The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

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,

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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;

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

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.

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

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?

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.

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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;

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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,

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

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.

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,

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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;

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

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

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

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.

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,

and Cyneseis, and Cethmoneis, and Etheis,

and Fereseis, and Raphaym, and Amorreis,

and Cananeis, and Gergeseis, and Jebuseis.

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!

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,

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

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

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.

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.

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,

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.

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

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

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;

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.

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.

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

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

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

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;

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

And Abram felde doun lowe on his face.

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

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