Noe, The ende of al fleisch is comen bifore me; the erthe is fillid with wickidnesse of the face of hem, and Y schal distrye hem with the erthe.

¹⁴ Make thou to thee a schip of trees hewun and planed; thou schalt make dwellynge placis in the schip, and thou schalt anoynte it with pitche with ynne and with outforth.

¹⁵ And so thou schalt make it. The lengthe of the schip schal be of thre hundrid cubitis, the brede schal be of fifti cubitis, and the hiynesse therof schal be of thretti cubitis.

¹⁶ Thou schalt make a wyndow in the schip, and thou schalt ende the hiynesse therof in a cubite; sotheli thou schalt sette the dore of the schip in the side binethe; thou shalt make soleris and placis of thre chaumbris in the schip.

¹⁷ Lo! Y schal brynge `watris of diluuye ether greet flood on erthe, and Y schal sle ech fleisch in which is the spirit of lijf vndir heuene, and alle thingis that ben in erthe, schulen be wastid.

¹⁸ And Y schal sette my couenaunt of pees with thee; and thou schalt entre in to the schip, and thy sones, and thi wijf, and the wiues of thi sones schulen entre with thee.

¹⁹ And of alle lyuynge beestis of al fleisch thou schalt brynge in to the schip tweyne and tweyne, of male kynde and female, that thei lyue with thee;

²⁰ of briddis bi her kynde, and of werk beestis in her kynde, and of ech crepynge beeste of erthe, by her kynde; tweyne and tweyne of alle schulen entre with thee, that thei moun lyue.

²¹ Therfore thou schalt take with thee of alle metis that moun be etun, and thou schalt bere to gidre at thee, and tho schulen be as well to thee as to the beestis in to mete.

²² Therfor Noe dide alle thingis whiche God comaundide to hym.

1. [Note: repentide hym. Penaunce, sorowe, and othere passyouns, ethir disesis, ben not in ony maner in God by truthe, but by liknesse; and therfore it is seid that he repentide, for he hadde hym silf at the maner of a man repentinge, and wolde distrye that that he made bifore.]
2. [Note: sorowe of herte. For he hadde him silf at the maner of a man sorowinge, in doynge awey man, whom he hadde formed to his ymage. Penaunce, either sorewe of herte, fallith not in God, to whom the sentence of alle thingis is as stidefast as the biforeknowynge is certeyn, sith hooly scripture vsith comoun wordis,]

Chapter 7

¹ Also the Lord seide to Noe, Entre thou and al thin hous in to the schip, for Y seiy thee iust bifore me in this generacioun.

² Of alle clene lyuynge beestis thou schalt take bi seuene and bi seuene, male and female; forsothe of vnclene lyuynge beestis thou schalt take bi tweyne and bi tweyne, male and female;

³ but also of volatils of heuene thou schalt take, bi seuene and bi seuene, male and female, that her seed be saued on the face of al erthe.

⁴ For yit and aftir seuene daies Y schal reyne on erthe fourti daies and fourti nyytis, and Y schal do awey al substaunce which Y made, fro the face of erthe.

⁵ Therfor Noe dide alle thingis whiche the Lord comaundide to hym.

⁶ And he was of sixe hundrid yeer, whanne the watris of the greet flood flowiden on erthe.

⁷ And Noe entride in to the schip, and hise sones, and hise wijf, and the wyues of his sones, entriden with him for the watris of the greet flood.

⁸ And of lyuynge beestis clene and vnclene, and of briddis of heuene, and of ech beeste which is moued on erthe,

⁹ bi tweyne and bi tweyne, male and female entriden to Noe in to the schip, as the Lord comaundide to Noe.

¹⁰ And whanne seuene daies hadden passid, the watris of the greet flood flowiden on erthe.

¹¹ In the sixe hundrid yeer of the lijf of Noe, in the secunde moneth, in the seuententhe dai of the moneth, alle the wellis of the greet see weren brokun, and the wyndowis of heuene weren opened,

¹² and reyn was maad on erthe fourti daies and fourti nyytis.

¹³ In the ende of that dai Noe entride, and Sem, Cham, and Japheth, hise sones, his wijf, and the wyues of hise sones, entriden with hem into the schip.

¹⁴ Thei entriden, and ech beeste bi his kynde, and alle werk beestis in her kynde, and ech beeste which is moued on erthe in his kynde, and ech volatil bi his kynde; alle briddis and alle volatils entriden to Noe in to the schip,

¹⁵ bi tweyne and bi tweyne of ech fleisch in whiche the spirit of lijf was.

¹⁶ And tho that entriden, entriden male and female of ech fleisch, as God comaundide to hym. And the Lord encloside hym fro with out-forth.

¹⁷ And the greet flood was maad fourti daies and fourti niytis on erthe, and the watris weren multiplied, and reiseden the schip on hiy fro erthe.

¹⁸ The watris flowiden greetli, and filliden alle thingis in the face of erthe. Forsothe the schip was borun on the watris.

¹⁹ And the watris hadden maistrie greetli on erthe, and alle hiye hillis vndur alle heuene weren hilid;

²⁰ the watyr was hiyere bi fiftene cubitis ouer the hilis whiche it hilide.

²¹ And ech fleisch was wastid that was moued on erthe, of briddis, of lyuynge beestis, of vnresonable beestis, and of alle `reptilis that crepen on erthe.

²² Alle men, and alle thingis in whiche the brething of lijf was in erthe, weren deed.

²³ And God dide awei al substaunce that was on erthe, fro man til to beeste, as wel a crepynge beeste as the briddis of heuene; and tho weren doon awei fro erthe. Forsothe Noe dwellide aloone, and thei that weren with hym in the schip.

²⁴ And the watris of the greet flood ouereyeden the erthe an hundrid and fifti daies.

Chapter 8

¹ Forsothe the Lord hadde mynde of Noe, and of alle lyuynge beestis, and of alle werk beestis, that weren with hym in the schip; and brouyte a wynd on the erthe.

² And watris weren decreessid, and the wellis of the see weren closid, and the wyndowis of heuene weren closid, and reynes of heuene weren ceessid.

³ And watrys turneden ayen fro erthe, and yeden ayen, and bigunnen to be decreessid aftir an hundrid and fifti daies.

⁴ And the schip restide in the seuenthe monthe, in the seuene and twentithe dai of the monthe, on the hillis of Armenye.

⁵ And sotheli the watrys yeden and decresiden til to the tenthe monethe, for in the tenthe monethe, in the firste dai of the monethe, the coppis of hillis apperiden.

⁶ And whanne fourti daies weren passid, Noe openyde the wyndow of the schip which he hadde maad, and sente out a crowe,

⁷ which yede out, and turnede not ayen til the watris weren dried on erthe. Also Noe sente out a culuer aftir hym, to se if the watris hadden ceessid thanne on the face of erthe;

⁹ and whanne the culuer foond not where hir foot schulde reste, sche turnede ayen to hym in to the schip, for the watris weren on al erthe; and Noe helde forth his hoond, and brouyte the culuer takun in to the schip.

¹⁰ Sotheli whanne othere seuene daies weren abedun aftirward, eft he leet out a culuer fro the schip;

¹¹ and sche cam to hym at euentid, and bare in hir mouth a braunche of olyue tre with greene leeuys. Therfor Noe vndirstood that the watris hadden ceessid on erthe;

¹² and neuerthelesse he abood seuene othere daies, and sente out a culuer, which turnede `no more ayen to hym.

¹³ Therfor in the sixe hundrid and o yeer of the lijf of Noe, in the firste monethe, in the firste day of the monethe, watris weren decreessid on erthe; and Noe openede the roof of the schip, and bihelde and seiy that the face of the erthe was dried.

¹⁴ In the secunde monethe, in the seuene and twentithe dai of the monethe, the erthe was maad drie.

¹⁵ Sotheli the Lord spak to Noe;

¹⁶ and seide, Go out of the schip, thou, and thi wijf, thi sones, and the wyues of thi sones with thee;

¹⁷ and lede out with thee alle lyuynge beestis that ben at thee of ech fleisch, as wel in volatilis as in vnresonable beestis, and alle `reptils that crepen on erthe; and entre ye on the erthe, encreesse ye, and be ye multiplied on erthe.

¹⁸ Therfor Noe yede out, and hise sones, and his wijf, and the wyues of hise sones with hym;

¹⁹ but also alle lyuynge beestis, and werk beestis, and `reptils that crepen on erthe, bi her kynde, yeden out of the schip.

²⁰ Forsothe Noe bildide an auter to the Lord, and he took of alle clene beestis and briddis, and offride brent sacrifices on the auter.

²¹ And the Lord sauerede the odour of swetnesse, and seide to hym, Y schal no more curse the erthe for men, for the wit and thouyt of mannus herte ben redi in to yuel fro yong wexynge age; therfor Y schal no more smyte ech lyuynge soule as Y dide;

²² in alle the daies of erthe, seed and ripe corn, coold and heete, somer and wyntir, nyyt and dai, shulen not reste.

Chapter 9

¹ And God blisside Noe and hise sones, and seide to hem, Encreesse ye, and be ye multiplied, and fille ye the erthe;

² and youre drede and tremblyng be on alle vnresonable beestis of erthe, and on alle briddis of heuene, with alle thingis that ben moued in erthe; alle fischis of the see ben youun to youre hond.

³ And al thing which is moued and lyueth schal be to you in to mete; Y have youe to you alle thingis as greene wortis,

⁴ outakun that ye schulen not ete fleisch with blood,

⁵ for Y schal seke the blood of youre lyues of the hoond of alle vnresonable beestis and of the hoond of man, of the hoond of man and of hys brother Y schal seke the lijf of man.

⁶ Who euere schedith out mannus blood, his blood schal be sched; for man is maad to the ymage of God.

⁷ Forsothe encreesse ye, and be ye multiplied, and entre ye on erthe, and fille ye it, Also the Lord seide thes thingis to Noe,

⁸ and to his sones with him, Lo!

⁹ Y schal make my couenaunt with you, and with your seed after you,

¹⁰ and to ech lyuynge soule which is with you, as wel in briddis as in werk beestis and smale beestis of erthe, and to alle thingis that yeden out of the schip, and to alle vnresonable beestis of erthe.

¹¹ Y schal make my couenaunt with you, and ech fleisch schal no more be slayn of the watris of the greet flood, nethir the greet flood distriynge al erthe schal be more.

¹² And God seide, This is the signe of boond of pees, which Y yyue bitwixe me and you, and to ech lyuynge soule which is with you, in to euerlastynge generaciouns.

¹³ Y schal sette my bowe in the cloudis, and it schal be a signe of boond of pees bitwixe me and erthe;

¹⁴ and whanne Y schal hile heuene with cloudis, my bowe schal appere in the cloudis,

¹⁵ and Y schal haue mynde of my boond of pees which Y made with you, and with ech soule lyuynge, that nurschith fleisch; and the watris of the greet flood schulen no more be to do awey al fleish.

¹⁶ And my bowe schal be in the cloudis, and Y schal se it, and Y schal haue mynde of euerlastynge boond of pees, which is maad bitwixe God and man, and ech soul lyuynge of al fleisch which is on erthe.

¹⁷ And God seide to Noe, This schal be a signe of boond of pees, which Y made bitwixe me and ech fleisch on erthe.

¹⁸ Therfore thei that yeden out of the schip weren Noe, Sem, Cham, and Japheth; forsothe Cham, thilke is the fadir of Chanaan.

¹⁹ These thre weren the sones of Noe, and al the kynde of men was sowun of hem on al erthe.

²⁰ And Noe, an erthe tiliere, bigan to tile the erthe, and he plauntide a viner,

²¹ and he drank wyn, and was drunkun; and he was nakid, and lay in his tabernacle.

²² And whanne Cham, the fadir of Chanaan, hadde seien this thing, that is, that the schameful membris of his fadir weren maad nakid, he telde to hise tweye britheren with out forth.

²³ And sotheli Sem and Jafeth puttiden a mentil on her schuldris, and thei yeden bacward, and hileden the schameful membris of her fadir, and her faces weren turned awei, and thei sien not the priuy membris of her fadir.

²⁴ And forsothe Noe wakide of the wyn, and whanne he hadde lerned what thingis his lesse sone hadde do to hym,

²⁵ he seide, Cursid be the child Canaan, he schal be seruaunt of seruauntis to hise britheren.

²⁶ And Noe seide, Blessid be the Lord God of Sem,

²⁷ and Chanaan be the seruaunt to Sem; God alarge Jafeth, and dwelle in the tabernaclis of Sem, and Chanaan be seruaunt of hym.

²⁸ Forsothe Noe lyuede aftir the greet flood thre hundrid and fifti yeer;

²⁹ and alle the daies of hym weren fillid nyn hundrid and fifty yeer, and he was deed.

Chapter 10

¹ These ben the generaciouns of the sones of Noe, Sem, Cham, and Jafeth. And sones weren borun to hem aftir the greet flood.

² The sones of Jafeth weren Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Jauan, and Tubal, and Mosoth, and Thiras.

³ Forsothe the sones of Gomer weren Asseneth, and Rifath, and Thogorma.

⁴ Forsothe the sones of Jauan weren Helisa, and Tharsis, Cethym, and Dodanym;

⁵ of these sones the ylis of hethen men weren departid in her cuntrees, ech bi his langage and meynees, in hise naciouns.

⁶ Sotheli the sones of Cham weren Thus, and Mesraym, and Futh, and Chanaan.

⁷ Forsothe the sones of Thus weren Saba, and Euila, and Sabatha, and Regma, and Sabatacha. The sones of Regma weren Saba, and Dadan.

⁸ Forsothe Thus gendride Nemroth; he bigan to be myyti in erthe,

⁹ and he was a strong huntere of men bifore the Lord; of hym a prouerbe yede out, as Nemroth, a strong huntere bifore the Lord.

¹⁰ Sotheli the bigynnyng of his rewme was Babiloyne, and Arach, and Archad, and Thalamye, in the lond of Sennaar.

¹¹ Assur yede out of that lond, and bildide Nynyue, `and stretis of the citee,

¹² and Chale, and Resen bitwixe Nynyue and Chale; this is a greet citee.

¹³ And sotheli Mesraym gendride Ludym, and Anamym, and Laabym, Neptuym, and Ferrusym, and Cesluym;

¹⁴ of which the Filisteis and Capturym camen forth.

¹⁵ Forsothe Chanaan gendride Sidon, his firste gendride sone, Ethei, and Jebusei,

¹⁶ and Amorrei, Gergesei,

¹⁷ Euei, and Arathei,

¹⁸ Ceney, and Aradie, Samarites, and Amathei; and puplis of Chananeis weren sowun abrood bi these men.

¹⁹ And the termes of Chanaan weren maad to men comynge fro Sidon to Gerara, til to Gasa, til thou entre in to Sodom and Gomore, and Adama, and Seboyne, til to Lesa.

²⁰ These weren the sones of Cham, in her kynredis, and langagis, and generaciouns, and londis, and folkis.

²¹ Also of Sem weren borun the fadris of alle the sones of Heber, and Japhet was the more brother.

²² The sones of Sem weren Elam, and Assur, and Arfaxath, and Lud, and Aram.

²³ The sones of Aram weren Vs, and Hul, and Gether, and Mes.

²⁴ And sotheli Arfaxath gendride Sale, of whom Heber was borun.

²⁵ And twei sones weren borun to Heber, the name to o sone was Faleg, for the lond was departid in hise daies; and the name of his brothir was Jectan.

²⁶ And thilke Jectan gendride Elmodad, and Salech,

²⁷ and Asamoth, Jare, and Adhuram, and Vsal,

²⁸ and Deda, and Ebal, and Abymahel, Saba, and Ofir, and Euila, and Jobab;

²⁹ alle these weren the sones of Jectan.

³⁰ And the habitacioun of hem was maad fro Messa, as `me goith til to Sefar, an hil of the eest.

³¹ These ben the sones of Sem, bi kynredis, and langagis, and cuntrees, in her folkis.

³² These ben the meynees of Noe, bi her puplis and naciouns; folkis in erthe weren departid of these aftir the greet flood.

Chapter 11

¹ Forsothe the lond was of o langage, and of the same speche.

² And whanne thei yeden forth fro the eest, thei fonden a feeld in the lond of Sennaar, and dwelliden ther ynne.

³ And oon seide to his neiybore, Come ye, and make we tiel stonys, and bake we tho with fier; and thei hadden tiel for stonus, and pitche for morter;

⁴ and seiden, Come ye, and make we to vs a citee and tour, whos hiynesse stretche `til to heuene; and make we solempne oure name bifor that we be departid in to alle londis.

⁵ Forsothe the Lord cam down to se the citee and tour, which the sones of Adam bildiden.

⁶ And he seide, Lo! the puple is oon, and o langage is to alle, and thei han bigunne to make this, nethir thei schulen ceesse of her thouytis, til thei fillen tho in werk; therfor come ye, go we doun,

⁷ and scheende we there the tunge of hem, that ech man here not the voys of his neiybore.

⁸ And so the Lord departide hem fro that place in to alle londis; and thei cessiden to bielde a cytee.

⁹ And therfor the name therof was clepid Babel, for the langage of al erthe was confoundide there; and fro thennus the Lord scaterede hem on the face of alle cuntrees.

¹⁰ These ben the generaciouns of Sem. Sem was of an hundrid yeer whanne he gendride Arfaxath, twey yeer aftir the greet flood.

¹¹ And Sem lyuede aftir that he gendride Arfaxath fyue hundrid yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

¹² Forsothe Arfaxath lyuede fyue and thretti yeer, and gendride Sale;

¹³ and Arfaxath lyuede aftir that he gendride Sale thre hundride and thre yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

¹⁴ Also Sale lyuede thretti yeer, and gendride Heber;

¹⁵ and Sale lyuede after that he gendride Heber foure hundrid and thre yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

¹⁶ Sotheli Heber lyuede foure and thretti yeer, and gendride Falech;

¹⁷ and Heber lyuede aftir that he gendride Falech foure hundrid and thretti yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

¹⁸ Also Falech lyuede thretti yeer, and gendride Reu;

¹⁹ and Falech lyuede aftir that he gendride Reu two hundrid and nyne yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

²⁰ And Reu lyuede two and thretti yeer, and gendride Saruch;

²¹ and Reu lyuede aftir that he gendride Saruch two hundrid and seuene yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

²² Sotheli Saruch lyuede thretti yeer, and gendride Nachor;

²³ and Saruch lyuede aftir that he gendride Nacor two hundrid yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

²⁴ Forsothe Nachor lyuede nyne and twenti yeer, and gendride Thare;

²⁵ and Nachor lyuede after that he gendride Thare an hundrid and nynetene yeer, and gendride sones and douytris.

²⁶ And Thare lyuede seuenti yeer, and gendride Abram, and Nachor, and Aran.

²⁷ Sotheli these ben the generaciouns of Thare. Thare gendride Abram, Nachor, and Aran. Forsothe Aran gendride Loth;

²⁸ and Aran diede bifore Thare, his fadir, in the lond of his natiuite, in Vr of Caldeis.

²⁹ Forsothe Abram and Nachor weddiden wyues; the name of the wijf of Abram was Saray, and the name of the wiif of Nachor was Melcha, the douyter of Aran, fadir of Melcha and fadir of Jescha.

³⁰ Sotheli Saray was bareyn, and hadde no children.

³¹ And so Thare took Abram, his sone, and Loth, the sone of Aran his sone, and Saray, his douyter in lawe, the wijf of Abram, his sone, and ledde hem out of Vr of Caldeis, that thei schulen go in to the lond of Chanaan; and thei camen `til to Aran, and dwelliden there.

³² And the daies of Thare weren maad two hundrid yeer and fyue, and he was deed in Aran.

Chapter 12

¹ Forsothe the Lord seide to Abram, Go thou out of thi lond, and of thi kynrede, and of the hous of thi fadir, and come thou in to the lond which Y schal schewe to thee;

² and Y schal make thee in to a greet folk, and Y schal blisse thee, and Y schal magnyfie thi name, and thou schalt be blessid;

³ Y schal blesse hem that blessen thee, and Y schal curse hem that cursen thee; and alle kynredis of erthe schulen be blessid in thee.

⁴ And so Abram yede out, as the Lord comaundide hym, and Loth yede with hym. Abram was of `thre scoor yeer and fiftene whanne he yede out of Aran.

⁵ And he took Saray, his wijf, and Loth, the sone of his brother, and al the substaunce which thei hadden in possessioun, and the men whiche thei hadden bigete in Aran; and thei yeden out that thei `schulen go in to the loond of Chanaan. And whanne they camen in to it,

⁶ Abram passide thorou the lond til to the place of Sichem, and til to the noble valey. Forsothe Chananei was thanne in the lond.

⁷ Sotheli the Lord apperide to Abram, and seide to hym, Y schal yyue this lond to thi seed. And Abram bildide there an auter to the Lord, that apperide to hym.

⁸ And fro thennus he passide forth to the hil Bethel, that was ayens the eest, and settide there his tabernacle, hauynge Bethel fro the west, and Hay fro the eest. And he bildide also there an auter to the Lord, and inwardli clepide his name.

⁹ And Abram yede goynge and goynge forth ouer to the south.

¹⁰ Sotheli hungur was maad in the lond; and Abram yede doun in to Egipt, to be a pilgrime ther, for hungur hadde maistrie in the lond.

¹¹ And whanne he was nyy to entre in to Egipt, he seide to Saray, his wijf, Y knowe that thou art a fair womman,

¹² and that whanne Egipcians schulen se thee, thei schulen seie, it is his wijf, and thei schulen sle me, and `schulen reserue thee.

¹³ Therfor, Y biseche thee, seie thou, that thou art my sistir, that it be wel to me for thee, and that my lijf lyue for loue of thee.

¹⁴ And so whanne Abram hadde entrid in to Egipt, Egipcians sien the womman that sche was ful fair; and the prynces telden to Farao, and preiseden hir anentis him;

¹⁵ and the womman was takun vp in to the hous of Farao.

¹⁶ Forsothe thei vsiden wel Abram for hir; and scheep, and oxun, and assis, and seruauntis, and seruauntessis, and sche assis, and camels weren to hym.

¹⁷ Forsothe the Lord beet Farao and his hous with moste veniaunces, for Saray, the wijf of Abram.

¹⁸ And Farao clepide Abram, and seide to hym, What is it that thou hast do to me? whi schewidist thou not to me, that sche was thi wijf?

¹⁹ for what cause seidist thou, that sche was thi sister, that Y schulde take hir in to wife to me? Now therfor lo! thi wiif; take thou hir, and go.

²⁰ And Farao comaundide to men on Abram, and thei ledden forth hym, and his wijf, and alle thingis that he hadde.

Chapter 13

¹ Therfore Abram stiede fro Egipt, he, and his wijf, and alle thingis that he hadde; and Loth stiede with hym, to the south coost.

² Forsothe he was ful riche in possessyoun of siluer and of gold.

³ And he turnede ayen bi the weye in which he cam fro the south in to Bethel, `til to the place, in which bifore he hadde sett tabernacle, bitwixe Bethel and Hay,

⁴ in the place of the auter which he made bifore, and inwardli clepide there the name of the Lord.

⁵ But also flockis of scheep, and droues of oxun, and tabernaclis weren to Loth, that was with Abram;

⁶ and the lond miyte not take hem, that thei schulden dwelle togidre, for the catel of hem was myche, and thei miyten not dwelle in comyn.

⁷ Wherfor also strijf was maad bitwixe the keperis of flockis of Abram and of Loth. Forsothe Chananei and Feresei dwelliden in that lond in that tyme.

⁸ Therfor Abram seide to Loth, Y biseche, that no strijf be bitwixe me and thee, and bitwixe my scheepherdis and thi scheepherdis; for we ben britheren.

⁹ Lo! al the lond is bifore thee, Y biseche, departe thou fro me; if thou go to the left side, Y schal holde the riyt side; if thou chese the riyt side, Y schal go to the left side.

¹⁰ And so Loth reiside hise iyen, and seiy aboute al the cuntrei of Jordan, which was al moistid, bifor that the Lord distriede Sodom and Gomorre, as paradis of the Lord, and as Egipt, as men comen in to Segor.

¹¹ And Loth chees to him the cuntre aboute Jordan, and departide fro the eest; and thei weren departid ech fro his brother.

¹² Abram dwellide in the lond of Chanaan; sotheli Loth dwellide in townes aboute Jordan, and wonide in Sodom.

¹³ Forsothe men of Sodom weren ful wickid, and synneris greetly bifore the Lord.

¹⁴ And the Lord seide to Abram, aftir that Loth was departid fro him, Reise thin iyen forth riyt, and se fro the place in which thou art now, to the north and south, to the eest and west;

¹⁵ Y schal yyue al the lond which thou seest to thee and to thi seed, til in to with outen ende.

¹⁶ And Y schal make thi seed as the dust of erthe; if ony man may noumbre the dust of erthe, also he schal mowe noumbre thi seed.

¹⁷ Therfor rise thou, and passe thorou the lond in his lengthe and breede, for Y schal yyue it to thee.

¹⁸ Therfor Abram, mouynge his tabernacle, cam and dwellide bisidis the valei of Mambre, which is in Ebron; and he bildide there an auter to the Lord.

Chapter 14

¹ Forsothe it was don in that tyme, that Amrafel, kyng of Sennaar, and Ariok, kyng of Ponte, and Chodorlaomor, kyng of Elemytis,

² and Tadal, kyng of folkis, bigunnen batel ayens Bara, kyng of Sodom, and ayens Bersa, kyng of Gomorre, and ayens Sennaar, kyng of Adama, and ayens Semeber, kyng of Seboym, and ayens the kyng of Bale; thilke Bale is Segor.

³ Alle these camen togidre in to the valey of wode, which is now the see of salt.

⁴ For in twelue yeer thei seruyden Chodorlaomor, and in the threttenthe yeer thei departiden fro hym.

⁵ Therfor Chodorlaomor cam in the fourtenthe yeer, and kyngis that weren with him, and thei `han smyte Rafaym in Astaroth Carnaym, and Susym with hem, and Emym in Sabe Cariathaym,

⁶ and Choreis in the hillis of Seir, til to the feldi placis of Faran, which is in wildirnesse.

⁷ And thei turneden ayen, and camen til to the welle Mesphath; thilke is Cades. And thei `han smyte al the cuntre of men of Amalec, and Amorrei, that dwellide in Asason Thamar.

⁸ And the kyng of Sodom, and the king of Gomorre, and the kyng of Adama, and the kyng of Seboym, also and the kyng of Bale, which is Segor, yeden out, and dressiden scheltrun ayens hem in the valei of wode,

⁹ that is, ayens Chodorlaomor, kyng of Elamytis, and Thadal, kyng of folkis, and Amrafel, kyng of Sennaar, and Ariok, kyng of Ponte; foure kyngis ayens fyue.

¹⁰ Forsothe the valey of the wode hadde many pittis of pitche; and so the kyng of Sodom and the kyng of Gomorre turneden the backis, and felden doun there; and thei that leften fledden to the hil.

¹¹ Sotheli thei token awei al the catel of Sodom and Gomorre, and alle thingis that perteynen to mete, and yeden awei;

¹² also and thei token awey Loth and his catel, the sone of the brother of Abram, which Loth dwellide in Sodom.

¹³ And, lo! oon that ascapide, telde to Abram Ebrew, that dwellide in the valei of Mambre of Amorrei, brother of Escol, and brother of Aner; for these maden couenaunt of pees with Abram.

¹⁴ And whanne Abram hadde herd this thing, that is, Loth his brothir takun, he noumbride his borun seruauntis maad redy thre hundrid and eiytene, and pursuede hem `til to Dan.

¹⁵ And whanne his felowis weren departid, he felde on hem in the niyt, and he smoot hem, and pursuede hem `til to Hoba, and Fenyce, which is at the left side of Damask.

¹⁶ And he brouyte ayen al the catel, and Loth his brother with his catel, also wymmen and the puple.

¹⁷ Sotheli the kyng of Sodom yede out in to the metyng of him, after that he turnede ayen fro sleyng of Chodorlaomor, and of kyngis that weren with him, in the valei of Sabe, which is the valey of the kyng.

¹⁸ And sotheli Melchisedech, kyng of Salem, brouyte forth breed and wyn, for he was the preest of hiyeste God;

¹⁹ and he blesside Abram, and seide, Blessid be Abram of hiy God, that made heuene and erthe of nouyt,

²⁰ and blessid be hiy God, bi whom defendynge, enemyes ben bitakun in thin hondis. And Abram yaf tithis of alle thingis to hym.

²¹ Forsothe the kyng of Sodom seide to Abram, Yyue thou the men to me; take thou othir thingis to thee.

²² And Abram answerde to hym, Y reyse myn hondis to the hiy Lord God,

²³ Lord of heuene and of erthe, that fro the threde of oof til to the layner of the hose I schal not take of alle thingis that ben thine, lest thou seie, I made Abram riche;

²⁴ out takun these thingis whiche the yonge men eeten, and the partis of men that camen with me, Aner, Escol, and Mambre; these men schulen take her partis.

Chapter 15

¹ And so whanne these thingis weren don, the word of the Lord was maad to Abram bi a visioun, and seide, Abram, nyle thou drede, Y am thi defender, and thi meede is ful greet.

² And Abram seide, Lord God, what schalt thou yyue to me? Y schal go with oute fre children, and this Damask, sone of Elieser, the procuratour of myn hous, schal be myn eir.

³ And Abram addide, Sotheli thou hast not youe seed to me, and, lo! my borun seruaunt schal be myn eir.

⁴ And anoon the word of the Lord was maad to hym, and seide, This schal not be thin eir, but thou schalt haue hym eir, that schal go out of thi wombe.

⁵ And the Lord ledde out Abram, and seide to hym, Biholde thou heuene, and noumbre thou sterris, if thou maist. And the Lord seide to Abram, So thi seed schal be.

⁶ Abram bileuede to God, and it was arettid to hym to riytfulnesse.

⁷ And God seide to hym, Y am the Lord, that ladde thee out of Vr of Caldeis, that Y schulde yyue this lond to thee, and thou schuldist haue it in possessioun.

⁸ And Abram seide, Lord God, wherbi may I wite that Y schal welde it?

⁹ And the Lord answerde, and seide, Take thou to me a cow of thre yeer, and a geet of thre yeer, and a ram of thre yeer, a turtle also, and a culuer.

¹⁰ Which took alle these thingis, and departide tho bi the myddis, and settide euer eithir partis ech ayens other; but he departide not the briddis.

¹¹ And foulis camen doun on the careyns, and Abram drof hem awey.

¹² And whanne the sunne was gon doun, drede felde on Abram, and a greet hidousenesse and derk asaylide him.

¹³ And it was seid to hym, Wite thou bifore knowinge, that thi seed schal be pilgrim foure hundrid yeer in a lond not his owne, and thei schulen make hem suget to seruage, and thei schulen turment hem;

¹⁴ netheles Y schal deme the folk to whom thei schulen serue; and aftir these thingis thei schulen go out with greet catel.

¹⁵ Forsothe thou schalt go to thi fadris in pees, and schalt be biried in good age.

¹⁶ Sotheli in the fourthe generacioun thei schulen turne ayen hidir, for the wickidnesses of Amoreis ben not yit fillid, `til to present tyme.

¹⁷ Therfor whanne the sunne was gon doun, a derk myst was maad, and a furneis smokynge apperide, and a laumpe of fier, and passide thorou tho departingis.

¹⁸ In that dai the Lord made a couenaunt of pees with Abram, and seide, Y schal yyue to thi seed this lond, fro the ryuer of Egipt til to the greet ryuer Eufrates; Cyneis,

¹⁹ and Cyneseis, and Cethmoneis, and Etheis,

²⁰ and Fereseis, and Raphaym, and Amorreis,

²¹ and Cananeis, and Gergeseis, and Jebuseis.

Chapter 16

¹ Therfor Sarai, wijf of Abram, hadde not gendrid fre children; but sche hadde a seruauntesse of Egipt, Agar bi name, and seide to hir hosebonde, Lo!

² the Lord hath closid me, that Y schulde not bere child; entre thou to my seruauntesse, if in hap Y schal take children, nameli of hir. And whanne he assentide to hir preiynge, sche took Agar Egipcian,

³ hir seruauntesse, after ten yeer aftir that thei begunne to enhabite in the lond of Chanaan, and sche yaf Agar wiif to hir hosebonde.

⁴ And Abram entride to Agar; and Agar seiy that sche hadde conseyued, and sche dispiside hir ladi.

⁵ And Saray seide to Abram, Thou doist wickidli ayens me; I yaf my seruauntesse in to thi bosum, which seeth, that sche conseyuede, and dispisith me; the Lord deme betwixe me and thee.

⁶ And Abram answerde and seide to hir, Lo! thi seruauntesse is in thin hond; vse thou hir as `it likith. Therfor for Sarai turmentide hir, sche fledde awei.

⁷ And whanne the aungel of the Lord hadde founde hir bisidis a welle of watir in wildernesse, which welle is in the weie of Sur in deseert,

⁸ he seide to hir, Fro whennus comest thou Agar, the seruauntesse of Sarai, and whidur goist thou? Which answerde, Y fle fro the face of Sarai my ladi.

⁹ And the aungel of the Lord seide to hir, Turne thou ayen to thi ladi, and be thou mekid vndur hir hondis.

¹⁰ And eft he seide, Y multipliynge schal multiplie thi seed, and it schal not be noumbrid for multitude.

¹¹ And aftirward he seide, Lo! thou hast conseyued, and thou schalt bere a sone, and thou schalt clepe his name Ismael, for the Lord hath herd thi turment;

¹² this schal be a wielde man; his hond schal be ayens alle men, and the hondis of alle men schulen be ayens him; and he schal sette tabernaclis euene ayens alle his britheren.

¹³ Forsothe Agar clepide the name of the Lord that spak to hir, Thou God that seiyest me; for sche seide, Forsothe here Y seiy the hynderere thingis of him that siy me.

¹⁴ Therfor sche clepide thilke pit, the pit of hym that lyueth and seeth me; thilk pit is bitwixe Cades and Barad.

¹⁵ And Agar childide a sone to Abram, which clepide his name Ismael.

¹⁶ Abram was of `eiyti yeere and sixe, whanne Agar childide Ysmael to hym.

Chapter 17

¹ Forsothe aftir that Abram bigan to be of nynti yeer and nyne, the Lord apperide to hym, and seide to him, Y am Almyyti God; go thou bifore me, and be thou perfit;

² and Y schal sette my couenaunt of pees bitwixe me and thee; and Y schal multiplie thee ful greetli.

³ And Abram felde doun lowe on his face.

⁴ And God seide to hym, Y am, and my couenaunt of pees is with thee, and thou schalt be the fadir of many folkis;

⁵ and thi name schal no more be clepid Abram, but thou schalt be clepid Abraham, for Y haue maad thee fadir of many folkis;

⁶ and Y schal make thee to wexe ful greetli, and Y schal sette thee in folkis, and kyngis schulen go out of thee;

⁷ and Y schal make my couenaunt bitwixe me and thee, and bitwixe thi seed after thee, in her generaciouns, bi euerlastynge bond of pees, that Y be thi God, and of thi seed after thee;

⁸ and Y schal yyue to thee and to thi seed after thee the lond of thi pilgrymage, al the lond of Chanaan, in to euerlastynge possessioun, and Y schal be the God of hem.

⁹ God seide eft to Abraham, And therfor thou schalt kepe my couenaunt, and thi seed after thee, in her generaciouns.

¹⁰ This is my couenaunt, which ye schulen kepe bitwixe me and you, and thi seed after thee; ech male kynde of you schal be circumcidid,

¹¹ and ye schulen circumside the fleisch of youre mannes yeerd, that it be in to a signe of boond of pees bytwixe me and you.

¹² A yong child of eiyte daies schal be circumsidid in you, al male kynde in youre generaciouns, as wel a borun seruaunt as a seruaunt bouyt schal be circumsidid, and who euere is of youre kynrede he schal be circumsidid;

¹³ and my couenaunt schal be in youre fleisch in to euerlastynge boond of pees.

¹⁴ A man whos fleisch of his yerde schal not be circumsidid, thilke man schal be doon a wei fro his puple; for he made voide my couenaunt.

¹⁵ Also God seide to Abraham, Thou schalt not clepe Saray, thi wijf, Sarai, but Sara;

¹⁶ and Y schal blesse hir, and of hir I schal yyue to thee a sone, whom I schal blesse, and he schal be in to naciouns, and kyngis of puplis schulen be borun of hym.

¹⁷ Abraham felde doun on his face, and leiyede in his hert, and seide, Gessist thou, whethir a sone schal be borun to a man of an hundrid yeer, and Sara of nynti yeer schal bere child?

¹⁸ And he seide to the Lord, Y wolde that Ismael lyue bifore thee.

¹⁹ And the Lord seide to Abraham, Sara, thi wijf, schal bere a sone to thee, and thou schalt clepe his name Ysaac, and Y schal make my couenaunt to hym in to euerlastynge boond of pees, and to his seed aftir hym;

²⁰ also on Ysmael Y haue herd thee, lo! Y schal blesse him, and Y schal encreesse, and Y schal multiplie him greetli; he schal gendre twelue dukis, and Y schal make hym in to a greet folk.

²¹ Forsothe Y schal make my couenaunt to Ysaac, whom Sare schal childe to thee in this tyme in the tother yeer.

²² And whanne the word of the spekere with hym was endid, God stiede fro Abraham.

²³ Forsothe Abraham took Ismael, his sone, and alle the borun seruauntis of his hous, and alle which he hadde bouyte, alle the malis of alle men of his hous, and circumsidide the fleisch of her yerde, anoon in that dai, as the Lord comaundide him.

²⁴ Abraham was of nynti yeer and nyne whanne he circumsidide the fleisch of his yeerd,

²⁵ and Ismael, his sone, hadde fillid threttene yeer in the tyme of his circumsicioun.

²⁶ Abraham was circumsidid in the same day, and Ismael his sone,

²⁷ and alle men of his hows, as wel borun seruauntis as bouyt and aliens, weren circumcidid togidre.

Chapter 18

¹ Forsothe in the valei of Mambre the Lord apperide to Abraham, sittynge in the dore of his tabernacle, in thilke heete of the dai.

² And whanne he hadde reisid his iyen, thre men apperiden to hym, and stoden nyy hym. And whanne he hadde seyn hem, he ran fro the dore of his tabernacle in to the meting of hem, and he worschipide on erthe,

³ and seide, Lord, if Y haue founde grace in thin iyen, passe thou not thi seruaunt,

⁴ but I schal brynge a litil watir, and youre feet be waischid, and reste ye vndur the tre;

⁵ and Y schal sette a mussel of breed, and youre herte be coumfortid; aftirward ye schulen passe; for herfor ye bowiden to youre seruaunt. Whiche seiden, Do thou as thou hast spoke.

⁶ Abraham hastide in to the tabernacle, to Sare, and seide to hir, Hast thou, meddle thou thre half buschelis of clene flour; and make thou looues bakun vndur aischis.

⁷ Forsothe he ran to the droue of beestis, and took therof a calf moost tendre and best, and yaf to a child, which hastide, and sethede the calfe;

⁸ and he took botere, and mylk, and the calf which he hadde sode, and settide bifore hem; forsothe Abraham stood bisidis hem vndur the tre.

⁹ And whanne thei hadden ete, thei seiden to hym, Where is Sare thi wijf? He answerde, Lo! sche is in the tabernacle.

¹⁰ To whom the Lord seide, Y schal turne ayen, and Y schal come to thee in this tyme, if Y lyue; and Sare, thi wijf, schal haue a sone. Whanne this was herd, Sare leiyede bihynde the dore of the tabernacle.

¹¹ Forsothe bothe weren olde, and of greet age, and wommans termes ceessiden to be maad to Sare.

¹² And she leiyede, seiynge pryueli, after that Y wexede eld, and my lord is eld, schal Y yyue diligence to lust?

¹³ Forsothe the Lord seide to Abraham, Whi leiyeth Sare, thi wijf, seiynge, whether Y an eld womman schal bere child verili?

¹⁴ whether ony thing is hard to God? Bi the biheeste Y schal turne ayen to thee in this same tyme, if Y lyue; and Sara schal haue a sone.

¹⁵ Sare was aferd for drede, and denyede, seiynge, Y leiyede not. Forsothe the Lord seide, It is not so, but thou leiyedist.

¹⁶ Therfor whanne the men hadden risen fro thennus, thei dressiden the iyen ayens Sodom; and Abraham yede to gidre, ledynge hem forth.

¹⁷ And the Lord seide, Wher Y mowe hele fro Abraham what thingis Y schal do,

¹⁸ sithen he schal be in to a greet folk and moost strong, and alle naciouns of erthe schulen be blessid in hym?

¹⁹ For Y woot that Abraham schal comaunde hise children, and his hows after hym, that thei kepe the weie of the Lord, and that thei do riytfulnesse and dom, that the Lord bringe for Abraham alle thingis whiche he spak to Abraham.

²⁰ And so the Lord seide, The cry of men of Sodom and of men of Gomorre is multiplied, and her synne is agreggid greetli; Y schal come doun,

²¹ and schal se whether thei han fillid in werk the cry that cam to me, that Y wite whether it is not so.

²² And thei turneden han fro thennus, and yeden to Sodom. Abraham sotheli stood yit bifore the Lord,

²³ and neiyede, and seide, Whether thou schalt leese a iust man with the wickid man?

²⁴ if fifti iust men ben in the citee, schulen thei perische togidere, and schalt thou not spare that place for fifti iust men, if thei ben ther ynne?

²⁵ Fer be it fro thee that thou do this thing, and sle a iust man with a wickid man, and that a iust man be maad as a wickid man; this is not thin that demest al erthe; thou schalt not make this doom.

²⁶ And the Lord seide to him, If Y schal fynde in Sodom fifti iust men in the myddis of the citee, Y schal foryyue to al the place for hem.

²⁷ Abraham answerde and seide, For Y bigan onys, Y schal speke to my Lord, sithen Y am dust and aische;

²⁸ what if lesse than fifti iust men bi fyue ben, schalt thou do a wey al the cite for fyue and fourti? And the Lord seide, Y schal not do a wei, if I schal fynde fyue and fourti there.

²⁹ And eft Abraham seide to hym, But if fourti ben there, what schalt thou do? The Lord seide, Y schal not smyte for fourti.

³⁰ Abraham seide, Lord, Y biseche, take thou not to indignacioun, if Y speke; what if thretti be foundun there? The Lord answerde, Y schal not do, if Y schal fynde thretti there.

³¹ Abraham seide, For Y bigan onys, Y schal speke to my Lord; what if twenti be foundun there? The Lord seide, Y schal not sle for twenti.

³² Abraham seide, Lord, Y biseche, be thou not wrooth, if Y speke yit onys; what if ten be founden there? The Lord seide, Y schal not do a wey for ten.

³³ The Lord yede forth, after that he ceesside to speke to Abraham, and Abraham turnede ayen in to his place.

Chapter 19

¹ And tweyne aungels camen to Sodom in the euentide, while Loth sat in the yatis of the citee. And whanne he hadde seyn hem, he roos, and yede ayens hem, and worschipide lowe to erthe,

² and seide, My lordis, Y biseche, bowe ye in to the hous of youre child, and dwelle ye there; waische ye youre feet, and in the morewtid ye schulen go in to youre weie. Whiche seiden, Nay, but we schulen dwelle in the street.

³ He constreynede hem greetli, that thei schulden turne to hym. And whanne thei weren entrid in to his hous, he made a feeste, he bakide therf breed, and thei eten.

⁴ Forsothe bifore that thei yeden to sleepe, men of the citee compassiden his hows, fro a child `til to an eld man, al the puple togidre;

⁵ and thei clepiden Loth, and seiden to him, Where ben the men that entriden to thee to nyyt? brynge hem out hidur, that we `knowe hem.

⁶ And Loth yede out to hem `bihynde the bak, and closide the dore,

⁷ and seide, Y biseche, nyle ye, my britheren, nyle ye do this yuel.

⁸ Y haue twey douytris, that knewen not yit man; Y schal lede out hem to you, and mys vse ye hem as it plesith you, so that ye doon noon yuel to these men, for thei entriden vndur the schadewe of my roof.

⁹ And thei seiden, Go thou fro hennus. And eft thei seiden, Thou entridist as a comelyng; wher that thou deme? therfor we schulen turment thee more than these. And thei diden violentli to Loth ful greetli. Thanne it was nyy that thei wolden breke the doris; and lo!

¹⁰ the men puttiden hoond, and ledden in Loth to hem, and thei closiden the dore.

¹¹ And thei smyten with blyndenesse hem that weren withoutforth, fro the leest til to the moost; so that thei myyten not fynde the dore.

¹² Forsothe thei seiden to Loth, Hast thou here ony man of thine, hosebonde of thi douyter, ethir sones, ethir douytris; lede thou out of this citee alle men that ben thine,

¹³ for we schulen do a wey this place, for the cry of hem encreesside bifor the Lord, which sente vs that we leese hem.

¹⁴ And so Loth yede out, and spak to the hosebondys of his douytris, that schulden take hise douytris, and seide, Rise ye, and go ye out of this place; for the Lord schal do awey this citee. And he was seyn to hem to speke as pleiynge.

¹⁵ And whanne the morewtid was, the aungels constreyneden hym, and seiden, Rise thou, and take thi wijf, and thi twey douytris whiche thou hast, lest also thou perische to gidere in the synne of the citee.

¹⁶ While he dissymelide, thei token his hond, and the hond of his wijf, and of his twey doutris; for the Lord sparide hym.

¹⁷ And thei ledden out hym, and settiden with out the citee. There thei spaken to him, and seiden, Saue thou thi lijf; nyle thou biholde bihynde thi bac, nether stond thou in al the cuntre aboute, but make thee saaf in the hil; lest also thou perische togidere.

¹⁸ And Loth seide to hem, My lord, Y biseche,

¹⁹ for thi seruaunt hath founde grace bifore thee, and thou hast magnyfied thi grace and mercy, which thou hast do with me, that thou schuldist saue my lijf; Y may not be saued in the hil, lest perauenture yuel take me, and Y die;

²⁰ a litil citee is here bisidis, to which Y may fle, and Y schal be saued ther ynne; where it is not a litil citee? and my soule schal lyue ther ynne.

²¹ And he seide to Loth, Lo! also in this Y haue resseyued thi preieris, that Y distrye not the citee, for which thou hast spoke;

²² haste thou, and be thou saued there, for Y may not do ony thing til thou entre thidur. Therfor the name of that citee was clepid Segor.

²³ The sunne roos on erthe, and Loth entride in to Segor.

²⁴ Therfor the Lord reynede on Sodom and Gomorre brynston and fier, fro the Lord fro heuene,

²⁵ and distriede these citees, and al the cuntrey aboute; he destriede alle enhabiters of citees, and all grene thingis of erthe.

²⁶ And his wijf lokide abac, and was turned in to an ymage of salt.

²⁷ Forsothe Abraham risynge eerly, where he stood bifore with the Lord,

²⁸ bihelde Sodom and Gomorre, and al the lond of that cuntrey; and he seiy a deed sparcle stiynge fro erthe, as the smoke of a furneis.

²⁹ For whanne God distriede the citees of that cuntrey, he hadde mynde of Abraham, and delyuerede Loth fro destriynge of the citees in whiche he dwellide.

³⁰ And Loth stiede fro Segor, and dwellide in the hil, and hise twey douytris with him, for he dredde to dwelle in Segor; and he dwellide in a denne, he and his twey douytris with hym.

³¹ And the more douytre seide to the lasse, Oure fadre is eld, and no man is left in erthe, that may entre to vs, bi the custom of al erthe;

³² come thou, make we him drunkun of wyn, and slepe we with him, that we moun kepe seed of oure fadir.

³³ And so thei yauen to her fadir to drynke wyn in that nyyt, and the more douyter entrede, and slepte with hir fadir; and he feelide not, nethir whanne the douytir lay doun, nether whanne sche roos.

³⁴ And in the tothir dai the more douytir seide to the lasse, Lo! Y slepte yistirdai with my fadir, yyue we to hym to drynk wyn also in this nyyt; and thou schalt slepe with hym, that we saue seed of oure fadir.

³⁵ And thei yauen to her fadir also in that nyyt to drynke wyn, and the lesse douytir entride, and slepte with him; and sotheli he feelide not thanne whanne sche lay doun, nether whanne sche roos.

³⁶ Therfor the twei douytris of Loth conseyuede of hir fadir.

³⁷ And the more douytre childide a sone, and clepide his name Moab; he is the fadir of men of Moab `til in to present dai.

³⁸ And the lesse douyter childide a sone, and clepide his name Amon, that is, the sone of my puple; he is the fadir of men of Amon til to day.

Chapter 20

¹ Abraham yede forth fro thennus in to the lond of the south, and dwellide bitwixe Cades and Sur, and was a pilgrym in Geraris;

² and he seide of Sare, his wijf, Sche is my sistir. Therfor Abymalec, kyng of Gerare, sente, and took hir.

³ Sotheli God cam to Abymalec bi a sweuene in the nyyt, and seide to hym, Lo! thou schalt die, for the wooman which thou hast take, for sche hath an hosebond.

⁴ Forsothe Abymalech touchide not hir; and he seide, Lord, whether thou schalt sle folc vnkunnynge and iust?

⁵ Whether he seide not to me, Sche is my sistir, and sche seide, He is my brother? In the symplenesse of myn herte, and in the clennesse of myn hondis Y dide this.

⁶ And the Lord seide to hym, And Y woot that thou didist bi symple herte, and therfor Y kepte thee, lest thou didist synne ayens me, and I suffride not that thou touchidist hir;

⁷ now therfor yelde thou the wijf to hir hosebonde, for he is a profete; and he schal preye for thee, and thou schalt lyue; sotheli if thou nylte yelde, wite thou that thou schalt die bi deeth, thou and alle thingis that ben thine.

⁸ And anoon Abynalech roos bi nyyt, and clepide alle his seruauntis, and spak alle these wordis in the eeris of hem; and alle men dredden greetli.

⁹ Sotheli Abymalec clepide also Abraham, and seide to hym, What hast thou do to vs? what synneden we ayens thee, for thou hast brouyt in on me and on my rewme a greuouse synne? thou hast do to vs whiche thingis thou ouytist not do.

¹⁰ And eft Abimalech axide, and seide, What thing seiyist thou, that thou woldist do this?

¹¹ Abraham answerde, Y thouyte with me, and seide, in hap the drede of God is not in this place; and thei schulen sle me for my wijf;

¹² in other maner forsothe and sche is my sister verili, the douyter of my fadir, and not the douyter of my moder; and Y weddide hir in to wijf;

¹³ sotheli aftir that God ladde me out of the hous of my fadir, Y seide to hir, Thou schalt do this mercy with me in ech place to which we schulen entre; thou schalt seie, that Y am thi brother.

¹⁴ Therfore Abymelech took scheep, and oxun, and seruauntis, and handmaydenes, and yaf to Abraham; and he yeldide to him Sare, `his wijf, and seide, The lond is bifor you;

¹⁵ dwelle thou, where euere it plesith thee. Forsothe Abymelech seide to Sare, Lo!

¹⁶ Y yaf a thousand platis of siluer to thi brother; this schal be to thee in to hiling of iyen to al men that ben with thee; and whider euere thou goist, haue thou mynde that thou art takun.

¹⁷ Sotheli for Abraham preiede, God curide Abymelech, and his wijf, and handmaydens, and thei childiden;

¹⁸ for God hadde closid ech wombe of the hows of Abymelech, for Sare, the wijf of Abraham.

Chapter 21

¹ Forsothe God visitide Sare, as he bihiyte, and fillide tho thingis, that he spak.

² And sche conseyuede, and childide a sone in hir eeld, in the tyme wherynne God biforseide to hir.

³ And Abraham clepide the name of his sone, whom Sare childide to him, Ysaac.

⁴ And Abraham circumcidide hym in the eiyte dai, as God comaundide to him,

⁵ whanne he was of an hundrid yeer; for Ysaac was borun in this age of the fadir.

⁶ And Sare seide, The Lord made leiyynge to me, and who euer schal here schal leiye with me.

⁷ And eft sche seide, Who schulde here, and bileue to Abraham, that Sare schulde yyue soukyng to a sone, whom sche childide to him now an eld man?

⁸ Therfor the child encreesside, and was wenyd; and Abraham made a greet feeste in the dai of his wenyng.

⁹ And whanne Sare seiy the sone of Agar Egipcian pleiynge with Ysaac hir sone, sche seide to Abraham,

¹⁰ Cast thou out the handmayde and hir sone; for the sone of the handmayde schal not be eir with my sone Ysaac.

¹¹ Abraham took this heuyli for his sone;

¹² and God seide to hym, Be it not seyn scharp to thee on the child, and on thin handmayde; alle thingis whiche Sare seith to thee, here thou hir vois, for in Isaac seed schal be clepid to thee;

¹³ but also I schal make the sone of the handmaid in to a greet folk, for he is thi seed.

¹⁴ And so Abraham roos eerli, and took breed, and a botel of watir, and puttide on hir schuldre, and bitook the child, and lefte hir; and whanne sche hadde go, sche yede out of the weie in the wildirnesse of Bersabee.

¹⁵ And whanne the watir in the botel was endid, sche castide awei the child vndur a tre that was there;

¹⁶ and sche yede awei, and sche sat euene ayens as fer as a bowe may caste; for sche seide, Y schal not se the child diynge; and sche sat ayens, and reiside hir vois, and wepte.

¹⁷ Forsothe the Lord herde the vois of the child, and the aungel of the Lord clepide Agar fro heuene, and seide, What doist thou, Agar? nyle thou drede, for God hath herd the vois of the child fro the place where ynne he is.

¹⁸ Rise thou, and take the child, and holde his hoond; for Y schal make hym in to a greet folc.

¹⁹ And God openyde hir iyen, and sche seiy a pit of watir, and sche yede, and fillide the botel, and sche yaf drynk to the child;

²⁰ and was with him, and he encresside, and dwellide in wildernesse, and he was maad a yong man an archer,

²¹ and dwellide in the deseert of Faran; and his modir took to him a wijf of the lond of Egipt.

²² In the same tyme Abymelech, and Ficol, prince of his oost, seide to Abraham, God is with thee in alle thingis whiche thou doist;

²³ therfore swere thou bi God that thou noye not me, and myn eiris, and my kynrede; but bi the mersi whych Y dide to thee, do thou to me, and to the lond in which thou lyuedist a comelyng.

²⁴ And Abraham seide, Y schal swere.

²⁵ And he blamyde Abymelech for the pit of watir, which hise seruauntis token awey bi violence.

²⁶ And Abymelech answerde, I wiste not who dide this thing, but also thou schewidist not to me, and Y herde not outakun to dai.

²⁷ And so Abraham took scheep and oxun, and yaf to Abymalech, and bothe smyten a boond of pees.

²⁸ And Abraham settide seuene ewe lambren of the flok asidis half.

²⁹ And Abymelech seide to hym, What wolen these seuene ewe lambren to hem silf, whiche thou madist stonde asidis half?

³⁰ And he seide, Thou schalt take of myn hond seuene ewe lambren, that tho be in to witnessyng to me, for Y diggide this pit.

³¹ Therfor thilke place was clepid Bersabee, for euere eithir swore there;

³² and thei maden boond of pees for the pit of an ooth.

³³ Forsothe Abymelech roos, and Ficol, prince of his chyualrie, and thei turneden ayen in to the lond of Palestyns. Sotheli Abraham plauntide a wode in Bersabee, and inwardli clepide there the name of euerlastinge God;

³⁴ and he was an erthetiliere ether a comelynge of the lond of Palestynes in many dayes.

Chapter 22

¹ And aftir that these thingis weren don, God assaiede Abraham, and seide to hym, Abraham! Abraham! He answerde, Y am present.

² God seide to him, Take thi `sone oon gendrid, whom thou louest, Ysaac; and go into the lond of visioun, and offre thou hym there in to brent sacrifice, on oon of the hillis whiche Y schal schewe to thee.

³ Therfor Abraham roos bi niyt, and sadlide his asse, and ledde with hym twey yonge men, and Ysaac his sone; and whanne he hadde hewe trees in to brent sacrifice, he yede to the place which God hadde comaundid to him.

⁴ Forsothe in the thridde dai he reiside hise iyen, and seiy a place afer;

⁵ and he seide to hise children, Abide ye here with the asse, Y and the child schulen go thidur; and aftir that we han worschipid, we schulen turne ayen to you.

⁶ And he took the trees of brent sacrifice, and puttide on Ysaac his sone; forsothe he bar fier, and a swerd in hise hondis. And whanne thei tweyne yeden togidere, Isaac seide to his fadir, My fadir!

⁷ And he answerde, What wolt thou, sone? He seide, Lo! fier and trees, where is the beeste of brent sacrifice?

⁸ Abraham seide, My sone, God schal puruey to hym the beeste of brent sacrifice.

⁹ Therfor thei yeden to gidere, and camen to the place whiche God hadde schewid to hym, in which place Abraham bildide an auter, and dresside trees a boue; and whanne he hadde bounde to gidere Ysaac, his sone, he puttide Ysaac in the auter, on the heep of trees.

¹⁰ And he helde forth his hond, and took the swerd to sacrifice his sone.

¹¹ And lo! an aungel of the Lord criede fro heuene, and seide, Abraham! Abraham!

¹² Which answerde, I am present. And the aungel seide to hym, Holde thou not forth thin honde on the child, nether do thou ony thing to him; now Y haue knowe that thou dredist God, and sparidist not thin oon gendrid sone for me.

¹³ Abraham reiside hise iyen, and he seiy `bihynde his bak a ram cleuynge bi hornes among breris, which he took, and offride brent sacrifice for the sone.

¹⁴ And he clepide the name of that place, The Lord seeth; wherfore it is seyd, til to dai, The Lord schal see in the hil.

¹⁵ Forsothe the aungel of the Lord clepide Abraham the secounde tyme fro heuene,

¹⁶ and seide, The Lord seith, Y haue swore bi my silf, for thou hast do this thing, and hast not sparid thin oon gendrid for me,

¹⁷ Y schal blesse thee, and Y schal multiplie thi seed as the sterris of heuene, and as grauel which is in the brynk of the see; thi seed schal gete the yatis of hise enemyes;

¹⁸ and alle the folkis of erthe schulen be blessid in thi seed, for thou obeiedist to my vois.

¹⁹ Abraham turnede ayen to hise children, and thei yeden to Bersabee to gidere, and he dwellide there.

²⁰ And so whanne these thingis weren don, it was teld to Abraham that also Melcha hadde bore sones to Nachor his brother;

²¹ Hus the firste gendrid, and Buz his brothir, and Chamuhel the fadir of Sireis,

²² and Cased, and Asan, and Feldas,

²³ and Jedlaf, and Batuhel, of whom Rebecca was borun; Melcha childide these eiyte to Nachor brother of Abraham.

²⁴ Forsothe his concubyn, Roma bi name, childide Thabee, and Gaon, and Thaas, and Maacha.

Chapter 23

¹ Forsothe Sare lyuede an hundrid and seuene and twenti yeer,

² and diede in the citee of Arbee, which is Ebron, in the lond of Chanaan; and Abraham cam to biweyle and biwepe hir.

³ And whanne he hadde rise fro the office of the deed bodi, he spak to the sones of Heth, and seide,

⁴ Y am a comelyng and a pilgrym anentis you; yyue ye to me riyt of sepulcre with you, that Y birie my deed body.

⁵ And the sones of Heth answeriden, and seiden, Lord, here thou vs;

⁶ thou art the prince of God anentis vs; birie thou thi deed bodi in oure chosun sepulcris, and no man schal mow forbede thee, that ne thou birie thi deed bodi in the sepulcre of him.

⁷ And Abraham roos, and worschipide the puple of the lond, that is, the sones of Heth.

⁸ And he seide to hem, If it plesith youre soule that Y birie my deed bodi, here ye me, and preie ye for me to Efron, the sone of Seor,

⁹ that he yyue to me the double caue, whiche he hath in the vttirmoste part of his feeld; for sufficiaunt money yyue he it to me bifore you into possessioun of sepulcre.

¹⁰ Forsothe Efron dwellide in the myddis of the sones of Heth. And Efron answerde to Abraham, while alle men herden that entriden bi the yate of that citee,

¹¹ and seide, My lord, it schal not be doon so, but more herkne thou that that Y seie; Y yyue to thee the feeld, and the denne which is therine, while the sones of my puple ben present; birie thou thi deed bodi.

¹² Abraham worschipide bifor the Lord, and bifor the puple of the lond,

¹³ and he spak to Efron, while his puple stood aboute, Y biseche, that thou here me; Y schal yyue money for the feeld, resseyue thou it, and so Y schal birie my deed bodi in the feeld.

¹⁴ And Efron answerde, My lord,

¹⁵ here thou me, the lond which thou axist is worth foure hundrid siclis of siluer, that is the prijs bitwixe me and thee, but hou myche is this? birie thou thi deed bodi.

¹⁶ And whanne Abraham hadde herd this, he noumbride the monei which Efron axide, while the sones of Heth herden, foure hundrid siclis of siluer, and of preuyd comyn monei.

¹⁷ And the feeld that was sumtyme of Efron, in which feeld was a double denne, biholdinge to Mambre, as wel thilke feeld as the denne and alle the trees therof, in alle termes therof bi cumpas, was confermed to Abraham in to possessioun,

¹⁸ while the sones of Heth seiyen and alle men that entriden bi the yate of that citee.

¹⁹ And so Abraham biriede Sare, his wijf, in the double denne of the feeld, that bihelde to Mambre; this is Ebron in the lond of Chanaan.

²⁰ And the feeld, and the denne that was therynne, was confermyd of the sones of Heth to Abraham, in to possessioun of sepulcre.

Chapter 24

¹ Forsothe Abraham was eld, and of many daies, and the Lord hadde blessid hym in alle thingis.

² And he seide to the eldere seruaunt of his hows, that was souereyn on alle thingis that he hadde, Put thou thin hond vndur myn hipe,

³ that Y coniure thee bi the Lord God of heuene and of erthe, that thou take not a wijf to my sone of the douytris of Chanaan, among whiche Y dwelle;

⁴ but that thou go to my lond and kynrede, and therof take a wijf to my sone Ysaac.

⁵ The seruaunt aunswerde, If the womman nyle come with me in to this lond, whether Y owe lede ayen thi sone to the place, fro which thou yedist out?

⁶ Abraham seide, Be war, lest ony tyme thou lede ayen thidur my sone;

⁷ the Lord of heuene that took me fro the hows of my fadir, and fro the lond of my birthe, which spak to me, and swoor, and seide, Y schal yyue this lond to thi seed, he schal sende his aungel bifore thee, and thou schalt take fro thennus a wijf to my sone; forsothe if the womman nyle sue thee,

⁸ thou schalt not be holdun bi the ooth; netheles lede not ayen my sone thidur.

⁹ Therfore the seruaunt puttide his hond vndur the hipe of Abraham, his lord, and swoor to him on this word.

¹⁰ And he took ten camels of the floc of his lord, and yede forth, and bar with him of alle the goodis of his lord; and he yede forth, and cam to Mesopotanye, to the citee of Nachor.

¹¹ And whanne he hadde maad the camels to reste with out the citee, bisidis the pit of watir, in the euentid, in that tyme in which wymmen ben wont to go out to drawe watir,

¹² he seide, Lord God of my lord Abraham, Y biseche, meete with me to dai, and do mersi with my lord Abraham.

¹³ Lo! Y stonde nyy the welle of watir, and the douytris of enhabiters of this citee schulen go out to drawe watir;

¹⁴ therfor the damysel to which Y schal seie, Bowe doun thi watir pot that Y drynke, and schal answere, Drynke thou, but also Y schal yyue drynke to thi camels, thilke it is which thou hast maad redi to thi seruaunt Ysaac; and bi this Y schal vndirstonde that thou hast do mersi with my lord Abraham.

¹⁵ And he hadde not yit fillid the wordis with ynne hym silf, and lo! Rebecca, the douytir of Batuel, sone of Melcha, wijf of Nachor, brothir of Abraham, yede out, hauynge a watir pot in hir schuldre;

¹⁶ a damysel ful comeli, and faireste virgyn, and vnknowun of man. Sotheli sche cam doun to the welle, and fillide the watir pot, and turnide ayen.

¹⁷ And the seruaunt mette hir, and seide, Yyue thou to me a litil of the watir of thi pot to drynke.

¹⁸ Which answerde, Drynke thou, my lord. And anoon sche dide doun the watir pot on hir schuldre, and yaf drynk to hym.

¹⁹ And whanne he hadde drunke, sche addide, But also Y schal drawe watir to thi camelis, til alle drynken.

²⁰ And sche helde out the watir pot in trouyis, and ran ayen to the pit, to drawe watir, and sche yaf watir drawun to alle the camels.

²¹ Sotheli he bihelde hir priueli, and wolde wite whether the Lord hadde sped his wei, ethir nay.

²² Therfor after that the camels drunken, the man brouyte forth goldun eere ryngis, weiynge twei siclis, and as many bies of the arm, in the weiyte of ten siclis.

²³ And he seide to hir, Whos douyter art thou? schewe thou to me, is ony place in the hows of thi fadir to dwelle?

²⁴ Which answerde, Y am the douyter of Batuel, sone of Nachor, whom Melcha childide to him.

²⁵ And sche addide, seiynge, Also ful myche of prouendre and of hey is at vs, and a large place to dwelle.

²⁶ The man bowide hym silf,

²⁷ and worschipide the Lord, and seide, Blessid be the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which God took not aweie his mersy and treuthe fro my lord, and ledde me bi riyt weie in to the hous of the brother of my lord.

²⁸ And so the damesel ran, and telde in the hous of hir modir alle thingis whiche sche hadde herd.

²⁹ Sotheli Rebecca hadde a brothir, Laban bi name, whiche yede out hastili to the man, where he was with out forth.

³⁰ And whanne he hadde seyn the eere ryngis and byes of the arm in the hondis of his sister, and hadde herd alle the wordis of hir tellynge, the man spak to me these thingis, he cam to the man that stood bisidis the camels, and nyy the welle of watir,

³¹ and seide to him, Entre thou, the blessid of the Lord; whi stondist thou with outforth? I haue maad redi the hows, and a place to thi camels.

³² And he brouyte hym in to the ynne, and unsadlide the camels, and yaf prouendre, and hey, and watir to waische the feet of camels, and of men that camen with hym.

³³ And breed was set forth in his siyt, which seide, Y schal not ete til Y speke my wordis. He answerde to the man, Speke thou.

³⁴ And the man seide, Y am the seruaunt of Abraham,

³⁵ and the Lord hath blessid my lord greetli, and he is maad greet; and God yaf to hym scheep, and oxun, siluer, and gold, seruauntis, and handmaides, camels, and assis.

³⁶ And Sare, `the wijf of my lord, childide a sone to my lord in his eelde, and he yaf alle thingis that he hadde to that sone.

³⁷ And my lord chargide me greetli, and seide, Thou schalt not take to my sone a wijf of the douytris of Canaan, in whos lond Y dwelle,

³⁸ but thou schalt go to the hous of my fadir, and of myn kynrede thou schalt take a wijf to my sone.

³⁹ Forsothe Y answerde to my lord, What if the womman nyle come with me?

⁴⁰ He seide, The Lord in whose siyt Y go, schal sende his aungel with thee, and he schal dresse thi weie; and thou schalt take a wijf to my sone of my kynrede, and of my fadris hows.

⁴¹ Thou schalt be innocent fro my curs, whanne thou comest to my kynesmen, and thei yyuen not `the womman to thee.

⁴² Therfor Y cam to day to the welle of watir, and Y seide, Lord God of my lord Abraham, if thou hast dressid my weie in which Y go now, lo!

⁴³ Y stonde bisidis the welle of watir, and the maide that schal go out to drawe watir herith me, yyue thou to me a litil of water to drynke of thi pot,

⁴⁴ and seith to me, And thou drynke, and Y schal drawe watir to thi camels, thilke is the womman which the Lord hath maad redi to the sone of my lord.

⁴⁵ While Y turnede in thouyte these thingis with me, Rebecca apperide, comynge with a pot which sche bare in the schuldre; and sche yede doun to the welle, and drowe watir. And Y seide to hir, Yyue thou a litil to me to drynke; and sche hastide,

⁴⁶ and dide doun the pot of the schuldre, and seide to me, And thou drynke, and Y schal yyue drynke to thi camels; Y drank, and watride the camels.

⁴⁷ And Y axide hir, and seide, Whos douytir art thou? Which answerde, Y am the douytir of Batuel, sone of Nachor, whom Melcha childide to him. And so Y hangide eere ryngis to ourne hir face, and Y puttide bies of the arm in hir hondis,

⁴⁸ and lowliche Y worschipide the Lord, and Y blessid the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which God ledde me bi riyt weie, that Y schulde take the douytir of the brothir of my lord to his sone.

⁴⁹ Wherfor if ye don mercy and treuthe with `my lord, schewe ye to me; ellis if othir thing plesith, also seie ye this, that Y go to the riyt side ethir to the left side.

⁵⁰ Laban and Batuel answeriden, The word is gon out of the Lord; we moun not speke ony other thing with thee without his plesaunce.

⁵¹ Lo! Rebecca is bifore thee; take thou hir, and go forth, and be sche wijf of the sone of thi lord, as the Lord spak.

⁵² And whanne the child of Abraham hadde herd this, he felde doun, and worschipide the Lord in erthe.

⁵³ And whanne vessels of siluer, and of gold, and clothis weren brouyt forth, he yaf tho to Rebecca for yifte, and he yaf yiftis to hir britheren, and modir.

⁵⁴ And whanne a feeste was maad, thei eeten and drunken to gider, and dwelliden there. Forsothe the child roos eerli, and spak, Delyuere ye me, that Y go to my lord.

⁵⁵ Hir britheren and modir answerden, The damesele dwelle nameli ten daies at vs, and aftirward sche schal go forth.

⁵⁶ The child seide, Nyle ye holde me, for the Lord hath dressid my weie; delyuere ye me, that I go to my lord.

⁵⁷ And thei seiden, Clepe we the damysele, and axe we hir wille.

⁵⁸ And whanne sche was clepid, and cam, thei axiden, Wolt thou go with this man?

⁵⁹ And sche seide, Y schal go. Therfor they delyueriden hir, and hir nurse, and the seruaunt of Abraham, and hise felowis, and wischiden prosperitees to her sister,

⁶⁰ and seiden, Thou art oure sister, encreesse thou in to a thousand thousandis, and thi seed gete the yatis of hise enemyes.

⁶¹ Therfor Rebecca and hir damesels stieden on the camels, and sueden the man, which turnede ayen hasteli to his lord.

⁶² In that tyme Ysaac walkide bi the weie that ledith to the pit, whos name is of hym that lyueth and seeth; for he dwellide in the south lond.

⁶³ And he yede out to thenke in the feeld, for the dai was `bowid thanne; and whanne he hadde reisid the iyen, he seiy camels comynge afer.

⁶⁴ And whanne Ysaac was seyn, Rebecca liyte doun of the camel,

⁶⁵ and seide to the child, Who is that man that cometh bi the feeld in to the metyng of vs? And the child seide to hir, He is my lord. And sche took soone a mentil, and hilide hir.

⁶⁶ Forsothe the seruaunt tolde to his lord Ysaac alle thingis whiche he hadde do;

⁶⁷ which Ysaac ledde hir in to the tabernacle of Sare, his modir, and took hir to wijf; and so myche he louede hir, that he temperide the sorewe which bifelde of the deeth of the modir.

Chapter 25

¹ Forsothe Abraham weddide another wijf, Ceture bi name,

² which childide to him Samram, and Jexan, and Madan, and Madian, and Jesboth, and Sue.

³ Also Jexan gendride Saba and Dadan. Forsothe the sones of Dadan weren Asurym, and Lathusym, and Laomym.

⁴ And sotheli of Madian was borun Efa, and Ofer, and Enoth, and Abida, and Heldaa; alle these weren the sones of Cethure.

⁵ And Abraham yaf alle thingis whiche he hadde in possessioun to Isaac;

⁶ sotheli he yaf yiftis to the sones of concubyns; and Abraham, while he lyuede yit, departide hem fro Ysaac, his sone, to the eest coost.

⁷ Forsothe the daies of lijf of Abraham weren an hundrid and `fyue and seuenti yeer;

⁸ and he failide, and diede in good eelde, and of greet age, and ful of daies, and he was gaderid to his puple.

⁹ And Ysaac and Ismael, his sones, birieden him in the double denne, which is set in the feeld of Efron, sone of Seor Ethei,

¹⁰ euene ayens Mambre, which denne he bouyte of the sones of Heth; and he was biried there, and Sare his wijf.

¹¹ And aftir the deeth of Abraham God blesside Isaac his sone, which dwellide bisidis the pit bi name of hym that lyueth and seeth.

¹² These ben the generaciouns of Ismael, sone of Abraham, whom Agar Egipcian, seruauntesse of Sare, childide to Abraham;

¹³ and these ben the names of the sones of Ismael, in her names and generaciouns. The firste gendride of Ismael was Nabaioth, aftirward Cedar, and Abdeel, and Mabsan,

¹⁴ and Masma, and Duma, and Massa,

¹⁵ and Adad, and Thema, and Ithur, and Nafir, and Cedma.

¹⁶ These weren the sones of Ismael, and these weren names by castels and townes of hem, twelue princes of her lynagis.

¹⁷ And the yeeris of lijf of Ismael weren maad an hundrid and seuene and thretti, and he failide, and diede, and was put to his puple.

¹⁸ Forsothe he enhabitide fro Euila til to Sur, that biholdith Egipt, as me entrith in to Assiriens; he diede bifore alle his britheren.

¹⁹ Also these ben the generaciouns of Ysaac sone of Abraham. Abraham gendride Isaac,

²⁰ and whanne Isaac was of fourti yeer, he weddide a wijf, Rebecca, douyter of Batuel, of Sirie of Mesopotanye, the sistir of Laban.

²¹ And Isaac bisouyte the Lord for his wijf, for sche was bareyn; and the Lord herde him, and yaf conseiuyng to Rebecca.

²² But the litle children weren hurtlid togidre in hir wombe; and sche seide, If it was so to comynge to me, what nede was it to conseyue? And sche yede and axide counsel of the Lord,

²³ which answerde, and seide, Twei folkis ben in thi wombe, and twei puplis schulen be departid fro thi wombe, and a puple schal ouercome a puple, and the more schal serue the lesse.

²⁴ Thanne the tyme of childberyng cam, and lo! twei children weren foundun in hir wombe.

²⁵ He that yede out first was reed, and al rouy in the manere of a skyn; and his name was clepid Esau.

²⁶ Anoon the tothir yede out, and helde with the hond the heele of the brother; and therfore he clepide him Jacob. Isaac was sixti yeer eeld, whanne the litle children weren borun.

²⁷ And whanne thei weren woxun, Esau was maad a man kunnynge of huntyng, and a man erthe tilier; forsothe Jacob was a symple man, and dwellide in tabernaclis.

²⁸ Isaac louyde Esau, for he eet of the huntyng of Esau; and Rebecca louyde Jacob.

²⁹ Sotheli Jacob sethide potage; and whanne Esau cam weri fro the feld,

³⁰ he seide to Jacob, Yyue thou to me of this reed sething, for Y am ful weri; for which cause his name was clepid Edom.

³¹ And Jacob seide to him, Sille to me the riyt of the first gendrid childe.

³² He answerde, Lo! Y die, what schulen the firste gendrid thingis profite to me?

³³ Jacob seide, therfor swere thou to me. Therfor Esau swoor, and selde the firste gendrid thingis.

³⁴ And so whanne he hadde take breed and potage, Esau eet and drank, and yede forth, and chargide litil that he hadde seld the riyt of the firste gendrid child.

Chapter 26

¹ Forsothe for hungur roos on the lond, aftir thilke bareynesse that bifelde in the daies of Abraham, Isaac yede forth to Abymelech, kyng of Palestyns, in Gerara.

² And the Lord apperide to hym, and seide, Go not doun in to Egipt, but reste thou in the lond which Y schal seie to thee,

³ and be thou a pilgrym ther ynne; and Y schal be with thee, and Y schal blesse thee; for Y schal yyue alle these cuntrees to thee and to thi seed, and Y schal fille the ooth which Y bihiyte to Abraham, thi fadir.

⁴ And Y schal multiplie thi seed as the sterris of heuene, and Y schal yyue alle these thingis to thin eyris, and alle folkis of erthe schulen be blessid in thi seed, for Abraham obeide to my vois,

⁵ and kepte `my preceptis and comaundementis, and kepte cerymonyes and lawis.

⁶ And so Ysaac dwellide in Geraris.

⁷ And whanne he was axid of men of that place of his wijf, he answarde, Sche is my sistir; for he dredde to knowleche that sche was felouschipid to hym in matrymonye, and gesside lest peraduenture thei wolden sle him for the fairnesse of hir.

⁸ And whanne ful many daies weren passid, and he dwellide there, Abymelech, kyng of Palestyns, bihelde bi a wyndow, and seiy hym pleiynge with Rebecca, his wijf.

⁹ And whanne Isaac was clepid, the kyng seide, It is opyn, that sche is thi wijf; whi liedist thou, that sche was thi sistir? Isaac answerde, Y dredde, lest Y schulde die for hir.

¹⁰ And Abymelech seide, Whi hast thou disseyued vs? Sum man of the puple myyte do letcherie with thi wijf, and thou haddist brouyt in greuous synne on vs. And the kyng comaundide to al the puple,

¹¹ and seide, He that touchith the wijf of this man schal die bi deeth.

¹² Forsothe Isaac sowide in that lond, and he foond an hundrid fold in that yeer; and the Lord blesside hym.

¹³ And the man was maad riche, and he yede profitynge and encreessynge til he was maad ful greet.

¹⁴ Also he hadde possessioun of scheep and grete beestis, and ful myche of meyne. For this thing Palestyns hadden enuye to hym,

¹⁵ and thei stoppiden in that tyme and filliden with erthe alle the pittis whiche the seruauntis of Abraham his fadir hadden diggid,

¹⁶ in so myche that Abymelech him silf seide to Ysaac, Go thou awei fro vs, for thou art maad greetly myytier than we.

¹⁷ And he yede awei, that he schulde come to the stronde of Gerare, and dwelle there.

¹⁸ And he diggide eft other pittis, whiche the seruauntis of Abraham his fadir hadden diggid, and whiche the Filisteis hadden stoppid sumtyme, whanne Abraham was deed; and he clepide tho pittis bi the same names, bi whiche his fadir hadde clepid bifore.

¹⁹ Thei diggiden in the stronde, and thei founden wellynge watir.

²⁰ But also strijf of scheepherdis of Gerare was there ayens the scheepherdis of Isaac, and thei seiden, The watir is oure; wherfor of that that bifelde he clepide the name of the pit fals chaleng.

²¹ And thei diggiden anothir, and thei stryueden also for that, and Ysaac clepide that pit enemytes.

²² And he yede forth fro thennus, and diggide another pit, for which thei stryueden not, therfor he clepid the name of that pit largenesse; and seide, Now God hath alargid vs, and hath maad to encreesse on erthe.

²³ Forsothe he stiede fro that place in to Bersabee,

²⁴ where the Lord God apperide to him in that nyyt; and seide, Y am God of Abraham, thi fadir; nyle thou drede, for Y am with thee, and Y schal blesse thee, and Y schal multiplie thi seed for my seruaunt Abraham.

²⁵ And so Ysaac bildide ther an auter to the Lord; and whanne the name of the Lord was inwardli clepid, he stretchide forth a tabernacle; and he comaundide hise seruauntis that thei schulden digge pittis.

²⁶ And whanne Abymelech, and Ochosat, hise frendis, and Ficol, duk of knyytis, hadden come fro Geraris to that place,

²⁷ Isaac spak to hem, What camen ye to me, a man whom ye hatiden, and puttiden awei fro you?

²⁸ Whiche answeriden, We seiyen that God is with thee, and therfor we seiden now, An ooth be bitwixe vs, and make we a couenaunt of pees,

²⁹ that thou do not ony yuel to vs, as we touchiden `not ony thing of thine, nethir diden that that hirtide thee, but with pees we leften thee encressid bi the blessyng of the Lord.

³⁰ Therfor Isaac made a feeste to hem; and after mete and drynk thei risen eerli,

³¹ and sworen ech to other; and Isaac lefte hem peisibli in to her place.

³² Lo! forsothe in that dai the seruauntis of Ysaac camen, tellynge to him of the pit which thei hadden diggid, and seiden, We han foundun watir.

³³ Wherfor Ysaac clepide that pit abundaunce; and the name of the citee was set Bersabee til in to present dai.

³⁴ Esau forsothe fourti yeer eld weddide twei wyues, Judith, the douytir of Beeri Ethei, and Bethsamath, the douyter of Elon, of the same place;

³⁵ whiche bothe offendiden the soule of Isaac and of Rebecca.

Chapter 27

¹ Forsothe Isaac wexe eld, and hise iyen dasewiden, and he miyte not se. And he clepide Esau, his more sone, and seide to hym, My sone! Which answerde, Y am present.

² To whom the fadir seide, Thou seest that Y haue woxun eld, and Y knowe not the dai of my deeth.

³ Take thin armeres, `arewe caas, and a bowe, and go out; and whanne thou hast take ony thing bi huntyng,

⁴ make to me a seew therof, as thou knowist that Y wole, and brynge that Y ete, and my soule blesse thee bifore that Y die.

⁵ And whanne Rebecca hadde herd this thing, and he hadde go in to the feeld to fille the comaundment of the fadir,

⁶ sche seide to hir sone Jacob, Y herde thi fadir spekynge with Esau, thi brothir, and seiynge to him, Brynge thou me of thin huntyng,

⁷ and make thow metis, that Y ete, and that Y blesse thee bifor the Lord bifor that Y die.

⁸ Now therfor, my sone, assent to my counsels,

⁹ and go to the floc, and brynge to me tweyne the beste kidis, that Y make metis of tho to thi fadir, whiche he etith gladli;

¹⁰ and that whanne thow hast brouyt in tho metis, and he hath ete, he blesse thee bifore that he die.

¹¹ To whom Jacob answerde, Thou knowist that Esau my brother is an heeri man, and Y am smethe; if my fadir `touchith and feelith me,

¹² Y drede lest he gesse that Y wolde scorne him, and lest he brynge in cursyng on me for blessyng.

¹³ To whom the modir seide, My sone, this cursyng be in me; oonly here thou my vois, and go, and brynge that that Y seide.

¹⁴ He yede, and brouyte, and yaf to his modir. Sche made redi metis, as sche knewe that his fadir wolde,

¹⁵ and sche clothide Jacob in ful goode clothis of Esau, whiche sche hadde at home anentis hir silf.

¹⁶ And sche `compasside the hondis with litle skynnys of kiddis, and kyuerede the `nakide thingis of the necke;

¹⁷ and sche yaf seew, and bitook the loouys whiche sche hadde bake.

¹⁸ And whanne these weren brouyt in, he seide, My fadir! And he answerde, Y here; who art thou, my sone?

¹⁹ And Jacob seide, Y am Esau, thi first gendrid sone. Y haue do to thee as thou comaundist to me; rise thou, sitte, and ete of myn huntyng, that thi soule blesse me.

²⁰ Eft Ysaac seide to his sone, My sone, hou miytist thou fynde so soone? Which answerde, It was Goddis wille, that this that Y wolde schulde come soone to me.

²¹ And Isaac seide, My sone, come thou hidir, that Y touche thee, and that Y preue wher thou art my sone Esau, ethir nay.

²² He neiyede to the fadir; and whanne he hadde feelid hym, Isaac seide, Sotheli the vois is the vois of Jacob, but the hondis ben the hondis of Esau.

²³ And Isaac knew not Jacob, for the heery hondis expressiden the licnesse of the more sone.

²⁴ Therfor Isaac blesside him, and seide, Art thou my sone Esau? Jacob answerde, Y am.

²⁵ And Isaac seide, My sone, brynge thou to me metis of thin huntyng, that my soule blesse thee. And whanne Isaac hadde ete these metis brouyt, Jacob brouyte also wyn to Isaac, and whanne this was drunkun,

²⁶ Isaac seide to him, My sone, come thou hidir, and yyue to me a cos.

²⁷ Jacob neiyede, and kisside hym; and anoon as Isaac feelide the odour of hise clothis, he blesside him, and seide, Lo! the odour of my sone as the odour of a `feeld ful which the Lord hath blessid.

²⁸ God yyue to thee of the dewe of heuene, and of the fatnesse of erthe, aboundaunce of whete, and of wyn, and of oile;

²⁹ and puplis serue thee, and lynagis worschipe thee; be thou lord of thi britheren, and the sones of thi modir be bowid bifor thee; be he cursid that cursith thee, and he that blessith thee, be fillid with blessyngis.

³⁰ Vnnethis Isaac hadde fillid the word, and whanne Jacob was gon out,

³¹ Esau cam, and brouyte in metis sodun of the huntyng to the fadir, and seide, My fadir, rise thou, and ete of the huntyng of thi sone, that thi soule blesse me.

³² And Isaac seide, Who forsothe art thou? Which answerde, Y am Esau, thi firste gendrid sone.

³³ Isaac dredde bi a greet astonying; and he wondride more, than it mai be bileued, and seide, Who therfor is he which a while ago brouyte to me huntyng takun, and Y eet of alle thingis bifor that thou camest; and Y blesside him? and he schal be blessid.

³⁴ Whanne the wordis of the fadir weren herd, Esau rorid with a greet cry, and was astonyed, and seide, My fadir, blesse thou also me.

³⁵ Which seide, Thy brother cam prudentli, and took thi blessyng.

³⁶ And Esau addide, Justli his name is clepid Jacob, for lo! he supplauntide me another tyme; bifor he took awei `my firste gendride thingis, and now the secounde tyme he rauyschide priueli my blessyng. And eft he seide to the fadir, Wher thou hast not reserued a blessyng also to me?

³⁷ Ysaac answeride, Y haue maad him thi lord, and Y haue maad suget alle hise britheren to his seruage; Y haue stablischid him in whete, and wyn, and oile; and, my sone, what schal Y do to thee aftir these thingis?

³⁸ To whom Esau saide, Fadir, wher thou hast oneli o blessyng? Y biseche that also thou blesse me. And whanne Esau wepte with greet yellyng,

³⁹ Isaac was stirid, and seide to hym, Thi blessyng schal be in the fatnesse of erthe, and in the dew of heuene fro aboue;

⁴⁰ thou schalt lyue bi swerd, and thou schalt serue thi brothir, and tyme schal come whanne thou schalt shake awei, and vnbynde his yok fro thi nollis.

⁴¹ Therfor Esau hatide euer Jacob for the blessyng bi which the fadir hadde blessid hym; and Esau seide in his herte, The daies of morenyng of my fadir schulen come, and Y schal sle Jacob, my brothir.

⁴² These thingis weren teld to Rebecca, and sche sente, and clepide hir sone Jacob, and seide to hym, Lo ! Esau, thi brothir, manaasith to sle thee;

⁴³ now therfor, my sone, here thou my vois, and rise thou, and fle to Laban, my brother, in Aran;

⁴⁴ and thou schalt dwelle with hym a fewe daies, til the woodnesse of thi brother reste,

⁴⁵ and his indignacioun ceesse, and til he foryite tho thingis whiche thou hast don ayens hym. Aftirward Y schal sende, and Y schal brynge thee fro thennus hidir. Whi schal Y be maad soneles of euer eithir sone in o dai?

⁴⁶ And Rebecca seide to Isaac, It anoieth me of my lijf for the douytris of Heth; if Jacob takith a wijf of the kynrede of this lond, Y nyle lyue.

Chapter 28

¹ And so Isaac clepide Jacob, and blesside hym, and comaundide to hym, and seide, Nyle thou take a wijf of the kyn of Canaan; but go thou,

² and walke forth in to Mesopotanye of Sirie, to the hows of Batuel, fadir of thi modir, and take to thee of thennus a wijf of the douytris of Laban, thin vncle.

³ Sotheli Almyyti God blesse thee, and make thee to encreesse, and multiplie thee, that thou be in to cumpanyes of puplis;

⁴ and God yyue to thee the blessyngis of Abraham, and to thi seed aftir thee, that thou welde the lond of thi pilgrymage, which he bihiyte to thi grauntsir.

⁵ And whanne Ysaac hadde left hym, he yede forth, and cam in to Mesopotanye of Sirie, to Laban, the sone of Batuel of Sirie, the brother of Rebecca, his modir.

⁶ Forsothe Esau seiy that his fadir hadde blessid Jacob, and hadde sent him in to Mesopotanye of Sirie, that he schulde wedde a wijf of thennus, and that aftir the blessyng he comaundide to Jacob, and seide, Thou schalt not take a wijf of the douytris of Canaan;

⁷ and that Jacob obeiede to his fadir `and modir, and yede in to Sirie;

⁸ also Esau preuyde that his fadir bihelde not gladli the douytris of Canaan.

⁹ And he yede to Ismael, and weddide a wijf, with out these whiche he hadde bifore, Melech, the douyter of Ismael, sone of Abraham, the sistir of Nabaioth.

¹⁰ Therfor Jacob yede out of Bersabee, and yede to Aran.

¹¹ And whanne he hadde come to sum place, and wolde reste ther inne aftir the goynge doun of the sunne, he took of the stoonus that laien ther, and he puttide vndur his heed, and slepte in the same place.

¹² And he seiye in sleep a laddir stondynge on the erthe, and the cop ther of touchinge heuene; and he seiy Goddis aungels stiynge vp and goynge doun ther bi,

¹³ and the Lord fastned to the laddir, seiynge to hym, Y am the Lord God of Abraham, thi fadir, and God of Isaac; Y schal yyue to thee and to thi seed the lond in which thou slepist.

¹⁴ And thi seed schal be as the dust of erthe, thou schalt be alargid to the eest, and west, and north, and south; and alle lynagis of erthe schulen be blessid in thee and in thi seed.

¹⁵ And Y schal be thi kepere, whidur euer thou schalt go; and Y schal lede thee ayen in to this lond, and Y schal not leeue no but Y schal fil alle thingis whiche Y seide.

¹⁶ And whanne Jacob hadde wakyd of sleep, he seide, Verili the Lord is in this place, and Y wiste not.

¹⁷ And he seide dredynge, Hou worschipful is this place! Here is noon other thing no but the hows of God, and the yate of heuene.

¹⁸ Therfor Jacob roos eerli, and took the stoon which he hadde put vndur his heed, and reiside in to a title, and helde oile aboue.

¹⁹ And he clepide the name of that citee Bethel, which was clepid Lusa bifore.

²⁰ Also he auowide a vow, and seide, If God is with me, and kepith me in the weie in which Y go, and yyueth to me looues to ete, and clothis to be clothid,

²¹ and Y turne ayen in prosperite to the hows of my fadir, the Lord schal be in to God to me.

²² And this stoon, which Y reiside in to a title, schal be clepid the hows of God, and Y schal offre tithis to thee of alle thingis whiche thou schalt yyue to me.

Chapter 29

¹ Therfor Jacob passide forth, and cam in to the eest lond;

² and seiy a pit in the feeld, and thre flockis of scheep restynge bisidis it, for whi scheep weren watrid therof, and the mouth therof was closid with a greet stoon.

³ And the custom was that whanne alle scheep weren gaderid togidere, thei schulden turne awei the stoon, and whanne the flockis weren fillid thei schulden put it eft on the mouth of the pit.

⁴ And Jacob seide to the scheepherdis, Brithren, of whennus ben ye? Whiche answeriden, Of Aran.

⁵ And he axide hem and seide, Wher ye knowen Laban, the sone of Nachor? Thei seiden, We knowen.

⁶ Jacob seide, Is he hool? Thei seiden, He is in good staat; and lo! Rachel, his douytir, cometh with his flok.

⁷ And Jacob seide, Yit myche of the dai is to come, and it is not tyme that the flockis be led ayen to the fooldis; sotheli yyue ye drynk to the scheep, and so lede ye hem ayen to mete.

⁸ Whiche answeriden, We moun not til alle scheep be gederid to gidere, and til we remouen the stoon fro the mouth of the pit to watir the flockis.

⁹ Yit thei spaken, and lo! Rachel cam with the scheep of hir fadir.

¹⁰ And whanne Jacob seiy hir, and knewe the douytir of his modris brothir, and the scheep of Laban his vncle, he remeuyde the stoon with which the pit was closid;

¹¹ and whanne the flok was watrid, he kisside hir, and he wepte with `vois reisid.

¹² And he schewide to hir that he was the brothir of hir fadir, and the sone of Rebecca; and sche hastide, and telde to hir fadir.

¹³ And whanne he hadde herd, that Jacob, the sone of his sistir, cam, he ran ayens hym, and he biclippide Jacob and kisside hym, and ledde in to his hows. Forsothe whanne the causis of the iurney weren herd,

¹⁴ Laban answeride, Thou art my boon and my fleisch. And aftir that the daies of o moneth weren fillid, Laban seide to him,

¹⁵ `Whethir for thou art my brothir, thou schalt serue me frely? seie thou what mede thou schalt take.

¹⁶ Forsothe Laban hadde twei douytris, the name of the more was Lya, sotheli the lesse was clepid Rachel;

¹⁷ but Lya was blere iyed, Rachel was of fair face, and semeli in siyt.

¹⁸ And Jacob louede Rachel, and seide, Y schal serue thee seuene yeer for Rachel thi lesse douytir.

¹⁹ Laban answeride, It is betere that Y yyue hir to thee than to anothir man; dwelle thou at me.

²⁰ Therfor Jacob seruyde seuene yeer for Rachel; and the daies semyden fewe to hym for the greetnesse of loue.

²¹ And he seide to Laban, Yyue thou my wijf to me, for the tyme is fillid that Y entre to hir.

²² And whanne many cumpenyes of freendis weren clepid to the feeste, he made weddyngis,

²³ and in the euentid Laban brouyte in to hym Lya his douytir,

²⁴ and yaf an handmaide, Selfa bi name, to the douyter. And whanne Jacob hadde entrid to hir bi custom, whanne the morewtid was maad, he seiy Lya,

²⁵ and seide to his wyues fadir, What is it that thou woldist do? wher Y seruede not thee for Rachel? whi hast thou disseyued me ^[1] ?

²⁶ Laban answerde, It is not custom in oure place that we yyue first the `lesse douytris to weddyngis;

²⁷ fille thou the wouke of daies of this couplyng, and Y schal yyue to thee also this Rachel, for the werk in which thou schalt serue me bi othere seuene yeer.

²⁸ Jacob assentide to the couenaunt, and whanne the wouke was passid,

²⁹ he weddide Rachel, to whom the fadir hadde youe Bala seruauntesse.

³⁰ And at the laste he vside the weddyngis desirid, and settide the loue of the `wijf suynge bifore the former; and he seruede at Laban seuene othere yeer.

³¹ Forsothe the Lord seiy that he dispiside Lya ^[2] , and openyde hir wombe while the sistir dwellide bareyn.

³² And Lia childide a sone conseyued, and clepide his name Ruben, and seide, The Lord seiy my mekenesse; now myn hosebonde schal loue me.

³³ And eft sche conseyuede, `and childide a sone, and seide, For the Lord seiy that Y was dispisid, he yaf also this sone to me; and sche clepide his name Symeon.

³⁴ And sche conseyuede the thridde tyme, and childide anothir sone, and she seide also, Now myn hosebonde schal be couplid to me, for Y childide thre sones to him; and therfor sche clepide his name Leuy.

³⁵ The fourthe tyme sche conseyuede, and childide a sone, and seide, Now I schal knouleche to the Lord; and herfor she clepide his name Judas; and ceesside to childe.

1. [Note: disseyuede me, this is the veri lettre, as Lire seith here, but comyn Latyn bokis han thus, Whi hast thou priuyly put Lya to me, but this is fals lettre, as Lire seith here.]
2. [Note: that is, louede hir lesse than Rachel.]

Chapter 30

¹ Forsothe Rachel seiy, that sche was vnfruytful, and hadde enuye ^[1] to the sister, and seide to hir hosebonde, Yyue thou fre children to me, ellis Y schal die.

² To whom Jacob was wrooth, and answerde, Wher Y am for God, which haue priued thee fro the fruyt of thi wombe?

³ And sche seide, Y haue `a seruauntesse Bala, entre thou to hir that she childe on my knees, and that Y haue sones of hir.

⁴ And sche yaf to hym Bala in to matrimony;

⁵ and whanne the hosebonde hadde entrid to hir, sche conseyuede, and childide a sone.

⁶ And Rachel seide, the Lord demede to me, and herde my preier, and yaf a sone to me; and therfor sche clepide his name Dan.

⁷ And eft Bala conseyuede, and childide anothir sone,

⁸ for whom Rachel seide, The Lord hath maad me lijk to my sistir, and Y wexide strong; and sche clepide hym Neptalym.

⁹ Lya feelide that sche ceesside to bere child, and sche yaf Selfa, hir handmayde, to the hosebonde.

¹⁰ And whanne Selfa aftir conseyuyng childide a sone, Lya seide, Blessidly;

¹¹ and therfor sche clepide his name Gad.

¹² Also Selfa childide anothir sone,

¹³ and Lia seide, This is for my blis, for alle wymmen schulen seie me blessid; therfor sche clepide hym Aser.

¹⁴ Forsothe Ruben yede out in to the feeld in the tyme of wheete heruest, and foond mandragis, whiche he brouyte to Lya, his modir. And Rachel seide, Yyue thou to me a part of the mandragis of thi sone.

¹⁵ Lya answeride, Whether it semeth litil to thee, that thou hast rauyschid the hosebonde fro me, no but thou take also the mandragis of my sone? Rachel seide, The hosebonde sleepe with thee in this nyyt for the mandragis of thi sone.

¹⁶ And whanne Jacob cam ayen fro the feeld at euentid, Lya yede out in to his comyng, and seide, Thou shalt entre to me, for Y haue hired thee with hire for the mandragis of my sone. He slepte with hir in that nyyt;

¹⁷ and God herde hir preiers, and sche conseyuede, and childide the fyuethe sone;

¹⁸ and seide, God yaf meede to me, for Y yaf myn handmayde to myn hosebond; and sche clepide his name Isacar.

¹⁹ Eft Lia conseyuede, and childide the sixte sone,

²⁰ and seide, The Lord hath maad me riche with a good dower, also in this tyme myn hosebonde schal be with me, for Y childide sixe sones to hym; and therfore sche clepide his name Sabulon.

²¹ Aftir whom sche childide a douyter, Dyna bi name.

²² Also the Lord hadde mynde on Rachel, and herde hir, and openyde hir wombe.

²³ And sche conseyuede, and childide a sone, and seide, God hath take a wey my schenschipe; and sche clepid his name Joseph,

²⁴ and seide, The Lord yyue to me another sone.

²⁵ Sotheli whanne Joseph was borun, Jacob seide to his wyues fadir, Delyuere thou me, that Y turne ayen in to my cuntrey and to my lond.

²⁶ Yyue thou to me my wyues and fre children for whiche Y seruede thee, that Y go; forsothe thou knowist the seruyce bi which Y seruede thee.

²⁷ Laban seide to hym, Fynde Y grace in thi siyt, Y haue lerned bi experience that God blesside me for thee;

²⁸ ordeyne thou the meede which Y schal yyue to thee.

²⁹ And he answeride, Thou woost hou Y seruede thee, and hou greet thi possessioun was in myn hondis;

³⁰ thou haddist litil bifore that Y cam to thee, and now thou art maad riche, and the Lord blesside thee at myn entryng; therfor it is iust that Y purueye sum tyme also to myn hows.

³¹ And Laban seide, What schal Y yyue to thee? And Jacob seide, Y wole no thing ^[2] but if thou doist that that Y axe, eft Y schal fede and kepe thi scheep.

³² Cumpasse thou alle thi flockis, and departe thou alle diuerse scheep and of spottid flees, and what euer thing schal be dun, and spottid, and dyuerse, as wel in scheep as in geet, it schal be my mede.

³³ And my riytfulnesse schal answere to me to morewe, whanne the tyme of couenaunt schal come bifor thee; and alle that ben not dyuerse and spottid and dunne, as well in sheep as in geet, schulen repreue me of thefte.

³⁴ And Laban seide, Y haue acceptable that that thou axist.

³⁵ And he departide in that dai the geet, and scheep, geet buckis, and rammes, dyuerse and spottid. Sothely he bitook al the flok of o coloure, that is, of white and of blak flees in the hond of hise sones;

³⁶ and he settide the space of weie of thre daies bitwixe hise sones and the hosebonde of hise douytris, that fedde othere flockis` of hym.

³⁷ Therfor Jacob took greene yerdis of popeleris, and of almoundis, and of planes, and in parti dide awei the rynde of tho, and whanne the ryndis weren `drawun a wei, whitnesse apperide in these that weren maad bare; sothely tho that weren hoole dwelliden grene, and bi this maner the coloure was maad dyuerse.

³⁸ And Jacob puttide tho yerdis in the trowis, where the watir was held out, that whanne the flockis schulden come to drynke, thei schulden haue the yerdis bifor the iyen, and schulden conseyue in the siyt of the yerdis.

³⁹ And it was doon that in thilke heete of riding the sheep schulde biholde the yerdis, and that thei schulden brynge forth spotti beestis, and dyuerse, and bispreynt with dyuerse colour.

⁴⁰ And Jacob departide ^[3] the floc, and puttide the yerdis in the trowis bifor the iyen of the rammys. Sotheli alle the white and blake weren Labans; sotheli the othere weren Jacobis; for the flockis weren departid bytwixe hem silf.

⁴¹ Therfor whanne the scheep weren ridun in the firste tyme, Jacob puttide the yerdis in the `trouyis of watir bifor the iyen of rammys and of scheep, that thei schulden conseyue in the siyt of tho yerdis.

⁴² Forsothe whanne the late medlyng and the laste conseyuyng weren, Jacob puttide not tho yerdis; and tho that weren late, weren maad Labans, and tho that weren of the firste tyme weren Jacobis.

⁴³ And he was maad ful riche, and hadde many flockis, handmaydis, and seruauntis, camels, and assis.

1. [Note: enuye, that is, sorewide of hir owne defaute in comparisoun of hir sister, that hadde no sich defaute.]
2. [Note: no thyng, that is, of thi yifte.]
3. [Note: the floc, that is, departide the rammes fro the ewes til to the tyme of wateryng.]

Chapter 31

¹ Aftir that Jacob herde the wordis of the sones of Laban, that seiden, Jacob hath take awei alle thingis that weren oure fadris, and of his catel Jacob is maad riche, and noble.

² Also Jacob perseyuede the face of Laban, that it was not ayens hym as yistirdai, and the thridde dai agoon,

³ moost for the Lord seide to hym, Turne ayen into the lond of thi fadris, and to thi generacioun, and Y shal be with thee.

⁴ He sente, and clepide Rachel, and Lya, in to the feeld, where he kepte flockis, and he seide to hem,

⁵ Y se the face of youre fadir, that it is not ayens me as `yisterdai and the thridde dai agoon; but God of my fadir was with me.

⁶ And ye witen that with alle my strengthis Y seruede youre fadir;

⁷ but and youre fadir disseyuyde me, and chaungide my meede ten sithis; and netheles God suffride not hym to anoye me.

⁸ If he seide ony tyme, Dyuerse colourid sheep schulen be thi medis, alle sheep brouyten forth dyuerse colourid lambren; forsothe whanne he seide ayenward, Thou shalte take alle white for mede, alle the flockis brouyten forth white beestis;

⁹ and God took a wey the substaunce of youre fadir, and yaf to me.

¹⁰ For aftir that the tyme of conseyuyng of sheep cam, Y reiside myn iyen, and seiy in sleep malis dyuerse, and spotti, and of dyuerse colouris, stiynge on femalis.

¹¹ And the aungel of the Lord seide to me in sleep, Jacob! and Y answeride, Y am redy.

¹² Which seide, Reise thin iyen, and se alle malis dyuerse, byspreynt, and spotti, stiynge on femalis; for Y seiy alle thingis whiche Laban dide to thee;

¹³ Y am God of Bethel, where thou anoyntidist a stoon, and madist auow to me. Now therefor rise thou, and go out of this lond, and turne ayen in to the lond of thi birthe.

¹⁴ And Rachel and Lya answeriden, Wher we han ony thing residue in the catels, and eritage of oure fadir?

¹⁵ Wher he `arettide not vs as aliens, and selde, and eet oure prijs?

¹⁶ But God took awei the richessis of oure fadir, and yaf tho to vs, and to oure sones; wherfor do thou alle thingis whiche God hath comaundide to thee.

¹⁷ Forsothe Jacob roos, and puttide hise fre children and wyues on camels, and yede forth;

¹⁸ and he took al his catel, flockis, and what euer thing he hadde gete in Mesopotanye, and yede to Isaac, his fadir, into the lond of Canaan.

¹⁹ In that tyme Laban yede to schere scheep, and Rachel stal the idols of hir fadir.

²⁰ And Jacob nolde knouleche to the fadir of his wijf, that he wolde fle;

²¹ and whanne he hadde go, as wel he as alle thingis that weren of his riyt, and whanne he hadde passid the water, and he yede ayens the hil of Galaad,

²² it was teld to Laban, in the thridde dai, that Jacob fledde.

²³ And Laban took his britheren, and pursuede hym seuene daies, and took hym in the hil of Galaad.

²⁴ And Laban seiy in sleep the Lord seiynge to him, Be war that thou speke not ony thing sharpli ayens Jacob.

²⁵ And thanne Jacob hadde stretchid forth the tabernacle in the hil; and whanne he hadde sued Jacob with his britheren, `he settide tente in the same hil of Galaad; and he seide to Jacob,

²⁶ Whi hast thou do so, that the while I wiste not thou woldist dryue awey my douytris as caitifs by swerd?

²⁷ Whi woldist thou fle the while Y wiste not, nether woldist shewe to me, that Y shulde sue thee with ioie, and songis, and tympans, and harpis?

²⁸ Thou suffridist not that Y schulde kisse my sones and douytris; thou hast wrouyt folili.

²⁹ And now sotheli myn hond mai yelde yuel to thee, but the God of thi fadir seide to me yisterdai, Be war that thou speke not ony harder thing with Jacob.

³⁰ Suppose, if thou coueitedist to go to thi kynesmen, and the hows of thi fadir was in desir to thee, whi hast thou stole my goddis?

³¹ Jacob answeride, That Y yede forth while thou wistist not, Y dredde lest thou woldist take awey thi douytris violentli;

³² sotheli that thou repreuest me of thefte, at whom euer thou fyndist thi goddis, be he slayn bifor oure britheren; seke thou, what euer thing of thine thou fyndist at me, and take awei. Jacob seide these thingis, and wiste not that Rachel stal the idols.

³³ And so Laban entride into the tabernacle of Jacob, and of Lya, and of euer eithir meyne, and foond not; and whanne Laban hadde entrid in to the tente of Rachel,

³⁴ sche hastide, and hidde the idols vndur the strewyngis of the camel, and sat aboue. And sche seide to Laban, sekynge al the tente and fyndynge no thing,

³⁵ My lord, be not wrooth that Y may not rise bifore thee, for it bifelde now to me bi the custom of wymmen; so the bisynesse of the sekere was scorned.

³⁶ And Jacob bolnyde, and seide with strijf, For what cause of me, and for what synne of me, hast thou come so fersly aftir me,

³⁷ and hast souyt al `the portenaunce of myn hous? What `hast thou founde of al the catel of thin hows? Putte thou here bifore my britheren and thi britheren, and deme thei betwixe me and thee.

³⁸ Was I with thee herfore twenti yeer? Thi sheep and geet weren not bareyn, Y eet not the rammes of thi flok,

³⁹ nether Y schewide to thee ony thing takun of a beeste; Y yeldide al harm; what euer thing perischide bi thefte, thou axidist of me;

⁴⁰ Y was angwischid in dai and nyyt with heete and frost, and sleep fledde fro myn iyen;

⁴¹ so Y seruede thee bi twenti yeer in thin hows, fourtene yeer for thi douytris, and sixe yeer for thi flockis; and thou chaungidist my mede ten sithis.

⁴² If God of my fadir Abraham, and the drede of Isaac hadde not helpid me, perauenture now thou haddist left me nakid; the Lord bihelde my turmentyng and the traueyl of myn hondis, and repreuyde thee yistirdai.

⁴³ Laban answeride hym, The douytris, and thi sones, and flockis, and alle thingis whiche thou seest, ben myne, what mai Y do to my sones, and to the sones of sones?

⁴⁴ Therfor come thou, and make we boond of pees, that it be witnessyng bitwixe me, and thee.

⁴⁵ And so Jacob took a stoon, and reiside it in to a signe, and seide to hise britheren,

⁴⁶ Brynge ye stoonus; whiche gadriden, and maden an heep, and eten on it.

⁴⁷ And Laban clepide it the heep of wittnesse, and Jacob clepide it the heep of witnessyng; euer eithir clepide bi the proprete of his langage.

⁴⁸ And Laban seide, This heep schal be witnesse bytwixe me and thee to day, and herfor the name therof was clepid Galaad, that is, the heep of witnesse.

⁴⁹ And Laban addide, The Lord biholde, and deme bitwixe vs, whanne we schulen go awei fro yow;

⁵⁰ if thou schalt turmente my douytris, and if thou schal brynge yn othere wyues on hem, noon is witnesse of oure word, outakun God, whiche is present, and biholdith.

⁵¹ And eft he seide to Jacob, Lo! this heep, and stoon, whiche Y reiside bitwixe me and thee, schal be witnesse;

⁵² sotheli this heep, and stoon be in to witnessyng, forsothe if Y schal passe it, and go to thee, ether thou shalt passe, and thenke yuel to me.

⁵³ God of Abraham, and God of Nachor, God of the fadir of hem, deme bitwixe vs. Therfor Jacob swoor by the drede of his fadir Ysaac;

⁵⁴ and whanne slayn sacrifices weren offrid in the hil, he clepyde his britheren to ete breed, and whanne thei hadden ete, thei dwelliden there.

⁵⁵ Forsothe Laban roos bi nyyt, and kisside his sones, and douytris, and blesside hem, and turnede ayen in to his place.

Chapter 32

¹ Forsothe Jacob wente forth in the weie in which he began, and the aungels of the Lord metten him.

² And whanne he hadde seyn hem, he seide, These ben the castels of God; and he clepide the name of that place Manaym, that is, castels.

³ Sotheli Jacob sente bifore him also messangeris to Esau, his brother, in to the lond of Seir, in the cuntrey of Edom;

⁴ and comaundide to hem, and seide, Thus speke ye to my lord Esau, Thi brothir Jacob seith these thingis, Y was a pilgrym at Laban, `and Y was `til in to present dai;

⁵ Y haue oxun, and assis, and scheep, and seruauntis, and hand maydis, and Y sende now a message to my lord, that Y fynde grace in thi siyt.

⁶ And the messageris turneden ayen to Jacob, and seiden, We camen to Esau, thi brother, and lo! he hastith in to thi comyng, with foure hundrid men.

⁷ Jacob dredde greetli, and he was aferd, and departide the puple that was with hym, and he departide the flockis, and scheep, and oxun, and camels, in to twei cumpenyes;

⁸ and seide, If Esau schal come to o cumpeny, and schal smyte it, the tothir cumpeny which is residue schal be saued.

⁹ And Jacob seide, A! God of my fadir Abraham, and God of my fadir Isaac, A! Lord, that seidist to me, Turne thou ayen in to thi lond, and in to the place of thi birthe, and Y schal do wel to thee,

¹⁰ Y am lesse than alle thi merciful doyngis, and than thi treuthe which thou hast fillid to thi seruaunt; with my staf Y passide this Jordan, and now Y go ayen with twei cumpanyes;

¹¹ delyuere thou me fro the hond of my brothir Esau, for Y drede him greetli, lest he come and sle the modris with the sones.

¹² Thou spakist that thou schuldist do wel to me, and shuldist alarge my seed as the grauel of the see, that mai not be noumbrid for mychilnesse.

¹³ And whanne Jacob hadde slept there in that nyyt, he departide of tho thingis whiche he hadde yiftis to Esau, his brothir,

¹⁴ two hundrid geet, and twenti buckis of geet, two hundrid scheep, and twenti rammys,

¹⁵ camels fulle with her foolis thretti, fourti kyen, and twenti boolis, twenti sche assis, and ten foolis of hem.

¹⁶ And he sente bi the hondis of his seruauntis alle flockis bi hem silf; and he seide to hise children, Go ye bifore me, and a space be betwixe flok and flok.

¹⁷ And he comaundide to the formere, and seide, If thou schalt mete my brothir Esau, and he schal axe thee, whos man thou art, ether whidir thou goist, ether whos ben these thingis whiche thou suest,

¹⁸ thou schalt answere, Of thi seruaunt Jacob, he hath sent yiftis to his lord Esau, and he cometh aftir vs.

¹⁹ In lijk maner, he yaf comaundementis to the secounde, and to the thridde, and to alle that sueden flockis; and seide, Speke ye bi the same wordis to Esau,

²⁰ whanne ye fynden hym, and ye schulen adde, Also Jacob hym silf thi seruaunt sueth oure weie. For Jacob seide, Y schal plese Esau with yiftis that goon bifore, and aftirward Y schal se hym; in hap he schal be mercyful to me.

²¹ And so the yiftis yeden bifore hym; sotheli he dwellide in that nyyt in the tentis.

²² And whanne Jacob hadde arise auysseli, he took hise twei wyues, and so many seruauntessis with enleuen sones, and passide the forthe of Jaboth.

²³ And whanne alle thingis that perteyneden to hym weren led ouer, he dwellide aloone, and, lo!

²⁴ a man wrastlide with him til to the morwetid.

²⁵ And whanne the man seiy that he miyte not ouercome Jacob, he touchide the senewe of Jacobis hipe, and it driede anoon.

²⁶ And he seide to Jacob, Leeue thou me, for the morewtid stieth now. Jacob answeride, Y schal not leeue thee, no but thou blesse me.

²⁷ Therfore he seide, What name is to thee? He answeride, Jacob.

²⁸ And the man seide, Thi name schal no more be clepid Jacob, but Israel; for if thou were strong ayens God, hou miche more schalt thou haue power ayens men.

²⁹ Jacob axide him, Seie thou to me bi what name thou art clepid? He answerde, Whi axist thou my name, whiche is wondirful? And he blesside Jacob in the same place.

³⁰ And Jacob clepide the name of that place Fanuel, and seide, Y siy the Lord face to face, and my lijf is maad saaf.

³¹ And anoon the sunne roos to hym, aftir that he passide Fanuel; forsothe he haltide in the foot.

³² For which cause the sones of Israel eten not `til in to present day the senewe, that driede in the hipe of Jacob; for the man touchide the senewe of Jacobs hipe, and it driede.

Chapter 33

¹ Forsothe Jacob reiside hise iyen, and seiy Esau comynge, and foure hundrid men with hym; and he departide the sones of Lia, and of Rachel, and of bothe seruauntessis.

² And he puttide euer either handmaide, and the fre children of hem, in the bigynnyng; sotheli he puttide Lia, and her sones, in the secounde place; forsothe he puttide Rachel and Joseph the laste.

³ And Jacob yede bifore, and worschipide lowli to erthe seuensithis, til his brothir neiyede.

⁴ And so Esau ran ayens his brothir, and collide hym, and Esau helde his necke, and kisside, and wepte.

⁵ And whanne the iyen weren reisid, he seiy the wymmen, and the litle children of hem, and seide, What wolen these to hem silf? and wher thei pertenen to thee? Jacob answeride, Thei ben the litle children, whiche God hath youe to me, thi seruaunt.

⁶ And the handmaydis and her sones neiyeden, and weren bowid.

⁷ Also Lya neiyede with hir fre children; and whanne thei hadden worschipid in lijk maner, Joseph and Rachel the laste worschipeden.

⁸ And Esau seide, What ben these cumpanyes, whiche Y mette? Jacob answerde, That Y schulde fynde grace bifore my lord.

⁹ And he seide, My brother, Y haue ful many thingis, thi thingis be to thee.

¹⁰ And Jacob seide, Y biseche, nyle thou so, but if Y foond grace in thin iyen, take thou a litil yifte of myn hondis; for Y seiy so thi face as I seiy the cheer of God;

¹¹ be thou merciful to me, and resseyue the blessyng which Y brouyte to thee, and which blessyng God yyuynge alle thingis yaf to me. Vnnethis, while the brothir compellide,

¹² he resseyuede, and seide, Go we to gidere, and Y schal be felowe of thi weie.

¹³ And Jacob seide, My lord, thou knowist that Y haue litle children tendre, and scheep, and kien with calue with me, and if Y schal make hem for to trauele more in goynge, alle the flockis schulen die in o dai;

¹⁴ my lord go bifore his seruaunt, and Y schal sue litil and litil hise steppis, as I shal se that my litle children mown, til Y come to my lord, in to Seir.

¹⁵ Esau answeride, Y preie thee, that of the puple which is with me, nameli felowis of thi weie dwelle. Jacob seide, It is no nede; Y haue nede to this o thing oneli, that Y fynde grace in thi siyt, my lord.

¹⁶ And so Esau turnede ayen in that dai in the weie bi which he cam, in to Seir.

¹⁷ And Jacob cam in to Sochot, where whanne he hadde bildid an hows, and hadde set tentis, he clepide the name of that place Sochot, that is, tabernaclis.

¹⁸ And Jacob passide in to Salem, a citee of Sichimis, whiche is in the lond of Canaan, aftir that he turnede ayen fro Mesopotanye of Sirie, and he dwellide besidis the citee.

¹⁹ And he bouyte for an hundrid lambren a part of the feeld, in which he settide tabernaclis, of the sones of Emor, fadir of Sichem.

²⁰ And whanne he hadde reisid an auter there, he inwardly clepide on it the strongeste God of Israel.

Chapter 34

¹ Forsothe Dyna, the douytir of Lya, yede out to se the wymmen of that cuntrey.

² And whanne Sichem, the sone of Emor Euey, the prince of that lond, hadde seyn hir, he louede hir, and rauyschide, and sclepte with hir, and oppresside the virgyn bi violence.

³ And his soule was boundun faste with hir, and he pleside hir sory with flateringis.

⁴ And he yede to Emor,

⁵ his fadir, and seide, Take to me this damysel a wijf. And whanne Jacob hadde herd this thing, while the sones weren absent, and ocupied in the fedyng of scheep, he was stille, til thei camen ayen.

⁶ Sotheli whanne Emor, the fadir of Sichem, was gon out, `that he schulde speke to Jacob, lo!

⁷ hise sones camen fro the feeld. And whanne this thing that bifelde was herd, thei weren wroothe greetli; for he wrouyte a foul thing in Israel, and he hadde do a thing vnleueful in the defoulyng of the douyter of Jacob.

⁸ And so Emor spak to hem, The soule of my sone Sichem cleuyde to youre douytir, yeue ye hir a wijf to hym,

⁹ and ioyne we weddyngis to gidere; yyue ye youre douytris to vs,

¹⁰ and take ye oure douytris, and dwelle ye with vs; the lond is in youre power, tile ye, make ye marchaundise, and welde ye it.

¹¹ But also Sichem seide to the fadir and britheren of hir, Fynde Y grace bifor you, and what euer thingis ye ordeynen Y schal yyue;

¹² encreesse ye the dower, and axe ye yiftis, Y schal yyue wilfull that that ye axen; oonli yyue ye this damysele a wijf to me.

¹³ The sones of Jacob answeriden in gile to Sichem and his fadir, and weren feerse for the defoulyng of maidenhod of the sistir,

¹⁴ We moun not do this that ye axen, nether we moun yyue oure sistir to a man vncircumcidid, which thing is vnleueful and abhomynable anentis vs.

¹⁵ But in this we schulen mowe be boundun in pees, if ye wole be lijk vs, and ech of male kynde be circumcidid in you,

¹⁶ thanne we schulen yyue and take togidre oure douytris and youre; and we schulen dwelle with you, and we schulen be o puple.

¹⁷ Forsothe if ye nylen be circumcidid, we schulen take oure douytir, and schulen go a wei.

¹⁸ The profryng of hem pleside Emor and Sichem,

¹⁹ his sone, and the yong wexynge man dilaiede not, that ne he fillide anoon that that was axid, for he louede the damysele greetli, and he was noble in al `the hous of his fadir.

²⁰ And thei entriden in to the yate of the citee, and spaken to the puple,

²¹ These men ben pesible, and wolen dwelle with vs; make thei marchaundie in the loond, and tile thei it, which is large and brood, and hath nede to tileris; we schulen take her douytris to wyues, and we schulen yyue oure douytris to hem.

²² O thing is, for which so greet good is dilaied; if we circumciden oure malis, and suen the custom of the folc,

²³ bothe her substaunce, and scheep, and alle thingis which thei welden, schulen be oure; oneli assente we in this, that we dwelle to gidere, and make o puple.

²⁴ And alle men assentiden, and alle malis weren circumcidid.

²⁵ And lo! in the thridde day, whanne the sorewe of woundis was moost greuous, twei sones of acob, Symeon and Leuy, britheren of Dyna, token swerdis, and entriden in to the citee booldeli; and whanne alle malis weren slayn,

²⁶ thei killiden Emor and Sichem togidere, and token Dyna, her sistir, fro the hous of Sichem.

²⁷ And whanne thei weren goon out, othere sones of Jacob felden in on the slayn men, and rifeliden the citee for the veniaunce of defoulyng of a virgyn.

²⁸ And thei wastiden the scheep of tho men, and droues of oxun, and assis, and alle thingis that weren in howsis and feeldis,

²⁹ and ledden prisoneris the litle children, and wyues of tho men.

³⁰ And whanne these thingis weren don hardili, Jacob seide to Symeon and Leuy, Ye han troblid me, and han maad me hateful to Cananeis and Fereseis, dwellers of this lond; we ben fewe, thei schulen be gaderid to gidere and schulen sle me, and Y schal be don a wey and myn hous.

³¹ Symeon and Leuy answeriden, Whether thei ouyten mysuse oure sistir as an hoore?

Chapter 35

¹ Yn the mene tyme the Lord spak to Jacob, Ryse thou, and stie to Bethel, and dwelle thou there, and make thou an auter to the Lord, that apperide to thee whanne thou fleddist Esau, thi brother.

² Forsothe Jacob seide, whanne al his hous was clepid to gidere, Caste ye a wei alien goddis, that ben `in the myddis of you, and be ye clensid, and chaunge ye youre clothis;

³ rise ye, and stie we into Bethel, that we make there an auter to the Lord, which herde me in the dai of my tribulacioun, and was felowe of my weie.

⁴ Therfor thei yauen to hym alle alien goddis which thei hadden, and eere ryngis, that weren in `the eeris of hem; and he deluyde tho vndur a `tre, clepid therubynte, which is bihynde the citee of Sichem.

⁵ And whanne thei yeden, drede assailide alle men by cumpas of the citee, and thei weren not hardi to pursue hem goynge a wei.

⁶ Therfor Jacob cam to Lusa, which is in the lond of Canaan, bi `sire name Bethel, he and al his puple with hym.

⁷ And he bildide there an auter to the Lord, and clepide the name of that place The hows of God, for God apperide there to hym, whanne he fledde his brothir.

⁸ Delbora, the nurische of Rebecca, diede in the same tyme, and sche was biried at the roote of Bethel, vndir an ook, and the name of the place was clepid The ook of wepyng.

⁹ Forsothe God apperide eft to Jacob, aftir that he turnede ayen fro Mesopotanye of Sirie, and cam into Bethel, and blesside hym,

¹⁰ and seide, Thou schalt no more be clepid Jacob, but Israel schal be thi name. And God clepide hym Israel, and seide to hym,

¹¹ Y am God Almyyti, encreesse thou, and be thou multiplied, folkis and puplis of naciouns schulen be of thee, kyngis schulen go out of thi leendis;

¹² and Y shal yyue to thee, and to thi seed after thee, the lond which Y yaf to Abraham, and Ysaac.

¹³ And God departide fro hym.

¹⁴ Forsothe Jacob reiside a title ether memorial of stoonys, in the place where ynne God spak to hym, and he sacrifiede ther onne fletynge sacrifices, and schedde out oile,

¹⁵ and clepide the name of that place Bethel.

¹⁶ Forsothe Jacob yede out fro thennus, and cam in the bigynnynge of somer to the lond that ledith to Effrata; in which lond whanne Rachel trauelide in child beryng,

¹⁷ sche bigan to be in perel for the hardnesse of childberyng; and the medewijf seide to hir, Nyle thou drede, for thou schalt haue also this sone.

¹⁸ Forsothe while the soule yede out for sorew, and deeth neiyede thanne, she clepide the name of hir sone Bennony, that is, the sone of my sorewe; forsothe the fadir clepide hym Beniamyn, that is the sone of the riyt side.

¹⁹ Therfor Rachel diede, and was biriede in the weie that ledith to Effrata, this is Bethleem.

²⁰ And Jacob bildide a title on the sepulcre of hir; this is the title of biriel of Rachel `til into present dai.

²¹ Jacob yede fro thennus, and settide tabernacle ouer the tour of the flok.

²² And while he dwellide in that cuntrei, Ruben yede, and slepte with Bala, the secundarie wijf of his fadir, which thing was not hid fro hym. Forsothe the sones of Jacob weren twelue;

²³ the sones of Lia weren, the firste gendrid Ruben, and Symeon, and Leuy, and Judas, and Isachar, and Zabulon;

²⁴ the sones of Rachel weren, Joseph and Beniamyn;

²⁵ the sones of Bala, handmayde of Rachel, weren Dan, and Neptalym;

²⁶ the sones of Zelfa, handmayde of Lya, weren Gad, and Aser. These weren the sones of Jacob, that weren borun to hym in Mesopotanye of Sirie.

²⁷ Also Jacob came to Isaac, his fadir, in to Manbre, a citee Arabee, this is Ebron, in which Manbre Abraham `and Isaac was a pylgrym.

²⁸ And the daies of Isaac weren fillid an hundrid and foure scoore of yeris;

²⁹ and he was wastid in age, and diede, and he was put to his puple, and was eeld, and ful of daies; and Esau and Jacob his sones birieden hym.

Chapter 36

¹ Forsothe these ben the generaciouns of Esau; he is Edom.

² Esau took wyues of the douytris of Canaan, Ada, the douytir of Elom Ethey, and Oolibama, the douyter of Ana, sone of Sebeon Euey; also Bathsemath,

³ the douytir of Ismael, the sistir of Nabioth.

⁴ Forsothe Ada childide Elifath; Batsemath childide Rahuel; Oolibama childide Hieus,

⁵ and Hielon, and Chore. These weren the sones of Esau, that weren borun to hym in the lond of Canaan.

⁶ Sotheli Esau took hise wyues, and sones, and douytris, and ech soule of his hows, and catel, and scheep, and alle thingis whiche he `myyte haue in the lond of Canaan, and yede into anothir cuntrey, and departide fro his brother Jacob; for thei weren ful riche,

⁷ and thei miyten not dwelle to gidere, and the erthe of her pilgrymage susteynede not hem, for the multitude of flockis.

⁸ And Esau dwellide in the hil of Seir; he is Edom.

⁹ Forsothe these weren the generaciouns of Esau, fader of Edom,

¹⁰ in the hil of Seir, and these weren the names of hise sones. Elifath, sone of Ada, `wijf of Esau; also Rahuel sone of Bathsemath, `wijf of hym.

¹¹ And the sones of Elifath weren, Theman, Emath, Sephu, and Gathan, and Ceneth, and Chore.

¹² Forsothe Tanna was the secundarie wijf of Elifath, `sone of Esau, whiche Tanna childide to hym Amalech. These weren the sones of Ada, `wijf of Esau.

¹³ Forsothe the sones of Rahuel weren, Naath, and Zara, and Semna, and Meza. These weren the sones of Bathsemath, `wijf of Esau.

¹⁴ And these weren the sones of Oolibama, douyter of Ana, sone of Sebeon, `wijf of Esau, whiche sche childide to hym; Hieus, and Hielon, and Chore.

¹⁵ These weren the dukis of the sones of Esau; the sones of Elifath first gendrid of Esau, duk Theman, duyk Omar,

¹⁶ duk Sephua, duyk Ceneth, duyk Chore, duyk Dathan, duyk Amalech. These weren the sones of Eliphat, in the lond of Edom, and these weren the sones of Ada.

¹⁷ Also these weren the sones of Rahuel, `sone of Esau, duyk Naath, duyk Zara, duyk Senna, duyk Meza; forsothe these duykis weren of Rahuel in the lond of Edom. These weren the sones of Bathsamath, `wijf of Esau.

¹⁸ Forsothe these weren the sones of Oolibama, `wijf of Esau; duyk Hieus, duyk Hielon, duyk Chore; these weren duykis of Oolibama, douytir of Ana, `wijf of Esau.

¹⁹ These weren the sones of Esau, and thei weren duykis of hem; he is Edom.

²⁰ These weren the sones of Seir Horrei, enhabiteris of the lond; Jothan, and Sobal, and Sebeon,

²¹ and Anam, and Dison, and Eser, and Disan; these duikis weren of Horrey, sone of Seir, in the lond of Edom.

²² Forsothe the sones of Jothan weren maad, Horrey, and Theman; sotheli the sistir of Jothan was Tanna.

²³ And these weren the sones of Sobal; Aluan, and Maneeth, and Ebal, Sephi, and Onam.

²⁴ And these weren the sones of Sebeon; Achaia, and Ana; this is Ana that foonde hoote watris in wildirnesse, whanne he kepte the assis of Sebeon, his fadir;

²⁵ and he hadde a sone Disan, and a douytir Oolibama.

²⁶ And these weren the sones of Disan; Amadan, and Jesban, and Jethran, and Charan.

²⁷ Also these weren the sones of Heser; Baalan, and Zeuan, and Acham.

²⁸ And Disan hadde sones, Hus, and Haran.

²⁹ These weren the duykis of Horreis; duyk Jothan, duyk Sobal, duyk Sebeon, duyk Ana, duyk Dison, duyk Heser, duik Disan;

³⁰ these weren the duykis of Horreis, that weren lordis in the lond of Seir.

³¹ Forsothe kyngis that regneden in the lond of Edom, bifore that the sones of Israel hadden a kyng, weren these;

³² Balach, the sone of Beor, and the name of his citee was Deneba.

³³ Forsothe Balach diede, and Jobab, sone of Sara of Bosra, regnede for hym.

³⁴ And whanne Jobab was deed, Husam of the lond of Themayns regnede for hym.

³⁵ And whanne he was deed, Adad, the sone of Badadi, that smoot Madian in the lond of Moab, and the name of his citee was Abyuth, `regnede for him.

³⁶ And whanne Adad was deed, Semla of Maseracha regnede for hym.

³⁷ And whanne he was deed, Saul of the flood Robooth ragnede for hym.

³⁸ And whanne he was deed, Balanam, the sone of Achobor, was successour in to the rewme.

³⁹ And whanne this was deed, Adad regnede for hym, and the name of the citee of Adad was Phau, and the name of his wijf was clepid Meezabel, the douyter of Mathrect, douyter of Mesaab.

⁴⁰ Therfor these weren the names of duykis of Esau, in her kynredis, and places, and names; duyk Thanna, duyk Alua,

⁴¹ duyk Jetech, duyk Oolibama, duyk Ela,

⁴² duyk Phinon, duyk Ceneth, duik Theman,

⁴³ duyk Mabsar, duyk Madiel, duyk Iram; these weren the duykis of Edom, dwelleris in the lond of hys lordschip; he was Esau, the fadir of Ydumeis.

Chapter 37

¹ Forsothe Jacob dwellide in the lond of Canaan, in which his fadir was a pilgrym; and these weren the generaciouns of hym.

² Joseph whanne he was of sixtene yeer, yit a child, kepte a flok with hise britheren, and was with the sones of Bala and Zelfa, wyues of his fadir; and he accuside his britheren at the fadir of `the worste synne.

³ Forsothe Israel louyde Joseph ouer alle hise sones, for he hadde gendrid hym in eelde; and he made to Joseph a cote of many colours.

⁴ Forsothe hise britheren sien that he was loued of the fader more than alle, and thei hatiden hym, and myyten not speke ony thing pesibli to hym.

⁵ And it bifelde that he telde to hise britheren a sweuene seyn, which cause was `the seed of more hatrede.

⁶ And Joseph seide to his britheren, Here ye the sweuene which Y seiy,

⁷ Y gesside that we bounden to gidere handfuls, and that as myn handful roos, and stood, and that youre handfuls stoden aboute and worschipiden myn handful.

⁸ Hise britheren answerden, Whether thou shalt be oure kyng, ethir we shulen be maad suget to thi lordschip? Therfor this cause of sweuenys and wordis mynystride the nurschyng of enuye, and of hatrede.

⁹ Also Joseph seiy another sweuene, which he telde to the britheren, and seide, Y seiy bi a sweuene that as the sunne, and moone, and enleuen sterris worschipiden me.

¹⁰ And whanne he hadde teld this sweuene to his fadir, and britheren, his fadir blamyde him, and seide, What wole this sweuene to it silf which thou hast seyn? Whether Y and thi modir, and thi britheren, schulen worschipe thee on erthe?

¹¹ Therfor hise britheren hadden enuye to hym. Forsothe the fadir bihelde pryuely the thing,

¹² and whanne his britheren dwelliden in Sichem, aboute flockis of the fadir `to be kept,

¹³ Israel seide to Joseph, Thi britheren kepen scheep in Sichymys; come thou, Y schal sende thee to hem.

¹⁴ And whanne Joseph answerde, Y am redi, Israel seide, Go thou, and se whether alle thingis ben esi anentis thi britheren, and scheep; and telle thou to me what is doon. He was sent fro the valey of Ebron, and cam into Sichem;

¹⁵ and a man foond hym errynge in the feeld, and `the man axide, what he souyte.

¹⁶ And he answerde, Y seke my britheren, schewe thou to me where thei kepten flockis.

¹⁷ And the man seide to hym, Thei yeden awei fro this place; forsothe Y herde hem seiynge, Go we into Dothaym. And Joseph yede aftir his britheren, and foond hem in Dothaym.

¹⁸ And whanne thei hadden seyn hym afer, bifor that he neiyede to hem,

¹⁹ thei thouyten to sle hym, and spaken to gidere, Lo! the dremere cometh, come ye,

²⁰ sle we hym, and sende we into an eld sisterne, and we schulen seie, A wielde beeste ful wickid hath deuourid hym; and thanne it schal appere what hise dremes profiten to hym.

²¹ Sotheli Ruben herde this, and enforside to delyuere hym fro her hondis,

²² and seide, Sle we not the lijf of hym, nether schede we out his blood, but caste ye hym into an eeld cisterne, which is in the wildirnesse, and kepe ye youre hondis gilteles. Forsothe he seide this, willynge to delyuere hym fro her hondis, and to yelde to his fadir.

²³ Therfor anoon as Joseph cam to hise britheren, thei dispuyliden hym of the coote, doun to the heele, and of many colours, and senten into the eeld cisterne,

²⁴ that hadde no water.

²⁵ And thei saten `to ete breed; and thei sien that Ismaelitis weigoers camen fro Galaad, and that her camels baren swete smellynge spiceries, and `rosyn, and stacten, into Egipt.

²⁶ Therfor Judas seide to hise britheren, What schal it profite to vs, if we schulen sle oure brother, and schulen hide his blood?

²⁷ It is betere that he be seeld to Ismalitis, and oure hondis be not defoulid, for he is oure brother and fleisch. The britheren assentiden to these wordis;

²⁸ and whanne marchauntis of Madian passiden forth, thei drowen hym out of the cisterne, and seelden hym to Ismaelitis, for thriytti platis of siluer; whiche ledden hym in to Egipt.

²⁹ And Ruben turnede ayen to the cisterne, and foond not the child;

³⁰ and he to-rente his closis, and he yede to hise britheren, and seide, The child apperith not, and whidir schal Y go?

³¹ Forsothe thei token his coote, and dippiden in the blood of a kide, which thei hadden slayn; and senten men that baren to the fadir,

³² and seiden, We han founde this coote, se, whether it is the coote of thi sone, ether nai.

³³ And whanne the fader hadde knowe it, he seide, It is the coote of my sone, a wielde beeste ful wickid hath ete hym, a beeste hath deuourid Joseph.

³⁴ And he to-rente his clothis, and he was clothid with an heire, and biweilide his sone in myche tyme.

³⁵ Sothely whanne hise fre children weren gaderid to gidere, that thei schulden peese the sorewe of the fadir, he nolde take counfort, but seide, Y schal go doun in to helle, and schal biweile my sone. And the while Jacob contynude in wepyng,

³⁶ Madianytis seelden Joseph into Egipt to Putifar, chast `and onest seruaunt of Farao, maistir of the chyualrie.

Chapter 38

¹ Yn the same tyme Judas yede doun fro his britheren, and turnede to a man of Odolla, Hiram bi name;

² and he siy ther a douytir of a man of Canaan, Sue bi name. And whanne he hadde takun hir to wijf,

³ he entride to hir, and sche conseyuede, and childide a sone, and clepide his name Her.

⁴ And eft whanne a child was conseyued, sche nemyde the child borun Onam.

⁵ And sche childide the thridde sone, whom sche clepide Cela, and whanne he was borun, sche ceesside to bere child more.

⁶ Forsothe Judas yaf a wijf, `Thamar bi name, to his firste gendrid sone Her.

⁷ And Her, the firste gendrid sone of Judas, was weiward in the siyt of the Lord, and therfor he was slayn of the Lord.

⁸ Therfor Judas seide to Onam, his sone, Entre thou to the wijf of thi brothir, and be thou felouschipid to hir, that thou reise seed to thi brothir.

⁹ And he wiste that sones schulden not be borun to him, `and he entride to the wijf of his brother, and schedde seed in to the erthe, lest the fre children schulden be borun bi the name of the brother;

¹⁰ and therfor the Lord smoot hym, for he dide abhomynable thing.

¹¹ Wherfor Judas seide to Thamar, `wijf of his sone, Be thou widewe in the hous of thi fadir, til Sela my sone wexe, for he dredde lest also he schulde die as hise britheren. And sche yede, and dwellide in the hous of hir fadir.

¹² Forsothe whanne many yeeris weren passid, the douyter of Sue, `the wijf of Juda, diede, and whanne coumfort was takun aftir morenyng, he stiede to the schereris of hise scheep, he and Iras of Odolla, that was kepere of the floc, stieden in to Thampnas.

¹³ And it was teld to Thamar, that `the fadir of hir hosebonde stiede to Thampnas, to schere scheep.

¹⁴ And sche dide awei the clothis of widewehod, and sche took a roket, and whanne the clothinge was chaungid, sche sat in the weilot that ledith to Tampna; for Sela hadde woxe, and sche hadde not take hym to hosebonde.

¹⁵ And whanne Judas hadde seyn hir, he supposide hir to be an hoore, for sche hadde hilid hir face, lest sche were knowun.

¹⁶ And Judas entride to hir, and seide, Suffre me that Y ligge with thee; for he wiste not that sche was the wijf of his sone. And whanne sche answeride, What schalt thou yyue to me, that thou ligge bi me?

¹⁷ he seide, Y schal sende to thee a kide of the flockis. And eft whanne sche seide, Y schal suffre that that thou wolt, if thou schalt yyue to me a wed, til thou sendist that that thou bihetist.

¹⁸ Judas seide, What wolt thou that be youun to thee for a wed? She answeride, Thi ryng, and thi bie of the arm, and the staaf which thou holdist in the hond. Therfor the womman conseyuide at o liggyng bi, and sche roos, and yede;

¹⁹ and whanne the clooth was `put awei which sche hadde take, sche was clothid in the clothis of widewhod.

²⁰ Forsothe Judas sente a kide bi his scheepherde of Odolla, that he schulde resseyue the wed which he hadde youe to the womman; and whanne he hadde not founde hir,

²¹ he axide men of that place, Where is the womman that sat in the weie lot? And whanne alle men answeriden, An hoore was not in this place; he turnede ayen to Judas,

²² and seide to hym, Y foond not hir, but also men of that place seiden to me, that an hoore sat neuere there.

²³ Judas seide, Haue sche to hir silf, certis sche may not repreue vs of a leesyng; Y sente the kyde which Y bihiyte, and thou foundist not hir.

²⁴ Lo! sotheli aftir thre monethis thei telden to Judas, and seiden, Thamar, `wijf of thi sone, hath do fornycacioun, and hir womb semeth to wexe greet. Judas seide, Brynge ye hir forth, that sche be brent.

²⁵ And whanne sche was led to peyne, sche sente to `the fadir of hir hosebonde, and seide, Y haue conseyued of the man, whose these thingis ben; knowe thou whose is the ryng, and bie of the arm, and staf?

²⁶ And whanne the yiftis weren knowun, he seide, Sche is more iust than Y, for Y yaf not hir to Sela, my sone; netheles Judas knewe hir no more fleischli.

²⁷ Sotheli whanne the childberyng neiyede, twei chyldren apperiden in the wombe, and in that birthe of children, oon brouyte forth the hond, in which the mydwijf boond a reed threed,

²⁸ and seide, This schal go out `the formere.

²⁹ Sotheli while he withdrowe the hond, the tother yede out, and the womman seide, Whi was the skyn in which the child lay in the wombe departid for thee? And for this cause sche clepide his name Fares.

³⁰ Afterward his brothir yede out, in whos hond was the reed threed, whom sche clepide Zaram.

Chapter 39

¹ Therfor Joseph was led in to Egipt, and Putifar, `chast and onest seruaunt of Farao, prince of the oost, a man of Egipt, bouyte hym of the hondis of Ismaelitis, of which he was brouyt.

² And the Lord was with hym, and he was a man doynge with prosperite in alle thingis. And Joseph dwellide in `the hows of his lord,

³ which knew best that the Lord was with Joseph, and that alle thingis whiche he dide, weren dressid of the Lord in `the hond of hym.

⁴ And Joseph foond grace bifor his lord, and `mynystride to hym, of whom Joseph was maad souereyn of alle thingis, and gouernede the hows bitaken to hym, and alle thingis that weren bitakun to hym.

⁵ And the Lord blesside the `hows of Egipcian for Joseph, and multipliede al his catel, as wel in howsis as in feeldis;

⁶ nether he knew ony other thing no but `breed ^[1] which he eet. Forsothe Joseph was fair in face, and schapli in siyt.

⁷ And so aftir many daies the ladi castide hir iyen in to Joseph, and seide, Slepe thou with me;

⁸ which assentide not to the vnleueful werk, and seide to hir, Lo! while alle thingis ben bitakun to me, my lord woot not what he hath in his hows,

⁹ nether ony thing is, which is not in my power, ether which `he hath not bitake to me, outakun thee, which art his wijf; how therfor may Y do this yuel, and do synne ayens my lord?

¹⁰ Thei spaken siche wordis `bi alle daies, and the womman was diseseful to the yong waxynge man, and he forsook auoutrie.

¹¹ Forsothe it bifelde in a dai, that Joseph entride in to the hows, and dide sum werk with out witnessis.

¹² And sche took `the hem of his clooth, and sche seide, Slepe thou with me; and he lefte the mentil in hir hoond, and he fledde, and yede out.

¹³ And whanne the womman hadde seyn the clooth in hir hondis, and that sche was dispisid,

¹⁴ sche clepide to hir the men of hir hows, and seide to hem, Lo! my lord hath brouyt in an Ebrew man, that he schulde scorn vs; he entride to me to do leccherie with me, and whanne Y criede, and he herde my vois,

¹⁵ he lefte the mentil which Y helde, and he fledde out.

¹⁶ Therfor in to the preuyng of trouthe, sche schewide the mantil, holdun to the hosebonde turnynge ayen hoom.

¹⁷ And she seide, The Ebrew seruaunt, whom thou brouytist, entride to me to scorne me; and whanne he siy me crye,

¹⁸ he lefte the mentil which Y helde, and he fledde out.

¹⁹ And whanne these thingis weren herd, the lord bileuyde ouer myche to the wordis of the wijf, and was ful wrooth;

²⁰ and he bitook Joseph in to prisoun, where the bounden men of the kyng weren kept, and he was closid there.

²¹ Forsothe the Lord was with Joseph, and hadde mercy on hym, and yaf grace to hym in the siyt of the prince of the prisoun,

²² which bitook in the hond of Joseph alle prisoneris that weren holdun in kepyng, and what euer thing was doon, it was vndur Joseph, nethir the prince knewe ony thing,

²³ for alle thingis weren bitakun to Joseph; for the Lord was with hym, and dresside alle his werkis.

1. [Note: Bi breed in holi scripture is vndirstonden al manere of mete, and bi watir al manere of drynk.]

Chapter 40

¹ Whanne these thingis weren doon so, it bifelde that twei geldyngis, the boteler and the baker `of the kyng of Egipt, synneden to her lord.

² And Farao was wrooth ayens hem, for the toon was `souereyn to boteleris, the tother was `souereyn to bakeris.

³ And he sente hem in to the prisoun of the prince of knyytis, in which also Joseph was boundun.

⁴ And the keper of the prisoun bitook hem to Joseph, which also `mynystride to hem. Sumdel of tyme passide, and thei weren hooldun in kepyng, and bothe sien a dreem in o nyyt,

⁵ bi couenable expownyng to hem.

⁶ And whanne Joseph hadde entrid to hem eerli, and hadde seyn hem sori,

⁷ he axide hem, and seide, Whi is youre `face soriere to dai than it ys wont?

⁸ Whiche answeriden, We seiyen a dreem, and `noon is that expowneth to vs. And Joseph seide to hem, Whether expownyng is not of God? Telle ye to me what ye han seyn.

⁹ The `souereyn of boteleris telde first his dreem; Y seiy that a vyne bifore me,

¹⁰ in which weren thre siouns, wexide litil and litil in to buriounnyngis, and that aftir flouris grapys wexiden ripe,

¹¹ and the cuppe of Farao was in myn hond; therfor Y took the grapis, and presside out in to the cuppe which Y helde, and Y yaf drynk to Farao.

¹² Joseph answerde, This is the expownyng of the dreem; thre siouns ben yit thre daies,

¹³ aftir whiche Farao schal haue mynde of thi seruyce, and he schal restore thee in to the firste degree, and thou schal yyue to hym the cuppe, bi thin office, as thou were wont to do bifore.

¹⁴ Oneli haue thou mynde on me, whanne it is wel to thee, and thou schalt do merci with me, that thou make suggestioun to Farao, that he lede me out of this prisoun;

¹⁵ for theefli Y am takun awei fro the lond of Ebrews, and here Y am sent innocent in to prisoun.

¹⁶ The `maister of bakeris seiye that Joseph hadde expowned prudentli the dreem, and he seide, And Y seiy a dreem, that Y hadde thre panyeris of mele on myn heed,

¹⁷ and Y gesside that Y bar in o panyere, that was heiyere, alle metis that ben maad bi craft of bakers, and that briddis eeten therof.

¹⁸ Joseph answerde, This is the expownyng of the dreem; thre panyeris ben yit thre daies,

¹⁹ aftir whiche Farao schal take awei thin heed, and he schal hange thee in a cros, and briddis schulen todrawe thi fleischis.

²⁰ Fro thennus the thridde dai was the dai of birthe of Farao, which made a greet feeste to hise children, and hadde mynde among metis on the maistir `of boteleris, and on the prince of bakeris;

²¹ and he restoride the oon in to his place, that he schulde dresse cuppe to `the kyng,

²² and he hangide `the tothir in a gebat, that the treuthe of `the expownere schulde be preued.

²³ And netheles whanne prosperitees bifelden, the `souereyn of boteleris foryat `his expownere.

Chapter 41

¹ Aftir twei yeer Farao seiy a dreem; he gesside that he stood on a flood,

² fro which seuene faire kiyn and ful fatte stieden, and weren fed in the places of mareis;

³ and othere seuene, foule and leene, camen out of the flood, and weren fed in thilk brenke of the watir, in grene places;

⁴ and tho deuoureden thilke kien of whiche the fairnesse and comelynesse of bodies was wondurful.

⁵ Farao wakide, and slepte eft, and seiy another dreem; seuen eeris of corn ful and faire camen forth in o stalke,

⁶ and othere as many eeris of corn, thinne and smytun with corrupcioun of brennynge wynd,

⁷ camen forth, deuourynge al the fairenesse of the firste. Farao wakide aftir reste,

⁸ and whanne morewtid was maad, he was aferd bi inward drede, and he sente to alle the expowneris of Egipt, and to alle wise men; and whanne thei weren clepid, he telde the dreem, and noon was that expownede.

⁹ Thanne at the laste the maistir `of boteleris bithouyte, and seide, Y knowleche my synne;

¹⁰ the kyng was wrooth to hise seruauntis, and comaundide me and the maister `of bakeris to be cast doun in to the prisoun of the prince of knyytis,

¹¹ where we bothe saien a dreem in o nyyt, biforeschewynge of thingis to comynge.

¹² An Ebrew child, seruaunt of the same duk of knyytis was there, to whom we telden the dremes,

¹³ and herden what euer thing the bifallyng of thing preuede afterward; for Y am restorid to myn office, and he was hangid in a cros.

¹⁴ Anoon at the comaundement of the kyng thei polliden Joseph led out of prisoun, and whanne `the clooth was chaungid, thei brouyten Joseph to the kyng.

¹⁵ To whom the kyng seide, Y seiye dremes, and noon is that expowneth tho thingis that Y seiy, I haue herd that thou expownest moost prudentli.

¹⁶ Joseph answerde, With out me, God schal answere prosperitees to Farao.

¹⁷ Therfor Farao telde that that he seiy; Y gesside that Y stood on the brenke of the flood,

¹⁸ and seuene kiyn, ful faire and with fleischis able to etyng, stieden fro the watir, whiche kiyn gaderiden grene seggis in the pasture of the marreis;

¹⁹ and lo! seuene othere kiyn, so foule and leene, sueden these, that Y seiy neuere siche in the lond of Egipt;

²⁰ and whanne the formere kien weren deuourid and wastid, tho secounde yauen no steppe of fulnesse,

²¹ but weren slowe bi lijk leenesse and palenesse. I wakide, and eft Y was oppressid bi sleep, and Y seiy a dreem;

²² seuene eeris of corn, ful and faireste, camen forth in o stalke,

²³ and othere seuene, thinne and smytun with `corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, camen forth of the stobil,

²⁴ whiche deuouriden the fairenesse of the formere;

²⁵ Y telde the dreem to expowneris, and no man is that expowneth. Joseph answerde, The dreem of the king is oon; God schewide to Farao what thingis he schal do.

²⁶ Seuene faire kiyn, and seuene ful eeris of corn, ben seuene yeeris of plentee, and tho comprehenden the same strengthe of dreem;

²⁷ and seuene kiyn thinne and leene, that stieden aftir tho, and seuene thinne eeris of corn and smytun with brennynge wynd, ben seuene yeer of hungur to comynge,

²⁸ whiche schulen be fillid bi this ordre.

²⁹ Lo! seuene yeer of greet plentee in al the lond of Egipt schulen come,

³⁰ and seuene othre yeer of so greet bareynesse schulen sue tho, that al the abundaunce bifore be youun to foryetyng; for the hungur schal waste al the lond,

³¹ and the greetnesse of pouert schal leese the greetnesse of plentee.

³² Forsothe this that thou siyest the secunde tyme a dreem, perteynynge to the same thing, is a `schewyng of sadnesse, for the word of God schal be doon, and schal be fillid ful swiftli.

³³ Now therfor puruey the kyng a wijs man and a redi, and make the kyng hym souereyn to the lond of Egipt,

³⁴ which man ordeyne gouernouris bi alle cuntreis, and gadere he in to bernys the fyuethe part of fruytis bi seuene yeer of plentee,

³⁵ that schulen come now; and al the wheete be kept vndur the power of Farao ^[1] , and be it kept in citees,

³⁶ and be it maad redi to the hungur to comynge of seuene yeer that schal oppresse Egipt, and the lond be not wastid bi pouert.

³⁷ The counsel pleside Farao,

³⁸ and alle his mynystris, and he spak to hem, Wher we moun fynde sich a man which is ful of Goddis spirit?

³⁹ Therfor Farao seide to Joseph, For God hath schewid to thee alle thingis whiche thou hast spoke, wher Y mai fynde a wisere man and lijk thee?

⁴⁰ Therfor thou schalt be ouer myn hous, and al the puple schal obeie to the comaundement of thi mouth; Y schal passe thee onely by o trone of the rewme.

⁴¹ And eft Farao seide to Joseph, Lo! Y haue ordeyned thee on al the lond of Egipt.

⁴² And Farao took the ryng fro his hond, and yaf it in the hond of Joseph, and he clothide Joseph with a stoole of bijs, and puttide a goldun wrethe aboute the necke;

⁴³ and Farao made Joseph to `stie on his secounde chare, while a bidele criede, that alle men schulden knele bifore hym, and schulden knowe that he was souereyn of al the lond of Egipt.

⁴⁴ And the kyng seide to Joseph, Y am Farao, without thi comaundement no man shal stire hond ether foot in al the lond of Egipt.

⁴⁵ And he turnede the name of Joseph, and clepide him bi Egipcian langage, the sauyour ^[2] of the world; and he yaf to Joseph a wijf, Asenech, the douyter of Potifar, preest of Heliopoleos. And so Joseph yede out to the lond of Egipt.

⁴⁶ Forsothe Joseph was of thretti yeer, whanne he stood in the siyt of kyng Farao, and cumpasside alle the cuntreis of Egipt.

⁴⁷ And the plente of seuene yeer cam, and ripe corn weren bounden into handfuls, and weren gaderid into the bernys of Egipt,

⁴⁸ also al the aboundaunce of cornes weren kept in alle citeis,

⁴⁹ and so greet aboundaunce was of wheete, that it was maad euene to the grauel of the see, and the plente passide mesure.

⁵⁰ Sotheli twei sones were born to Joseph bifor that the hungur came, whiche Asenech, douytir of Putifar, preest of Heliopoleos, childide to hym.

⁵¹ And he clepide the name of the firste gendrid sone, Manasses, and seide, God hath maad me to foryete alle my traueilis, and the hous of my fadir;

⁵² and he clepide the name of the secunde sone Effraym, and seide, God hath maad me to encreesse in the lond of my pouert.

⁵³ Therfor whanne seuene yeer of plentee that weren in Egipt weren passid,

⁵⁴ seuene yeer of pouert bigunnen to come, whiche Joseph bifore seide, and hungur hadde the maistri in al the world; also hungur was in al the lond of Egipt;

⁵⁵ and whanne that lond hungride, the puple criede to Farao, and axide metis; to whiche he answeride, Go ye to Joseph, and do ye what euer thing he seith to you.

⁵⁶ Forsothe hungur encreesside ech dai in al the lond, and Joseph openyde alle the bernys, and seelde to Egipcians, for also hungur oppresside hem;

⁵⁷ and alle prouynces camen in to Egipt to bie metis, and to abate the yuel of nedynesse.

1. [Note: that is, not bi violence nether bi fre yifte, but bi biyng and paiyng of priys.]
2. [Note: In Ebrew it is schewinge priuitees, as Jerom and Lire here seyen.]

Chapter 42

¹ Forsothe Jacob herde that foodis weren seeld in Egipt, and he seide to hise sones, Whi ben ye necgligent?

² Y herde that wheete is seeld in Egipt, go ye doun, and bie ye necessaries to vs, that we moun lyue, and be not wastid bi nedynesse.

³ Therfor ten britheren of Joseph yeden doun to bie wheete in Egipt,

⁴ and Beniamyn was withholdun of Jacob at hoome, that seide to hise britheren, Lest perauenture in the weie he suffre ony yuel.

⁵ Sotheli thei entriden in to the lond of Egipt, with othere men that yeden to bie; forsothe hungur was in the lond of Canaan.

⁶ And Joseph was prince of Egipt, and at his wille whetis weren seeld to puplis. And whanne hise britheren hadden worschipid hym,

⁷ and he hadde knowe hem, he spak hardere as to aliens, and axide hem, Fro whennus camen ye? Whiche answeriden, Fro the lond of Canaan, that we bie necessaries to lyiflode.

⁸ And netheles he knewe the britheren, and he was not knowun of hem,

⁹ and he bithouyte on the dremys whiche he seiy sumtyme. And he seide to hem, Ye ben aspieris, ye camen to se the feblere thingis of the lond.

¹⁰ Whiche seiden, Lord, it is not so, but thi seruauntis camen to bie metis;

¹¹ alle we ben the sones of o man, we comen pesible, and thi seruauntis ymaginen not ony yuel.

¹² To `whiche he answeride, It is in other maner, ye camen to se the feble thingis of the lond.

¹³ And thei seiden, `We twelue britheren, thi seruauntis, ben sones of o man in the lond of Canaan; the leeste is with oure fadir, an other is not `on erthe.

¹⁴ This it is, he seide, that Y spak to you,

¹⁵ ye ben aspieris, riyt now Y schal take experience of you, bi the helthe of Farao ye schulen not go fro hennus, til youre leeste brother come; sende ye oon of you,

¹⁶ that he brynge hym, forsothe ye schulen be in boondis, til tho thingis that ye seiden ben preued, whether tho ben false ether trewe; ellis, bi the helthe of Farao, ye ben aspieris.

¹⁷ Therfor he bitook hem to kepyng thre daies; sotheli in the thridde dai,

¹⁸ whanne thei weren led out of prisoun, he seide, Do ye that that Y seide, and ye schulen lyue, for Y drede God;

¹⁹ if ye ben pesible, o brother of you be boundun in prisoun; forsothe go ye, and bere wheetis, whiche ye bouyten,

²⁰ in to youre housis, and brynge ye youre leeste brother to me, that Y may preue youre wordis, and ye die not. Thei diden as he seide,

²¹ and thei spaken togidere, Skilfuli we suffren these thingis, for we synneden ayens oure brother, and we seiyen the anguysch of his soule, while he preiede vs, and we herden not; herfore this tribulacioun cometh on vs.

²² Of which oon, Ruben, seide, Whether Y seide not to yow, Nyle ye do synne ayens the child, and ye herden not me? lo! his blood is souyt.

²³ Sotheli thei wisten not that Joseph vndirstood, for he spak to hem by interpretour.

²⁴ And he turnede awei hym silf a litil and wepte; and he turnede ayen, and spak to hem.

²⁵ And he took Symeon, and boond hym, while thei weren present; and he comaundide the mynystris, that thei schulden fille her sackis with wheete, and that thei schulden putte the money `of alle in her baggis, and ouer this yyue metis in the weie; whiche diden so.

²⁶ And thei `baren wetis on her assis, and yeden forth,

²⁷ and whanne the sak of oon was opened that he schulde yyue meete to the werk beeste in the yn, he bihelde the money in the mouth of the bagge,

²⁸ and seide to his britheren, My monei is yoldun to me, lo! it is had in the bagge; and thei weren astonyed, and troblid, and seiden togidere, What thing is this that God hath doon to us.

²⁹ And thei camen to Jacob, her fadir, in the loond of Canaan, and telden to hym alle thingis that bifelden to hem, and seiden,

³⁰ The lord of the lond spak harde to vs, and gesside that we weren aspieris of the prouynce;

³¹ to whom we answeriden, We ben pesible, nether we purposen ony tresouns;

³² we ben twelue britheren, gendrid of o fadir, oon is not `on erthe, the leeste dwellith with the fadir in the lond of Canaan.

³³ And he seide to vs, Thus Y schal preue that ye ben pesible; leeffe ye o brother of you with me, and take ye metis nedeful to youre housis, and go ye, and brynge ye to me youre leeste brother,

³⁴ that Y wite that ye ben not aspieris, and that ye moun resseyue this brother which is holdun in boondis, and that fro thennus forth ye haue licence to bie what thingis ye wolen.

³⁵ While these thingis weren seide, whanne alle schedden out wheetis, thei founden money boundun in `the mouth of sackis. And whanne alle togidere weren aferd,

³⁶ the fadir Jacob seide, Ye han maad me to be with out children; Joseph is not alyue, Symeon is holdun in bondis, ye schulen take a wey fro me Beniamyn; alle these yuels felden in me.

³⁷ To whom Ruben answeride, Sle thou my twei sones, if Y shal not brynge hym ayen to thee; take thou hym in myn hond, and Y schal restore hym to thee.

³⁸ And Jacob seide, My sone schal not go doun with you; his brother is deed, he aloone is left; if ony aduersite schal bifalle `to hym in the lond to which ye schulen go, ye schulen lede forth myn hoore heeris with sorewe to hellis.

Chapter 43

¹ In the meene tyme hungur oppresside greetli al the lond;

² and whanne the meetis weren wastid, whiche thei brouyten fro Egipt, Jacob seide to hise sones, Turne ye ayen, and bie ye a litil of meetis to vs.

³ Judas answeride, The ilke man denounside to vs vndir witnessyng of an ooth, and seide, Ye schulen not se my face, if ye schulen not brynge with you youre leeste brother;

⁴ therfor if thou wolt sende hym with vs, we schulen go to gidere, and we schulen bie necessaries to thee;

⁵ ellis if thou wolt not, we schulen not go; for as we seiden ofte, the man denounside to vs, and seide, Ye schulen not se my face with out youre leeste brother.

⁶ Forsothe Israel seide to hem, Ye diden this in to my wretchidnesse, that ye schewiden to hym, that ye hadden also another brother.

⁷ And thei answeriden, The man axide vs bi ordre oure generacioun, if the fadir lyuede, if we hadden a brother; and we answeriden suyngli to hym, bi that that he axide; whether we myyten wite that he wolde seie, Brynge ye youre brothir with you?

⁸ And Judas seide to his fadir, Sende the child with me, that we go, and moun lyue, lest we dien, and oure litle children ^[1] ;

⁹ Y take the child, require thou hym of myn hoond; if Y schal not brynge ayen, and bitake hym to thee, Y schal be gilti of synne ayens thee in al tyme;

¹⁰ if delai hadde not be, we hadden come now anothir tyme.

¹¹ Therfor Israel, `the fadir of hem, seide to hem, If it is nede so, do ye that that ye wolen; `take ye of the beste fruytis of the lond in youre vesselis, and `bere ye yiftis to the man, a litil of gumme, and of hony, and of storax, and of mirre, and of therebynte, and of alemaundis;

¹² and `bere ye with you double money, and `bere ye ayen that money which ye founden in baggis, lest perauenture it be doon bi errour;

¹³ but also take ye youre brother, and go ye to the man;

¹⁴ forsothe my God Almyyti mak him pesible to you, and sende he ayen youre brother, whom he holdith in boondis, and this Beniamyn; forsothe Y schal be as maad bare without sones.

¹⁵ Therfor the men token yiftis, and double monei, and Beniamyn; and thei yeden doun in to Egipt, and stoden bifore Joseph.

¹⁶ And whanne he hadde seyn `hem and Beniamyn togidere, he comaundide the dispendere of his hows, and seide, Lede these men in to the hous, and sle beestis, and make a feeste; for thei schulen ete with me to dai.

¹⁷ He dide as it was comaundid, and ledde the men in to the hows;

¹⁸ and there thei weren aferd, and seiden to gidere, We ben brouyt in for the monei which we baren ayen bifore in oure sackis, that he putte chalenge `in to vs, and make suget bi violence to seruage bothe vs and oure assis.

¹⁹ Wherfor thei neiyeden in the `yatis, and spaken to the dispendere,

²⁰ Lord, we preien that thou here vs; we camen doun now bifore that we schulden bie metis;

²¹ whanne tho weren bouyt, whanne we camen to the ynne, we openeden oure baggis, and we founden money in the mouth of sackis, which money we han brouyt ayen now in the same weiyte;

²² but also we han brouyt other siluer, that we bie tho thingis that ben nedeful to vs; it is not in oure conscience, who puttide the money in oure pursis.

²³ And he answerde, Pees be to you, nyle ye drede; youre God and God of youre fadir yaf to you tresouris in youre baggis; for I haue the monei preued, which ye yauen to me. And he ledde out Symeon to hem;

²⁴ and whanne thei weren brouyt in to the hows, he brouyte watir, and thei waischiden her feet, and he yaf `meetis to her assis.

²⁵ Sotheli thei maden redi yiftis til Joseph entride at myd day, for thei hadden herd that thei schulden ete breed there.

²⁶ Therfor Joseph entride in to his hows, and thei offriden yiftis to hym, and helden in the hondis, and worschipiden lowe to erthe.

²⁷ And he grette hem ayen mekeli; and he axide hem, and seide, Whether youre fadir, the elde man, is saaf, of whom ye seiden to me? lyueth he yit?

²⁸ Whiche answeriden, He is hool, thi seruaunt oure fadir lyueth yit; and thei weren bowid, and worschipiden hym.

²⁹ Forsothe Joseph reyside hise iyen, and siy Beniamyn his brother of the same wombe, and seide, Is this youre litil brother, of whom ye seiden to me? And eft Joseph seide, My sone, God haue merci of thee.

³⁰ And Joseph hastide in to the hous, for his entrailis weren moued on his brother, and teeris brasten out, and he entride into a closet, and wepte.

³¹ And eft whanne the face was waischun, he yede out, and refreynede hym silf, and seide, Sette ye looues.

³² `And whanne tho weren set to Joseph by hym silf, and to the britheren bi hem silf, and to Egipcyans that eeten to gidre by hem silf; for it is vnleueful to Egipcians to ete with Ebrewis, and thei gessen sich a feeste vnhooli.

³³ Therfor thei saten bifore hym, the firste gendrid bi the rite of his firste gendryng, and the leeste bi his age; and thei wondriden greetli,

³⁴ whanne the partis weren takun whiche thei hadden resseyued of him, and the more part cam to Beniamyn, so that it passide in fyue partis; and thei drunken, and weren fillid with him.

1. [Note: Lo, prestis oblishyng.]

Chapter 44

¹ Forsothe Joseph comaundid the dispendere of his hous, and seide, Fille thou her sackis with wheete, as myche as tho moun take, and putte thou the money of ech in the hiynesse of the sak;

² forsothe put thou in the mouth of the sak of the yongere my silueren cuppe, and the prijs of wheete which he yaf; and it was doon so.

³ And whanne the morewtid roos, thei weren delyuered with her assis.

⁴ And now thei hadden go out of the citee, and hadden go forth a litil; thanne Joseph seide, whanne the dispendere of his hous was clepid, Rise thou, pursue the men, and seye thou whanne thei ben takun, Whi han ye yolde yuel for good?

⁵ The cuppe, which ye han stole, is thilk in which my lord drynkith, and in which he is wont to dyuyne; ye han do a ful wickid thing.

⁶ He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre.

⁷ Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?

⁸ We brouyten ayen to thee fro the lond of Chanaan the monei which we founden in the hiynesse of sackis, and hou is it suynge that we han stole fro `the hows of thi lord gold ether siluer?

⁹ At whom euere of thi seruauntis this that thou sekist is foundun, die he, and we schulen be seruauntis of my lord.

¹⁰ Which seide to hem, Be it doon bi youre sentence; at whom it is foundun, be he my seruaunt; forsothe ye schulen be gilteles.

¹¹ And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte;

¹² and bigan at the more til to the leeste, and foond the cuppe in `the sak of Beniamyn.

¹³ And whanne thei hadden `to-rent her clothis, and hadden chargid eft the assis, thei turneden ayen in to the citee.

¹⁴ And Judas entride `the firste with brithren to Joseph; for he hadde not go yit fro the place; and alle felden togidere on erthe bifore hym.

¹⁵ To whiche he seide, Whi wolden ye do so? whether ye witen not, that noon is lijk me in the kunnyng of dyuinyng?

¹⁶ To whom Judas seide, What schulen we answere to my lord, ether what schulen we speke, ether moun iustli ayenseie? God hath founde the wickidnesse of thi seruauntis; lo! alle we ben the seruauntis of my lord, bothe we and he at whom the cuppe is foundun.

¹⁷ Joseph answeride, Fer be it fro me, that Y do so; he be my seruaunt that stal the cuppe; forsothe go ye fre to youre fadir.

¹⁸ Sotheli Judas neiyede neer, and seide tristili, My lord, Y preye, thi seruaunt speke a word in thin eeris, and be thou not wrooth to thi seruaunt; for aftir Farao thou art my lord.

¹⁹ Thou axidist first thi seruauntis, Han ye a fadir, ether a brother?

²⁰ And we answeriden to thee, my lord, An eld fadir is to vs, and a litil child that was borun in his eelde, whos brother of the same wombe is deed, and his modir hath hym aloone; forsothe his fadir loueth hym tendirli.

²¹ And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, Brynge ye hym to me, and Y schal sette myn iyen on hym.

²² We maden suggestioun to thee, my lord, the child may not forsake his fadir; for if he schal leeue the fadir, he schal die.

²³ And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, If youre leeste brother schal not come with you, ye schulen no more se my face.

²⁴ Therfor whanne we hadden stied to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, we telden to hym alle thingis whiche my lord spak; and oure fadir seide,

²⁵ Turne ye ayen, and bie ye to you a litil of wheete;

²⁶ to whom we seiden, We moun not go; if oure leeste brother schal go doun with vs, we schulen go forth togidere; ellis, if he is absent, we doren not se the `face of the lord.

²⁷ To whiche thingis the fadir answeride, Ye witen that my wiif childide twei sones to me;

²⁸ oon yede out, and ye seiden, a beeste deuouride hym, and hidir to he apperith not;

²⁹ if ye taken also this sone, and ony thing bifallith to hym in the weye, ye schulen lede forth myn hoor heeris with morenyng to hellis.

³⁰ Therfor if Y entre to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, and the child faile, sithen his lijf hangith of the lijf of the child,

³¹ and he se that the child is not with vs, he schal die, and thi seruauntis schulen lede forth hise hoor heeris with sorewe to hellis.

³² Be Y propirli thi seruaunt, which resseyuede this child on my feith, and bihiyte, and seide, If Y schal not brynge ayen hym, Y schal be gilti of synne ayens my fadir in al tyme;

³³ and so Y schal dwelle thi seruaunt for the child in to the seruyce of my lord, and the child stie with hise britheren;

³⁴ for Y may not go ayen to my fadir, if the child is absent, lest Y stonde a witnesse of the wretchidnesse that schal oppresse my fadir.

Chapter 45

¹ Joseph myyte no lengere absteyne hym silf, while many men stoden bifore; wherfor he comaundide that alle men schulden go out, and that noon alien were present in the knowyng of Joseph and hise britheren.

² And Joseph reiside the vois with wepyng, which Egipcians herden, and al the hows of Farao.

³ And he seide to hise britheren, Y am Joseph; lyueth my fadir yit? The brithren myyten not answere, and weren agast bi ful myche drede.

⁴ To whiche he seide mekeli, Neiye ye to me. And whanne thei hadden neiyed nyy, he seide, Y am Joseph youre brother, whom ye selden in to Egipt;

⁵ nyle ye drede, nether seme it to be hard to you, that ye seelden me in to these cuntreis; for God hath sent me bifore you in to Egipt for youre helthe.

⁶ For it is twei yeer that hungur bigan `to be in the lond, yit fyue yeer suen, in whiche me schal not mow ere, nether repe;

⁷ and God bifor sente me, that ye be reserued on erthe, and moun haue metis to lyue.

⁸ Y was sent hidur not bi youre counsel, but bi Goddis wille, which made me as the fadir of Farao, and the lord of al his hows, and prince in al the lond of Egipt.

⁹ Haste ye, and `stie ye to my fadir, and ye schulen seie to hym, Thi sone Joseph sendith these thingis; God hath maad me lord of al the lond of Egipt; come doun to me, and tarie not, and dwelle in the lond of Gessen;

¹⁰ and thou schalt be bisidis me, thou, and thi sones, and the sones of thi sones, thi scheep, and thi grete beestis, and alle thingis whiche thou weldist,

¹¹ and there Y schal fede thee; for yit fyue yeer of hungur ben residue, lest bothe thou perische, and thin hows, and alle thingis whiche thou weldist.

¹² Lo! youre iyen, and the iyen of my brother Beniamyn seen, that my mouth spekith to you;

¹³ telle ye to my fadir al my glorie, and alle thingis whiche ye sien in Egipt; haste ye, and brynge ye hym to me.

¹⁴ And whanne he hadde biclippid, and hadde feld in to the necke of Beniamyn, his brother, he wepte, the while also Benjamin wepte in lijk maner on the necke of Joseph.

¹⁵ And Joseph kisside alle hise britheren, and wepte on alle; aftir whiche thingis thei weren hardi to speke to hym.

¹⁶ And it was herd, and pupplischid bi famouse word in the halle of the kyng, The britheren of Joseph ben comun. And Farao ioiede, and al his meynee;

¹⁷ and Farao seide to Joseph, that he schulde comaunde hise britheren, and `seie, Charge youre beestis, and go ye in to the lond of Canaan,

¹⁸ and take ye fro thennus youre fadir, and kynrede, and come ye to me; and Y schal yyue to you alle the goodis of Egipt, that ye ete the merow of the lond.

¹⁹ Comaunde thou also, that thei take waynes of the lond of Egipt to the cariage of her litle children, and wyues, and seie thou, `Take ye youre fadir, and haste ye comynge soone,

²⁰ nether leeue ye ony thing of the purtenaunce of youre hows, for alle the richessis of Egipt schulen be youre.

²¹ The sones of Israel diden, as it was comaundid to hem; to whiche Joseph yaf waynes, bi the comaundement of Farao, and metis in the weie;

²² and he comaundide twei stoolis to be brouyt forth to ech; forsothe he yaf to Beniamyn thre hundrid platis of siluer, with fyue the beste stoolis;

²³ and sente to his fadir so myche of siluer, and of cloothis, and he addide to hem ten male assis, that schulden bere of alle richessis of Egipt, and so many femal assis, berynge wheete and looues in the weie.

²⁴ Therfor he lefte hise britheren, and seide to hem goynge forth, Be ye not wrooth in the weie.

²⁵ Whiche stieden fro Egipt, and camen in to the lond of Canaan, to her fadir Jacob;

²⁶ and telden to hym, and seiden, Joseph, thi sone, lyueth, and he is lord in al the lond of Egipt. And whanne this was herd, Jacob wakide as of a greuouse sleep; netheles he bileuyde not to hem.

²⁷ Thei telden ayenward al the ordre of the thing; and whanne Jacob hadde seyn the waynes, and alle thingis whiche Joseph hadde sent, his spirit lyuede ayen,

²⁸ and he seide, It suffisith to me, if Joseph my sone lyueth yit, Y schal go and `Y schal se hym bifore that Y die.

Chapter 46

¹ And Israel yede forth with alle thingis that he hadde, and he cam to the pit of ooth; and whanne sacrifices weren slayn there to God of his fadir Isaac,

² he herde God bi a visioun in that nyyt clepynge hym, `and seiynge to hym, Jacob! Jacob! To whom he answeride, Lo! Y am present.

³ God seide to hym, Y am the strongeste God of thi fadir; nyle thou drede, go doun in to Egipt, for Y schal make thee there in to a greet folk;

⁴ Y schal go doun thidir with thee, and Y schal brynge thee turnynge ayen fro thennus, and Joseph schal sette his hond on thin iyen.

⁵ Jacob roos fro the pit of ooth, and the sones token him, with her litle children, and wyues, in the waynes whiche Farao hadde sent to bere the eld man,

⁶ and alle thingis whiche he weldide in the lond of Canaan; and he cam in to Egipt with his seed,

⁷ hise sones, and her sones, and douytris, and al the generacioun togidere.

⁸ Forsothe thes ben the names of the sones of Israel, that entriden in to Egipte; he with hise fre children. The firste gendrid Ruben;

⁹ the sones of Ruben, Enoch, and Fallu, and Esrom, and Carmi.

¹⁰ The sones of Symeon, Jemuhel, and Jamyn, and Ahoth, and Jachyn, and Sab, and Saber, and Saul, the sone of a womman of Canaan.

¹¹ The sones of Leuy, Gerson, Caath, and Merarie.

¹² The sones of Juda, Her and Onam, and Sela, and Fares, and Zara. Forsothe Her and Onam dieden in the lond of Canaan; and the sones of Fares weren borun, Esrom, and Amul.

¹³ The sones of Isacar, Thola, and Fua, and Jobab, and Semron.

¹⁴ The sones of Zabulon, Sared, and Thelom, and Jahel.

¹⁵ These ben the sones of Lia, whiche sche childide in Mesopotanye of Sirie, with Dyna, hir douyter; alle the soules of hise sones and douytris, thre and thretti.

¹⁶ The sones of Gad, Sefion, and Aggi, Suny, and Hesebon, Heri, and Arodi, and Areli.

¹⁷ The sones of Aser, Jamne, and Jesua, and Jesui, and Beria; and Sara, the sister of hem. The sones of Beria, Heber and Melchiel.

¹⁸ These weren the sones of Zelfa, whom Laban yaf to Lia, his douyter, and Jacob gendryde these sixtene persones.

¹⁹ The sones of Rachel, `wijf of Jacob, weren Joseph and Beniamyn.

²⁰ And sones weren borun to Joseph in the loond of Egipt, Manasses and Effraym, whiche Asenech, `douytir of Putifar, preest of Helipoleos, childide to hym.

²¹ The sones of Beniamin weren Bela, and Becor, and Asbel, Gera, and Naaman, and Jechi, `Ros, and Mofym, and Ofym, and Ared.

²² These weren the sones of Rachel, whiche Jacob gendride; alle the persones weren fouretene.

²³ The sone of Dan, Vsym.

²⁴ The sones of Neptalym, Jasiel, and Guny, and Jeser, and Salem.

²⁵ These weren `the sones of Bala, whom Laban yaf to Rachel his douytir.

²⁶ And Jacob gendride these; alle the soules weren seuene. And alle the men that entriden with Jacob in to Egipt, and yeden out of his thiy, with out `the wyues of his sones, weren sixti and sixe.

²⁷ Forsothe the sones of Joseph, that weren borun to hym in `the loond of Egipt, weren two men. Alle the soulis of `the hows of Jacob, that entriden in to Egipt, weren seuenti.

²⁸ Forsothe Jacob sente Judas bifore hym to Joseph, that he schulde telle to hym, and he schulde `come in to Gessen.

²⁹ And whanne Jacob hadde come thidir, Joseph stiede in his chare to mete his fadir at the same place. And he siy Jacob, and felde on `his necke, and wepte bitwixe collyngis.

³⁰ And the fadir seide to Joseph, Now Y schal die ioiful, for Y siy thi face, and Y leeue thee lyuynge.

³¹ And Joseph spak to hise brithren, and to al `the hows of his fadir, I schal stie, and `Y schal telle to Farao, and Y schal seie to hym, My britheren, and the hows of my fadir, that weren in the lond of Canaan, ben comun to me,

³² and thei ben men kepers of scheep, and han bisynesse of flockis to be fed; thei brouyten with hem her scheep and grete beestis, and alle thingis whiche thei miyten haue.

³³ And whanne Farao schal clepe you, and schal seie, What is youre werk? ye schulen answere, We ben thi seruauntis, men scheepherdis, fro oure childhed til in to present tyme, bothe we and oure fadris. Sotheli ye schulen seye these thingis, that ye moun dwelle in the lond of Gessen, for Egipcians wlaten alle keperis of scheep.

Chapter 47

¹ Therfor Joseph entride, and telde to Farao, and seide, My fadir and brethren, the scheep and grete beestis of hem, and alle thingis whiche thei welden, camen fro the lond of Canaan; and lo! thei stonden in the lond of Gessen.

² And he ordeynede fyue, the laste men of hise britheren, bifore the kyng,

³ whiche he axide, What werk han ye? Thei answeriden, We thi seruauntis ben kepers of scheep, bothe we and oure faderis;

⁴ we camen in to thi lond to be pilgrymys, for noo gras is to the flockis of thi seruauntis; hungur wexith greuouse in the lond of Canaan, and we axen that thou comaunde vs thi seruauntis to be in the lond of Gessen.

⁵ And so the kyng seide to Joseph, Thi fadir and thi britheren camen to thee;

⁶ the lond of Egipt is in thi siyt, make thou hem to dwelle in the beste place, and yyue thou to hem the lond of Gessen; that if thou woost that witti men ben in hem, ordeyne thou hem maystris of my beestis.

⁷ After these thingis Joseph brouyte in his fader to the king, and settide him bifor the king, which blesside the king;

⁸ and he was axid of the king, Hou many ben the daies of the yeeris of thi lijf?

⁹ And he answeride, The daies of pilgrymage of my lijf, ben feewe and yuele, of an hundrid and thretti yeer, and tho `camen not til to the daies of my fadris, in whiche thei weren pilgryms.

¹⁰ And whanne he hadde blessid the kyng, he yede out.

¹¹ Forsothe Joseph yaf to hise fadir and britheren possessioun in Egipt, in Ramasses, the beste soile of erthe, as Farao comaundide;

¹² and he fedde hem, and al the hows of his fadir, and yaf metis to alle.

¹³ For breed failide in al the world, and hungur oppresside the lond, moost of Egipt and of Canaan;

¹⁴ of whiche londis he gaderide al the money for the sillyng of wheete, and brouyte it in to the `tresorie of the kyng.

¹⁵ And whanne prijs failide to the bieris, al Egipt cam to Joseph, and seide, Yyue thou `looues to vs; whi shulen we die bifore thee, while monei failith?

¹⁶ To whiche he answeride, Brynge ye youre beestis, and Y schal yyue to you metis for tho, if ye han not prijs.

¹⁷ And whanne thei hadden brouyt tho, he yaf to hem metis for horsis, and scheep, and oxun, and assis; and he susteynede hem in that yeer for the chaungyng of beestis.

¹⁸ And thei camen in the secunde yeer, and seiden to hym, We helen not fro oure lord, that the while monei failith, also beestis failiden togidere, nether it is hid fro thee, that with out bodies and lond we han no thing;

¹⁹ whi therfor schulen we die, while thou seest? bothe we and oure lond schulen be thine, bie thou vs in to the kyngis seruage, and yyue thou seedis, lest the while the tiliere perischith, the lond be turned in to wildirnesse.

²⁰ Therfor Joseph bouyte al the lond of Egipt, while all men seelden her possessiouns, for the greetnesse of hungur;

²¹ and he made it and alle puplis therof suget to Farao, fro the laste termes of Egipt til to the laste endis therof,

²² outakun the lond of preestis, that was youun of the kyng to hem, to whiche preestis also metis weren youun of the comun bernys, and therfor thei weren not compellid to sille her possessiouns.

²³ Therfor Joseph seide to the puplis, Lo! as ye seen, Farao weldith bothe you and youre lond; take ye seedis, and `sowe ye feeldis,

²⁴ that ye moun haue fruytis; ye schulen yyue the fifthe part to the kyng; Y suffre to you the foure residue partis in to seed and in to meetis, to you, and to youre fre children.

²⁵ Whiche answeriden, Oure helthe is in thin hond; oneli oure God biholde vs, and we schulen ioifuli serue the kyng.

²⁶ For that tyme til in to present dai, in al the lond of Egipt, the fyuethe part is paied to the kyngis, and it is maad as in to a lawe, with out the lond of preestis, that was fre fro this condicioun.

²⁷ Therfor Israel dwellide in Egipt, that is, in the lond of Jessen, and weldide it; and he was encreessid and multiplied ful mych.

²⁸ And he lyuede therynne sixtene yeer; and alle the daies of his lijf weren maad of an hundrid and seuene and fourti yeer.

²⁹ And whanne he seiy the dai of deeth nyye, he clepide his sone Joseph, and seide to hym, If Y haue founde grace in thi siyt; putte thin hond vndur myn hipe, and thou schal do merci and treuthe to me, that thou birie not me in Egipt;

³⁰ but `Y schal slepe with my fadris, and take thou awey me fro this lond, and birie in the sepulcre of my grettere. To whom Joseph answeride, Y schal do that that thou comaundist.

³¹ And Israel seide, Therfor swere thou to me; and whanne Joseph swoor, Israel turnede to the heed of the bed, and worschipide God.

Chapter 48

¹ And so whanne these thingis weren don, it was teld to Joseph, that his fadir was sijk. And he took hise twei sones, Manasses and Effraym, and he disposide to go.

² And it was seid to the elde man, Lo! thi sone Joseph cometh to thee; which was coumfortid, and sat in the bed.

³ And whanne Joseph entride to hym, he seide, Almyyti God apperide to me in Luza, which is in the lond of Canaan, and blesside me,

⁴ and seide, Y schal encreesse and multiplie thee, and Y schal make thee in to cumpanyes of puplis, and Y schal yyue to thee this lond, and to thi seed aftir thee, in to euerlastinge possessioun.

⁵ Therfor thi twei sones, that ben borun to thee in the lond of Egipt bifore that Y cam hidir to thee, schulen be myne, Effraym and Manasses as Ruben and Symeon schulen be arettid to me;

⁶ forsothe the othere whiche thou schalt gendre aftir hem schulen be thine; and thei schulen be clepid bi the name of her britheren in her possessiouns.

⁷ Forsothe whanne Y cam fro Mesopotamye, Rachel was deed to me in the lond of Canaan, in thilke weie; and it was the bigynnyng of somer; and Y entride in to Effrata, and beriede hir bisidis the weie of Effrata, which bi anothir name is clepid Bethleem.

⁸ Forsothe Jacob seiy the sones of Joseph, and seide to him, Who ben these?

⁹ He answeride, Thei ben my sones, whiche God yaf to me in this place. Jacob seide, Brynge hem to me that Y blesse hem.

¹⁰ For `the iyen of Israel, dasewiden for greet eelde, and he myyte not se clereli; and he kisside and collide tho children ioyned to hym, and seide to his sone,

¹¹ Y am not defraudid of thi siyt; ferthermore God schewide to me thi seed.

¹² And whanne Joseph hadde take hem fro `the fadris lappe, he worschipide lowe to erthe.

¹³ And he sette Effraym on his riyt side, that is, on the lift side of Israel; forsothe he settide Manasses in his lift side, that is, on the riyt side of the fadir; and he ioynede bothe to hym.

¹⁴ Which helde forth the riyt hond, and settide on `the heed of Effraym, the lesse brothir; sotheli he settide the left hond on `the heed of Manasses, that was the more thury birthe. Jacob chaungide `the hondes,

¹⁵ and blesside his sone Joseph, and seide, God, in whos siyt my fadris Abraham and Isaac yeden; God, that fedith me fro my yong wexynge age til in to present day;

¹⁶ the aungel that delyuerede me fro alle yuelis, blesse thes children, and my name be clepid on hem, and the names of my fadris Abraham and Ysaac; and wexe thei in multitude on erthe.

¹⁷ Forsothe Joseph seiy that his fadir hadde set the riyt hond on the heed of Effraym, and took heuyli, and he enforside to reise the fadris hond takun fro the heed of Effraym, and to bere `ouer on `the heed of Manasses.

¹⁸ And he seide to the fadir, Fadir, it acordith not so; for this is the firste gendrid; sette thi riyt hond on the heed `of hym.

¹⁹ Which forsook and seide, Y woot, my sone, Y woot; and sotheli this child schal be in to puplis, and he schal be multiplied; but his yonger brother schal be more than he, and `his seed schal encreesse in to folkis.

²⁰ And he blesside hem in that tyme, and seide, Israel schal be blessid in thee, Joseph, and it schal be seid, God do to thee as to Effraym and as to Manasses. And he settide Effraym bifore Manasses;

²¹ and seide to Joseph, his sone, Lo! Y die, and God schal be with you, and schal lede you ayen to the lond of youre fadris;

²² Y yyue to thee o part ouer thi britheren which Y took fro the hand of Amorei, in my swerd and bowe.

Chapter 49

¹ Forsothe Jacob clepide hise sones, and seide to hem, Be ye gaderid that Y telle what thingis schulen come to you in the laste daies;

² be ye gaderid, `and here, ye sones of Jacob, here ye Israel youre fadir.

³ Ruben, my firste gendrid sone, thou art my strengthe and the bigynnyng of my sorewe; thou ouytist to be the former in yiftis, the more in lordschip;

⁴ thou art sched out as watir; wexe thou not, for thou stiedist on the bed of thi fader, and defoulidist his bed.

⁵ Symeon and Leuy, britheren, fiytynge vessils of wickidnesse;

⁶ my soule come not in to the councel of hem, and my glorie be not in the congregacioun of hem; for in her woodnesse thei killiden a man, and in her wille thei myneden the wal;

⁷ curside be the woodnesse of hem, for it is obstynat, and the indignacioun of hem for it is hard; Y schal departe hem in Jacob, and I schal scatere hem in Israel.

⁸ Judas, thi britheren schulen preise thee, thin hondis schulen be in the nollis of thin enemyes; the sones of thi fadir schulen worschipe thee.

⁹ `A whelp of lioun `is Judas; my sone thou stiedist to prey; thou restidist, and hast leyn as a lioun, and as a lionesse who schal reise hym?

¹⁰ The septre schal not be takun awey fro Juda, and a duyk of his hipe, til he come that schal be sent, and he schal be abiding of hethene men;

¹¹ and he schal tye his colt at the vyner, and his femal asse at the vyne; A! my sone, he schal waische his stoole in wyn, and his mentil in the blood of grape;

¹² hise iyen ben fairere than wyn, and hise teeth ben whittere than mylk.

¹³ Zabulon schal dwelle in the brenk of the see, and in the stondyng of schipis; and schal stretche til to Sydon.

¹⁴ Isachar, a strong asse,

¹⁵ liggynge bitwixe termes, seiy reste, that it was good and seiy the lond that it was best, and he vndirsettide his schuldre to bere, and he was maad seruynge to tributis.

¹⁶ Dan schal deme his puple, as also another lynage in Israel.

¹⁷ Dan be maad a serpent in the weie, and cerastes in the path, and bite the feet of an hors, that the `stiere therof falle bacward; Lord,

¹⁸ Y schal abide thin helthe.

¹⁹ Gad schal be gird, and schal fiyte bifor hym, and he schal be gird bihynde.

²⁰ Aser his breed schal be plenteuouse, and he schal yyue delicis to kyngis.

²¹ Neptalym schal be an hert sent out, and yyuynge spechis of fairenesse.

²² Joseph, a sone encreessynge, `a sone encresinge, and fair in biholdyng; douytris runnen aboute on the wal,

²³ but hise brithren wraththeden hym, and chidden, and thei hadden dartis, and hadden enuye to hym.

²⁴ His bowe sat in the stronge, and the boondis of his armes, and hondis weren vnboundun bi the hond of the myyti of Jacob; of hym a scheepherd yede out, the stoon of Israel.

²⁵ God of thi fadir schal be thin helpere, and Almyyti God schal blesse thee with blessyngis of heuene fro aboue, and with blessyngis of the see liggynge binethe, with blessyngis of tetis, and of wombe;

²⁶ the blessyngis of thi fadir ben coumfortid, the blessyngis of his fadris, til the desire of euerlastynge hillis cam; blessyngis ben maad in the heed of Joseph, and in the nol of Nazarei among his britheren.

²⁷ Beniamyn, a rauyschynge wolf, schal ete prey eerly, and in the euentid he schal departe spuylis.

²⁸ Alle these weren in twelue kynredis of Israel; her fadir spak these thingys to hem, and blesside hem alle by propre blessyngis,

²⁹ and comaundide hem, and seide, Y am gaderid to my puple, birie ye me with my fadris in the double denne, which is in the lond of Efron Ethei, ayens Manbre,

³⁰ in the lond of Canaan, which denne Abraham bouyte with the feeld of Efron Ethei, in to possessioun of sepulcre.

³¹ There thei birieden hym, and Sare his wijf, also Ysaac was biried there with Rebecca his wijf; there also Lia liggith biried.

³² And whanne the comaundementis weren endid, bi whiche he tauyte the sones, he gaderide hise feet on the bed, and diede, and he was put to his puple.

Chapter 50

¹ Which thing Joseph seiy, and felde on `the face of the fader, and wepte, and kiste hym;

² and he comaundide hise seruauntis, lechis, that thei schulden anoynte the fadir with swete smellynge spiceries.

³ While thei `filliden the comaundementis, fourti daies passiden, for this was the custom of deed bodies anoyntid; and Egipt biwepte hym seuenti daies.

⁴ And whanne the tyme of weiling was fillid, Joseph spak to the meyne of Farao, If Y haue founde grace in youre siyt, speke ye in the eeris of Farao; for my fadir chargide me,

⁵ and seide, Lo! Y die, thou schalt birie me in my sepulcre which Y diggide to me in the lond of Canaan; therfor Y schal stie that Y birie my fadir, and Y schal turne ayen.

⁶ And Farao seide to hym, Stie, and birie thi fader, as thou art chargid.

⁷ And whanne `he stiede, alle the elde men of `the hous of Farao yeden with him, and alle the grettere men in birthe of the lond of Egipt; the hous of Joseph with her britheren,

⁸ without litle children, and flockis, and grete beestis, whiche thei leften in the lond of Gessen, yeden with him.

⁹ And he hadde charis, and horsmen, and felouschip, and cumpany was maad not litil.

¹⁰ And thei camen to the cornfloor of Adad, which is set ouer Jordan, where thei maden the seruice of the deed bodi, with greet weilyng and strong, and fillide seuen daies.

¹¹ And whanne the dwellers of the lond of Canaan hadden seyn this, thei seiden, This is a greet weiling to Egipcians; and therfor thei clepiden the name of that place the weilyng of Egipt.

¹² Therfor the sones of Jacob diden, as he hadde comaundid to hem;

¹³ and thei baren hym in to the lond of Canaan, and thei birieden hym in the double denne, which denne with the feeld Abraham hadde bouyt of Effron Ethei, ayens the face of Mambre, into possessioun of sepulcre.

¹⁴ And Joseph turnede ayen in to Egipt with hise britheren and al the felouschipe, whanne the fadir was biried.

¹⁵ And whanne the fadir was deed, the britheren of Joseph dredden, and spaken togidere, lest perauenture he be myndeful of the wrong which he suffride, and yelde to vs al the yuel, that we diden.

¹⁶ And thei senten to hym, and seiden, Thi fadir comaundide to vs,

¹⁷ bifore that he diede, that we schulden seie to thee these thingis bi hise wordis; Y beseche, that thou foryete the wickidnesse of thi britheren, and the synne, and malice which thei hauntiden ayens thee; also we preien, that thou foryyue this wickidnesse to thi fadir, the seruaunt of God. Whanne these thingis weren herd, Joseph wepte.

¹⁸ And hise britheren camen to hym, and worschipiden lowe to erthe, and seiden, We ben thi seruauntis.

¹⁹ To whiche he answeride, Nyle ye drede; whether we moun ayenstonde Goddis wille?

²⁰ Ye thouyten yuel of me, and God turnede it in to good, that he schulde enhaunse me, as ye seen in present tyme, and that he schulde make saaf many puplis;

²¹ nyle ye drede, Y schal fede you and youre litle children. And he coumfortide hem, and spak swetli, and liytly;

²² and he dwellide in Egipt, with al the hows of his fadir. And he lyuyde an hundrid yeer, and he seiy the sones of Effraym til to the thridde generacioun; also the sones of Machir, son of Manasses, weren borun in the knees of Joseph.

²³ Whanne these thingis weren don, Joseph spak to hise brithren, Aftir my deeth God schal visite you, and he schal make to stie fro this lond to the loond which he swoor to Abraham, Ysaac, and Jacob.

²⁴ And whanne he hadde chargid hem, and hadde seid, God schal visite you, bere ye out with you my boonus fro this place,

²⁵ he diede, whanne an hundrid and ten yeeris of his lijf weren fillid; and he was anoyntid with swete smellynge spiceries, and was kept in a beere in Egipt.

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