Thys is the boke of the generacion of man/ In the daye when God
created man and made hym after the symilytude of god Male and female
made he th[~e] and called their names man/ in the daye when they were
created. And when Adam was an hundred and thyrty yere old/ he begat a
sonne after hys lycknesse and symilytude: and called hys name Seth.
And the dayes of Adam after he begat Seth/ were eyght hundred yere/
and begat sonnes and doughters. and all the dayes of Adam which he
lyved/ were .ix. hundred and .xxx. yere/ and then he dyed.
And Seth lyved an hundred and .v. yeres/ and begat Enos. And after he
had begot Enos he lyved .viij. hundred and .vij. yere/ and begat
sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Seth were .ix. hundred and
.xij. yere/ and dyed.
And Enos lyved .lxxxx. yere and begat kenan. And Enos after he begat
kenan/ lyved viij. hundred and .xv. yere/ and begat sonnes and
doughters: and all the dayes of Enos were .ix hundred and .v. yere/
and than he dyed.
And kenan lyued .lxx. yere and begat Mahalaliel. And kenan after he
had begot Mahalaliel/ lyved .viij. hundred and .xl. yere and begat
sonnes and doughters: and al the dayes of kenan were .ix. hundred and
.x. yere/ and than he dyed.
And Mahalaliel lyued .lxv. yere/ and begat Iared. And Mahalaliel after
he had begot Iared lyved .viij. hundred and .xxx. yere and begat
sonnes and doughters: and all the dayes of Mahalalyell were .viij.
hundred nynetye and .v. yeare/ and than he dyed
And Iared lyved an hundred and .lxij. yere and begat Henoch: and Iared
lyved after he begat Henoch .viij. hundred yere and begat sonnes and
doughters. And all the dayes of Iared were .ix. hundred and .lxij.
yere/ and than he dyed.
And Henoch lyved .lxv. yere ad begat Mathusala. And Henoch walked wyth
god after he had begot Mathusala .iij. hundred yere/ and begat
sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Henoch were .iij. hundred
and .lxv. yere. and than Henoch lyved a godly lyfe/ and was nomore
sene/ for God toke hym away.
And Mathusala lyved an hundred and lxxxvij. yere and begat Lamech: and
Mathusala after he had begot Lamech/ lyved .vij. hundred and .lxxxij.
yere/ ad begat sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Methusala
were .ix. hundred .lxix yere/ and than he dyed.
And Lamech lyved an hundred .lxxxij. yere & begat a sonne and called
hym Noe sayng. This same shall comforte vs: as concernynge oure worke
and sorowe of oure handes which we haue aboute the erthe that the
LORde hath cursed. And Lamech lyved after he had begot Noe v. hundred/
nynetie and .v. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters. And all the
dayes of Lamech were .vij. hundred .lxxvij. yere/ and than he dyed.
And when Noe was .v. hundred yere olde/ he begat Sem/ Ham and Iaphet.
¶ The .vj. Chapter.
And it came to passe/ wha men bega to multiplye apo the erth ad had
begot them doughters/ the sonnes of God sawe the doughters of men that
they were fayre/ and toke vnto them wyves/ which they best liked amoge
th[~e] all. And the LORd sayd: My spirite shall not all waye stryve
withe man/ for they are flesh. Nevertheles I wyll geue them yet space/
and hundred and .xx. yeres
There were tirantes in the world in thos dayes. For after that the
children of God had gone in vnto the doughters of men and had begotten
them childern/ the same childern were the mightiest of the world and
men of renowne And whan the LORde sawe y^t the wekednesse of man was
encreased apon the erth/ and that all the ymaginacion and toughtes of
his hert was only evell continually/ he repented that he had made man
apon the erth and sorowed in his hert. And sayd: I wyll destroy
mankynde which I haue made/ fro of the face of the erth: both man/
beast/ worme and foule of the ayre/ for it rep[~e]teth me that I haue
made them. But yet Noe found grace in the syghte of the LORde.
These are the generatios of Noe. Noe was a righteous man and
vncorrupte in his tyme/ & walked wyth god. And Noe begat .iij. sonnes:
Sem/ Ham and Iapheth And the erth was corrupte in the syghte of god
and was full of mischefe. And God loked vpon the erth/ ad loo it was
corrupte: for all flesh had corrupte his way vppon the erth.
Than sayd God to Noe: the end of all flesh is come before me/ for the
erth is full of there myschefe. And loo/ I wyll destroy them with the
erth. Make the an arcke of pyne tree/ and make chaumbers in the arcke/
and pytch it wythin and wythout wyth pytch. And of this facion shalt
thou make it.
The lenth of the arcke shall be .iij. hundred cubytes/ ad the bredth
of it .l. cubytes/ and the heyth of it .xxx. cubytes. A wyndow shalt
thou make aboue in the arcke. And wythin a cubyte compasse shalt thou
finysh it. And the dore of the arcke shalt thou sette in y^e syde of
it: and thou shalt make it with iij loftes one aboue an other. For
behold I wil bringe in a floud of water apon the erth to destroy all
flesh from vnder heaven/ wherin breth of life is so that all that is
in the erth shall perish. But I will make myne apoyntement with the/
that both thou shalt come in to y^e arcke and thy sonnes/ thy wyfe and
thy sonnes wyves with the.
And of all that lyveth what soever flesh it be/ shalt thou brynge in
to the arcke/ of every thynge a payre/ to kepe them a lyve wyth the.
And male and female se that they be/ of byrdes in their kynde/ and of
beastes in their kynde/ and of all maner of wormes of the erth in
their kinde: a payre of every thinge shall come vnto the to kepe them
a lyve. And take vnto the of all maner of meate y^t may be eaten &
laye it vp in stoore by the/ that it may be meate both for y^e and for
th[~e]: and Noe did acordynge to all that God commaunded hym.
The .vij. Chapter.
And the LORde sayd vnto Noe: goo in to the arcke both thou and all thy
houssold. For the haue I sene rightuous before me in thys generacion.
Of all clene beastes take vnto the .vij. of every kynde the male and
hys female And of vnclene beastes a payre/ the male and hys female:
lykewyse of the byrdes of the ayre vij. of every kynde/ male and
female to save seed vppon all the erth. For .vij. dayes hence wyll I
send rayne vppo the erth .xl. days & .xl. nyghtes and wyll dystroy all
maner of thynges that I haue made/ from of the face of the erth..
And Noe dyd acordynge to all y^t the lorde comaunded hym: and Noe was
.vi. hundred yere olde/ when the floud of water came vppon the erth:
and Noe went and his sonnes and his wyfe and his sonnes wyves wyth
hym/ in to the arke from the waters of the floud. And of clene beastes
and of beastes that are vnclene and of byrdes and of all that crepeth
vppo the erth/ came in by cooples of every kynde vnto Noe in to the
arke: a male and a female: even as God commaunded Noe. And the seventh
daye the waters of the floud came vppon the erth.
In the .vi. hundred yere of Noes lyfe/ in the secode moneth/ in the
.xvij daye of the moneth/ y^t same daye were all the founteynes of the
grete depe broken vp/ & the wyndowes of heav[~e] were opened/ ad there
fell a rayne vpon the erth .xl. dayes and .xl. nyghtes.
And the selfe same daye went Noe/ Sem/ Ham and Iapheth/ Noes sonnes/
and Noes wyfe and the .iij. wyues of his sonnes wyth them in to the
arke: both they and all maner of beastes in their k[~i]de/ & all maner
of catell in their kynde & all maner of wormes that crepe vppon the
erth in their kynde/ and all maner of byrdes in there kynde./ and all
maner off foules whatsoever had feders. And they came vnto Noe in to
the arke by cooples/ of all flesh y^t had breth of lyfe in it. And
they that came/ came male ad female of every flesh acord[~i]ge as God
comaunded hym: & y^e LORde shytt the dore vppo him
And the floud came .xl. dayes & .xl. nyghtes vppon the erth/ & the
water increased and bare vp the arcke ad it was lifte vp from of the
erth And the water prevayled and increased exceadingly vppon the erth:
and the arke went vppo the toppe of the waters.
And the waters prevayled excedingly above mesure vppo the erth/ so
that all the hye hylles which are vnder all the partes of heaven/ were
covered: ev[~e] .xv. cubytes hye prevayled the waters/ so that the
hylles were covered.
And all fleshe that moved on the erth/ bothe birdes catell and beastes
perisshed/ with al that crepte on the erth and all men: so that all
that had the breth of liffe in the nostrels of it thorow out all that
was on drye lond dyed.
Thus was destroyed all that was vppo the erth/ both man/ beastes/
wormes and foules of the ayre/ so that they were destroyed from the
erth: save Noe was reserved only and they that were wyth hym in the
arke. And the waters prevayled vppon the erth/ an hundred and fyftye
dayes.
The .viij. Chapter.
And god rem[~e]bred Noe & all y^e beastes & all y^e catell y^t were
with h[~i] in y^e arke And god made a wynde to blow vppo y^e erth/ &
y^e waters ceased: ad y^e fountaynes of the depe ad the wyndowes of
heav[~e] were stopte and the rayne of heaven was forbidd[~e]/ and the
waters returned from of y^e erth ad abated after the ende of an
hundred and .l. dayes.
And the arke rested vppo the mountayns of Ararat/ the .xvij. daye of
the .vij. moneth. And the waters went away ad decreased vntyll the x.
moneth. And the fyrst daye of the tenth moneth/ the toppes of the
mounteyns appered.
And after the ende of .xl. dayes. Noe opened the wyndow of the arke
which he had made/ ad sent forth a raven/ which went out/ ever goinge
and cominge agayne/ vntyll the waters were dreyed vpp vppon the erth
Then sent he forth a doue from hym/ to wete whether the waters were
fallen from of the erth. And when the doue coude fynde no restinge
place for hyr fote/ she returned to him agayne vnto the arke/ for the
waters were vppon the face of all the erth. And he put out hys honde
and toke her and pulled hyr to hym in to the arke
And he abode yet .vij. dayes mo/ and sent out the doue agayne out of
the arke/ And the doue came to hym agayne aboute eventyde/ and
beholde: There was in hyr mouth a lefe of an olyve tre which she had
plucked wherby Noe perceaved that the waters wer abated vppon the
erth. And he taried yet .vij. other dayes/ and sent forth the doue/
which from thence forth came no more agayne to him.
And it came to passe/ the syxte hundred and one yere and the fyrst
daye of the fyrst moneth/ that the waters were dryed vpp apon the
erth. And Noe toke off the hatches of the arke and loked: And beholde/
the face of the erth was drye. So by the .xxvij. daye of the seconde
moneth the erth was drye.
And God spake vnto Noe saynge: come out of the arcke/ both thou and
thy wyfe ad thy sonnes and thy sonnes wyues with the. And all the
beastes that are with the whatsoever flesh it be/ both foule and
catell and all maner wormes that crepe on the erth/ brynge out with
the/ and let them moue/ growe ad multiplye vppon the erth. And Noe
came out/ ad his sonnes and his wyfe and his sonnes wyues with hym.
And all the beastes/ and all the wormes/ and all the foules/ and all
that moved vppon the erth/ came also out of the arke/ all of one kynde
together.
And Noe made an aulter vnto the LORDE/ and toke of all maner of clene
beastes and all maner of clene foules/ and offred sacrifyce vppon the
aulter. And the LORDE smellyd a swete savoure and sayd in his hert: I
wyll henceforth no more curse the erth for mannes sake/ for the
imagynacion of mannes hert is evell/ even from the very youth of hym.
Morouer I wyll not destroy from henceforth all that lyveth as I haue
done. Nether shall sowynge tyme and harvest/ colde/ and hete/ somere &
wynter/ daye and nyghte ceasse/ as longe as the erth endureth.
¶ The .ix. Chapter.
And God blessed Noe and his sonnes/ and sayd vnto them: Increase and
multiplye and fyll the erth.
The feare also and drede of yow be vppon all beastes of the erth/ and
vppon all foules of the ayre/ ad vppon all that crepeth on the erth/
and vppon all fyshes of the see/ which are geuen vnto youre handes And
all that moveth vppon the erth havynge lyfe/ shall be youre meate:
Euen as y^e grene herbes/ so geue I yow all thynge. Only the flesh
with his life which is his bloud/ se that ye eate not.
[Sidenote: * This lawe and soch like to exequute/ were kinges and
rulars ordeyned of God wherfore they ought not to suffre the popes
Caimes thus to shede bloud theirs not shed ageyne/ nether yet to sett
vpp their abhominable s[~e]tuaryes & necke verses cleane agenste the
ordinaunce of god/ but vnto their danacyon]
* For verely the bloude of yow wherein youre lyves are wyll I
requyre: Eu[~e] of the hande of all beastes wyll I requyre it/ And of
the hande of man and of the hand off euery mannes brother/ wyll I
requyre the lyfe of man: so y^t he which shedeth mannes bloude/ shall
haue hys bloud shed by man agayne: for God made man after his awne
lyckness. See that ye encrease/ and waxe/ and be occupyde vppon the
erth/ & multiplye therein.
Farthermore God spake vnto Noe & to hys sonnes wyth hym saynge: see/ I
make my bod wyth you and youre seed after you/ and wyth all lyvynge
thinge that is wyth you: both foule and catell/ and all maner beste of
the erth that is wyth yow/ of all that commeth out of the arke/ what
soeuer beste of the erth it be.
I make my bonde wyth yow/ that hence forth all flesh shall not be
destroyed wyth y^e waters of any floud/ ad y^t hence forth there shall
not be a floud to destroy the erth.
And God sayd. This is the token of my bode which I make betwene me and
yow/ ad betwene all lyvynge thyng that is with yow for ever: I wyll
sette my bowe in the cloudes/ and it shall be a sygne of the
appoyntment made betwene me and the erth: So that when I bryng in
cloudes vpo y^e erth/ the bowe shall appere in y^e cloudes. And than
wyll I thynke vppon my testament which I haue made betwene me and yow/
and all that lyveth what soeuer flesh it be. So that henceforth there
shall be no more waters to make a floud to destroy all flesh.
The bowe shalbe in the cloudes/ and I wyll loke vpon it/ to remembre
the euerlastynge testament betwene God and all the lyveth vppon the
erth/ what soeuer flesh it be. And God sayd vnto Noe: This is the
sygne of the testament which I have made betwene me and all flesh y^t
is on the erth.
The sonnes of Noe that came out of the arke were: Sem/ Ham and
Iapheth. And Ham he is the father of Canaa. These are the .iij.
sonnes of Noe/ and of these was all the world overspred.
And Noe beynge an husbad man/ went furth and planted a vyneyarde and
drancke of the wyne and was droncke/ and laye vncouered in the myddest
of his t[~e]t. And Ham the father of Canaan sawe his fathers
prevytees/ & tolde his ij. brethren that were wythout. And Sem and
Iapheth toke a mantell and put it on both there shulders ad went
backward/ ad covered there fathers secrets/ but there faces were
backward So that they sawe not there fathers nakydnes. As soone as Noe
was awaked fro his wyne and wyst what his yongest sonne had done vnto
hym/ he sayd: cursed be Canaan/ ad a seruante of all seruantes be he
to his brethren. And he sayd: Blessed be the LORde God of S[~e]/ and
Canaan be his seruante. God increase Iapheth that he may dwelle in the
tentes of Sem. And Canaan be their seruante.
And Noe lyved after the floude .iij. hundred and .l. yere: So that all
the dayes of Noe were ix. hundred and .l. yere/ ad than he dyed.
The .x. Chapter.
These are the generations of the sonnes of Noe: of Sem/ Ham and
Iapheth/ which begat them children after the floude.
The sonnes of Iapheth were: Gomyr/ Magog/ Madai/ Iauan/ Tuball/ Mesech
and Thyras. And the sonnes of Gomyr were: Ascenas Riphat and Togarma.
And the sonnes of Iauan were: Elisa/ Tharsis/ Cithim and Dodanim. Of
these came the Iles of the gentylls in there contres/ every man in his
speach/ kynred and nation.
The sonnes of Ham were: Chus Misraim Phut and Canaan. The sonnes of
Chus: were Seba/ Heuila/ Sabta/ Rayma and Sabtema. And the sonnes of
Rayma were: Sheba/ & Dedan. Chus also begot Nemrod/ which bega to be
myghtye in the erth. He was a myghtie hunter in the syghte of the
LORde: Where of came the proverbe: he is as Nemrod that myghtie hunter
in the syghte of the LORde. And the begynnynge of hys kyngdome was
Babell/ Erech/ Achad and Chalne in the lande of Synear: Out of that
lande came Assur and buylded Ninyue/ and the cyte rehoboth/ and Calah
And Ressen betwene Ninyue ad Chalah. That is a grete cyte. And Mizraim
begat ludim/ Enamim/ Leabim/ Naphtuhim/ Pathrusim & Casluhim: from
whence came the Philystyns/ and the Capthiherynes.
Canaan also begat zidon his eldest sonne & Heth/ Iebusi/ Emori/
Girgosi/ Hiui/ Arki/ Sini/ Aruadi/ Zemari and hamati. And afterward
sprange the kynreds of the Canaanytes And the costes of the Canaanytes
were fro Sydon tyll thou come to Gerara & to Asa/ & tyll thou come to
Sodoma/ Gomorra/ Adama Zeboim: ev[~e] vnto Lasa. These were the
chyldre of Ham in there kynreddes/ tonges/ landes and nations.
And Sem the father of all y^e childr[~e] of Eber and the eldest
brother of Iapheth/ begat children also. And his sonnes were: Elam
Assur/ Arphachsad/ Lud ad Aram. And y^e childree of Aram were: Vz/
Hul/ Gether & Mas And Arphachsad begat Sala/ and Sala begat Eber. And
Eber begat .ij. sonnes. The name of the one was Peleg/ for in his tyme
the erth was devyded. And the name of his brother was Iaketan:
Iaketan begat Almodad/ Saleph/ Hyzarmoueth/ Iarah/ Hadoram/ Vsal/
Dikela/ Obal/ Abimael/ Seba/ Ophir/ Heuila & Iobab. All these are the
sonnes of Iaketan. And the dwellynge of them was from Mesa vntill thou
come vnto Sephara a mountayne of the easte lande. These are the sonnes
o Sem in their kynreddes/ languages/ contrees and nations. These are
the kynreddes of the sonnes of Noe/ in their generations and nations.
And of these came the people that were in the world after the floude.
¶ The .xi. chapter.
And all the world was of one tonge and one language. And as they came
from the east/ they founde a playne in the lande of Synear/ and there
they dwelled. And they sayd one to a nother: come on/ let us make
brycke ad burne it wyth fyre. So brycke was there stone and slyme was
there morter And they sayd: Come on/ let vs buylde vs a cyte and a
toure/ that the toppe may reach vnto heauen. And let vs make us a
name/ for perauenture we shall be scatered abrode over all the erth.
And the LORde came downe to see the cyte and the toure which the
childern of Ada had buylded. And the LORde sayd: See/ the people is
one and haue one tonge amonge them all. And thys haue they begon to
do/ and wyll not leaue of from all that they haue purposed to do. Come
on/ let vs descende and myngell theire tonge even there/ that one
vnderstonde not what a nother sayeth. Thus y^e LORde skatered them
from thence vppon all the erth. And they left of to buylde the cyte.
Wherfore the name of it is called Babell/ because that the LORDE there
confounded the tonge of all the world. And because that the LORde from
thence/ skatered them abrode vppon all the erth.
These are the generations of Sem: S[~e] was an hundred yere olde and
begat Arephachsad ij. yere after the floude. And S[~e] lyved after he
had begot Arphachsad .v. hundred yere an begat sonnes and doughters.
And Arphacsad lyued .xxxv. yere and begat Sala/ and lyved after he
had begot Sala iiij. h[~u]dred yere & .iij & begat sonnes and
doughters. And Sala was .xxx. yere old and begat Eber/ ad lyued after
he had begot Eber .iiij. h[~u]dred and thre yere/ ad begat sonnes and
doughters
When Eber was .xxxiiij. yere olde/ he begat Peleg/ and lyued after he
had begot Peleg/ foure hundred and .xxx. yere/ and begat sonnes and
doughters.
And Peleg when he was .xxx. yere olde begat Regu/ and lyued after he
had begot Regu .ij. hundred and .ix. yere/ and begat sonnes and
doughters.
And Regu when he had lyued .xxxij. yere begat Serug/ and lyued after
he had begot Serug .ij. hundred and .vij. yere/ and begat sonnes and
doughters.
And when Serug was .xxx. yere olde/ he begat Nahor/ and lyued after he
had begot Nahor .ij. hundred yere/ and begat sonnes & doughters.
And Nahor when he was .xxix. yere olde/ begat Terah/ and lyved after
he had begot Terah/ an hundred and .xix. yere/ and begat sonnes and
doughters.
And when Terah was .lxx. yere olde/ he begat Abram/ Nahor and Haran.
And these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram/ Nahor and
Haran. And Haran begat Lot. And Haran dyed before Terah his father in
the londe where he was borne/ at Vr in Chaldea. And Abram and Nahor
toke them wyves. Abras wyfe was called Sarai. And Nahors wyfe Mylca
the doughter of Haran which was father of Milca ad of Iisca. But Sarai
was baren and had no childe.
Than toke Terah Abram his sonne and Lot his sonne Harans sonne/ &
Sarai his doughter in lawe his sone Abrams wyfe. And they went wyth
hym from Vr in Chaldea/ to go in to the lade of Chanaan. And they came
to Haran and dwelled there. And when Terah was ij. hundred yere old
and .v. he dyed in Haran.
¶ The .xij. Chapter.
Then the LORde sayd vnto Abra Gett the out of thy contre and from thy
kynred/ and out of thy fathers house/ into a londe which I wyll shewe
the. And I wyll make of the a myghtie people/ and wyll blesse the/ and
make thy name grete/ that thou mayst be a blessinge. And I wyll blesse
th[~e] that blesse the/ ad curse th[~e] that curse the. And in the
shall be blessed all the generations of the erth.
And Abram w[~e]t as the LORde badd hym/ and Lot went wyth hym. Abram
was .lxxv. yere olde/ when he went out of Haran. And Abram toke Sarai
his wyfe ad Lot his brothers sonne/ wyth all their goodes which they
had goten and soulles which they had begoten in Haran. And they
departed to goo in to the lade of Chanaan. And when they were come in
to the lande of Chanaan/ Abram went furth in to the lade tyll he came
vnto a place called Sychem/ and vnto the oke of More. And the
Canaanytes dwelled then in the lande.
Then the LORde apeared vnto Abram ad sayd: vnto thy seed wyll I geue
thys lade. And he buylded an aultere there vnto the LORDE which
apeared to hym. Then departed he thence vnto a mountayne that lyeth on
the east syde of BETHEL and pytched his tente: BETHEL beynge on the
west syde/ and Ay on the east: And he buylded there an aulter vnto the
LORde/ and called on the name of y^e LORde. And than Abram departed
and toke his iourney southwarde
After thys there came a derth in the lande. And Abram went doune in to
Egipte to soiourne there/ for the derth was sore in the lande. And
when he was come nye for to entre in to Egipte/ he sayd vnto Sarai his
wife. Beholde/ I knowe that thou art a fayre woman to loke apo. It
wyll come to passe therfore wh[~e] the Egiptians see the/ that they
wyll say: she is his wyfe. And so shall they sley me and save the.
Saye I praye the therfore that thou art my sister/ that I maye fare
the better by reason of the and that my soule may lyue for thy sake.
As soone as he came in to Egipte/ the Egiptias sawe the woman that she
was very fayre. And Pharaos lordes sawe hir also/ and praysed hir vnto
Pharao: So that she was taken in to Pharaos house/ which entreated
Abram well for hir sake/ so that he had shepe/ oxsen ad he asses/ men
seruantes/ mayde seruates/ she asses and camels.
But God plaged Pharao/ and his house wyth grete plages/ because of
Sarai Abrams wyfe. Then Pharao called Abram and sayd: why hast thou
thus dealt with me? Wherfore toldest thou me not that she was thy
wyfe? Why saydest thou that she was thy sister/ and causedest me to
take hyr to my wyfe? But now loo/ there is the wife/ take hir ad be
walkynge. Pharao also gaue a charge vnto his men over Abram/ to leade
hym out/ wyth his wyfe and all that he had.
¶ The .xiij. Chapter.
Than Abram departed out of Egipte/ both he and his wyfe and all that
he had/ and Lot wyth hym vnto the south. Abram was very rych in
catell/ syluer & gold. And he went on his iourney fro the south even
vnto BETHEL/ ad vnto the place where his tente was at the fyrst tyme
betwene BETHEL and Ay/ and vnto the place of the aulter which he made
before. And there called Abram vpon the name of the LORde.
Lot also which went wyth hym had shepe/ catell and tentes: so that the
londe was not abill to receaue/ them that they myght dwell to gether/
for the substance of their riches was so greate/ that they coude not
dwell to gether And there fell a stryfe betwene the herdmen of Abrams
catell/ and the herdmen of Lots catell. Moreouer the Cananytes and the
Pherysites dwelled at that tyme in the lande.
Than sayd Abram vnto Lot: let there be no stryfe I praye the betwene
the and me and betwene my herdmen and thyne/ for we be brethren. Ys
not all the hole lande before the? Departe I praye the fro me. Yf thou
wylt take the lefte hande/ I wyll take the right: Or yf thou take the
right hande I wyll take the left. And Lot lyft vp hys eyes and beheld
all the contre aboute Iordane/ which was a plenteous contre of water
every where/ before the LORde destroyed Sodoma and Gomorra. Even as
the garden of the LORde/ & as the lande of Egipte tyll thou come to
Zoar.
Than Lot chose all the costes of Iordane ad toke hys iourney from the
east. And so departed the one brother from the other. Abram dwelled in
the lande of Canaan. And lot in the cytes of the playne/ & tented tyll
he came to Sodome. But the men of sodome were wyked and synned
exceadyngly agenst the LORde.
And the LORde sayed vnto Abram/ after that Lot was departed from hym:
lyfte vp thyne eyes & loke from y^e place where thou art/ northward/
southward/ eastward and westward/ for all the lande which thou seiste
wyll I gyue vnto the & to thy seed forever. And I wyll make thy seed/
as the dust of the erth: so that yf a ma can nombre the dust of the
erth/ than shall thy seed also be nombred. Aryse and walke aboute in
the lande/ in the length of it ad in the bredth for I wyll geue it
vnto the.
Than Abra toke downe hys tente/ & went and dwelled in the okegrove of
Mamre which is in Ebron and buylded there an altar to the LORde.
The .xiiij. Chapter.
And it chaunsed within a while/ that Amraphel kynge of Synear/ Arioch
kynge of Ellasar/ Kedorlaomer kynge of Elam and Thydeall kynge of the
nations: made warre wyth Bera kynge of Sodoh and with Birsa kynge of
Gomorra. And wythe Sineab kynge of Adama/ & with Semeaber kynge of
Zeboim/ and wyth the kynge of Bela Which Bela is called Zoar. All
these came together vnto the vale of siddim which is now the salt see
Twelve yere were they subiecte to kinge kedorlaomer/ and in the .xiij.
yere rebelled.
Therfore in the .xiiij. yere came kedorlaomer and the kynges that were
wyth hym/ and smote the Raphayms in Astarath Karnaim/ and the Susims
in Ham/ ad the Emyms in Sabe Kariathaim/ and the Horyms in their awne
mounte Seir vnto the playne of Pharan/ which bordreth vpon the
wyldernesse. And then turned they and came to the well of iugmente
which is Cades/ and smote all the contre of the Amalechites/ and also
the amorytes that dwell in Hazezon Thamar.
Than went out the kynge of Sodome/ and the kynge of Gomorra/ and the
kinge of Adama and the kynge of Zeboijm/ and the kynge of Bela now
called Zoar. And sette their men in aray to fyghte wyth them in the
vale of siddim/ that is to say/ wyth kedorlaomer the kynge of Elam and
with Thydeall kynge of the Nations/ and wyth Amraphel kynge of Synear.
And with Arioch kynge of Ellasar: foure kynges agenste v. And that
vale of siddim was full of slyme pyttes.
And the kynges of Sodome and Gomorra fled/ and fell there. And the
resydue fled to the mountaynes. And they toke all the goodes of
Sodome and Gomorra and all their vitalles/ ad went their waye. And
they toke Lot also Abrams brothers sonne and his good (for he dwelled
at Sodome) and departed:
Than came one that had escaped/ and tolde Abram the hebrue which
dwelled in the okegrove of Mamre the Amoryte brother of Eschol and
Aner: which were confederate wyth Abram. When Abram herde that his
brother was taken/ he harnessed his seruantes borne in his owne house
.iij. hundred & .xviij. ad folowed tyll they came at Dan. And sette
hymselfe ad his seruantes in aray/ & fell vpon them by nyght/ & smote
them/ & chased them awaye vnto Hoba: which lyeth on the lefte hande of
Damascos/ and broughte agayne all the goodes/ & also his brother Lot/
ad his goodes/ the wem[~e] also and the people.
And as he retourned agayne from the slaughter of kedorlaomer and of
the kynges that were with hym/ than came the kynge of Sodome agaynst
hym vnto the vale of Saue which now is called kynges dale.
Than Melchisedech kinge of Salem brought forth breed and wyne. And he
beynge the prest of the most hyghest God/ blessed hym saynge. Blessed
be Abram vnto the most hyghest God/ possessor of heaven and erth. And
blessed be God the most hyghest/ which hath delyvered thyne enimies in
to thy handes. And Abra gaue hym tythes of all.
Than sayd the kynge of Sodome vnto Abram: gyue me the soulles/ and
take the goodes to thy selfe. And Abram answered the kynge of Sodome:
I lyfte vpp my hande vnto the LORde God most hygh possessor of heaven
ad erth/ that I will not take of all y^t is thyne/ so moch as a thred
or a shoulachet/ lest thou shuldest saye I haue made Abra ryche. Saue
only that which the yonge men haue eaten ad the partes of the men
which went wyth me. Aner/ Escholl & Mamre. Let them take their partes.
xv. Chapter.
After these deades/ y^e worde of God came vnto Abram in a vision
saynge feare not Abram/ I am thy shilde/ and thy rewarde shalbe
exceadynge greate. And Abram answered: LORde Iehouah what wilt thou
geue me: I goo childlesse/ and the cater of myne housse/ this Eleasar
of Damasco hath a sonne. And Abram sayd: se/ to me hast thou geven no
seed: lo/ a lad borne in my housse shal be myne heyre.
And beholde/ the worde of the LORde spake vnto Abram sayenge: He shall
not be thyne heyre/ but one that shall come out of thyne awne bodye
shalbe thyne heyre. And he brought him out at the doores ad sayde.
Loke vpp vnto heaven and tell the starres/ yf thou be able to nobre
them. And sayde vnto him Even so shall thy seed be.
And Abram beleved the LORde/ and it was counted to him for rightwesnes.
And he sayde vnto hym: I am the LORde that brought the out of Vr in
Chaldea to geue this lande to possesse it.
And he sayde: LORde God/ whereby shall I knowe that I shall possesse
it? And he sayde vnto him: take an heyfer of .iij. yere olde/ and a
she gotte of thre yeres olde/ and a thre yere olde ram/ a turtill doue
and a yonge pigeon. And he toke all these and devyded them in the
myddes/ and layde euery pece/ one over agenst a nother. But the foules
devyded he not. And the byrdes fell on the carcases/ but Abra droue
th[~e] awaye. And when the sonne was doune/ there fell a slomber apon
Abram. And loo/ feare and greate darknesse came apon hym.
And he sayde vnto Abram: knowe this of a suertie/ that thi seed shalbe
a straunger in a lande that perteyneth not vnto th[~e]. And they shall
make bondmen of them and entreate them evell iiij. hundred yeares. But
the nation whom they shall serue/ wyll I iudge. And after warde shall
they come out wyth greate substace. Neuerthelesse thou shalt goo vnto
thi fathers in peace/ ad shalt be buried when thou art of a good age:
ad in the fourth generation they shall come hyther agayne/ for the
wekednesse of the Amorites ys not yet full.
When the sonne was doune and it was waxed darcke: beholde/ there was a
smokynge furnisse and a fyre brand that went betwene the sayde peces.
And that same daye the LORde made a covenaunte with Abram saynge: vnto
thy seed wyll I geue thys londe/ fro the ryver of Egypte/ even
vnto the greate ryver euphrates: the kenytes/ the kenizites/ the
Cadmonites/ the Hethites/ the Pherezites/ the Raphaims/ the Amorytes/
the Canaanites/ the Gergesites and the Iebusites.
The .xvi. Chapter.
Sarai Abrams wyfe bare him no childerne. But she had an hand mayde an
Egiptian/ whose name was Hagar. Wherfore she sayde vnto Abram. Beholde
the LORde hath closed me/ that I can not bere. I praye the goo in vnto
my mayde/ peradu[~e]ture I shall be multiplyed by meanes of her And
Abram herde the voyce of Sarai. Than Sarai Abrams wife toke Hagar hyr
mayde the Egitian (after Abram had dwelled .x. yere in the lande of
Canaan) and gaue her to hyr husbonde Abram/ to be his wyfe.
And he wente in vnto Hagar/ & she conceaved. And when she sawe that
she had conceyved hyr mastresse was despised in hyr syghte. Than sayd
Sarai vnto Abram: Thou dost me vnrighte/ for I haue geuen my mayde
into thy bosome: & now because she seyth that she hath coceaved/ I am
despysed in hyr syghte: the LORde iudge betwene the and me. Than sayde
Abra to Sarai: beholde/ thy mayde is in thy hande/ do with hyr as it
pleaseth the.
And because Sarai fared foule with her/ she fled from her. And the
angell of the LORde founde her besyde a fountayne of water in the
wyldernes: euen by a well in the way to Sur. And he sayde: Hagar
Sarais mayde/ whence comest thou and whether wylt thou goo? And she
answered: I flee from my mastresse Sarai. And the angell of the LORde
sayde vnto her: returne to thy mastresse agayne/ & submytte thy selfe
vnder her handes.
And the angell of y^e LORde sayde vnto her: I will so encrease thy
seed/ that it shall not be numbred for multitude. And the LORdes
angell sayd further vnto her: se/ thou art wyth childe and shalt bere
a sonne/ and shalt call his name Ismael: because the LORDE hath herde
thy tribulation. He will be a wylde man/ and his hande will be agenst
every man/ & euery mans hande agenst him. And yet shall he dwell faste
by all his brothren.
And she called the name of the LORde that spake vnto her: thou art the
God that lokest on me/ for she sayde: I haue of a suertie sene here
the backe parties of him that seith me. Wherfore she called the well/
the well of the lyuynge that seith me which well is betwene Cades &
Bared.
And Hagar bare Abram a sonne/ and Abram called his sons name which
Hagar bare Ismaell. And Abram was .lxxxvi. yere olde/ when Hagar bare
him Ismael.
¶ The .xvij. Chapter.
When Abram was nynetye yere olde & ix. the LORde apeared to hym
sayenge: I am the almyghtie God: walke before me ad be vncorrupte. And
I wyll make my bonde betwene the and me/ and wyll multiplye the
excedyngly. And Abra fell on his face. And God talked moreover with
hym saynge: I am/ beholde my testam[~e]t is with the/ that thou shalt
be a father of many natios. Therfore/ shalt thou no more be called
Abram/ but thy name shalbe Abraham: for a father of many nations haue
I made the/ and I will multiplye the excedyngly/ and wyll make nations
of the: yes and kynges shall sprynge out of the.
Moreover I will make my bonde betwene me and the/ and thy seed after
the/ in their tymes to be an everlastynge testament/ So that I wyll
be God vnto the and to thy seed after the. And I will geue vnto the ad
to thy seed after the/ the lande where in thou arte a straunger: Euen
all the lande of Canaan/ for an everlastynge possession/ and wil be
their God.
And God sayde vnto Abraha: Se thou kepe my testamente/ both thou & thy
seed after the in their tymes: This is my testamente which ye shall
kepe betwene me and you and thy seed after the/ that ye circ[~u]cyse
all youre men childern Ye shall circumcyse the foreskynne of youre
flesh/ ad it shal be a token of the bond betwixte me and you. And
euery manchilde when it is viij. dayes olde/ shal be circ[~u]cysed
amonge you in youre generations/ and all seruauntes also borne at home
or boughte with money though they be straungers and not of thy seed.
The seruaunte borne in thy housse/ ad he also that is bought with
money/ must needes be circumcysed/ that my testament may be in youre
flesh/ for an everlastynge bonde. Yf there be any vncircuncysed
manchilde/ that hath not the forskynne of his flesh cutt of/ his soule
shall perish from his people: because he hath brok[~e] my testam[~e]t
And God sayde vnto Abraham. Sarai thy wyfe shall nomore be called
Sarai: but Sara shall hir name be. For I will blesse her & geue the a
sonne of her and will blesse her: so that people/ ye and kynges of
people shall springe of her. And Abraham fell vpon his face ad
laughte/ and sayd in his harte: shall a childe be borne vnto hym that
is an hundred yere olde/ ad shall Sara that is nynetie yere olde/
bere? And Abraha sayde vnto God. O that Ismaell myghte lyve in thy
syghte.
Th[~e] sayde God: na/ Sara thy wife shall bere the a sonne/ ad thou
shalt call his name Isaac. And I will make my bonde with him/ that it
shall be an everlastynge bonde vnto his seed after him. And as
concernynge Ismaell also/ I haue herde thy request: loo/ I will blesse
him and encrease him/ and multiplye him excedyngly. Twelve prynces
shall he begete/ and I will make a great nation of him. But my bonde
will I make with Isaac/ which Sara shall bere vnto the: even this tyme
twelue moneth.
And God left of talkynge with him/ and departed vp from Abraham. And
Abraham toke Ismaell his sonne & all the servauntes borne in his
housse and all that was bought with money as many as were menchildren
amonge the m[~e] of Abrahas housse/ and circumcysed the foreskynne of
their flesh/ even the selfe same daye/ as God had sayde vnto him.
Abraham was nynetie yere olde and .ix. when he cutt of the foreskynne
of his flesh. And Ismaell his sonne was .xiij. yere olde/ when the
foreskynne of hys flesh was circumcysed. The selfe same daye was
Abraha circ[~u]cised & Ismael his sonne. And all the men in his
housse/ whether they were borne in his housse or bought wyth money
(though they were straungers) were circumcysed with him.
¶ The .xviij. Chapter.
And the LORde apeared vnto him in the okegrove of Mamre as he sat in
his tent dore in the heate of the daye. And he lyfte vp his eyes and
looked: ad lo/ thre men stode not farr from hym. And wh[~e] he sawe
them/ he ran agenst them from the tent dore/ and fell to the grounde
and sayde: LORde yf I haue founde fauoure in thy syght/ goo not by thi
seruaunte. Let a litle water be fett/ & wash youre fete/ and rest
youre selves vnder the tree: And I will fett a morsell of breed/ to
comforte youre hartes wythall. And tha goo youre wayes/ for even
therfore ar ye come to youre servaunte. And they answered: Do even so
as thou hast sayde.
And Abraha went a pace in to his tent vnto Sara ad sayde: make redy
attonce thre peckes of fyne meale/ kneade it and make cakes. And
Abraham ran vnto his beastes and fett a calfe that was tendre and
good/ and gaue it vnto a yonge man which made it redy attonce. And he
toke butter & mylcke and the calfe which he had prepared/ and sett it
before them/ and stode hymselfe by them vnder the tree: and they ate.
And they sayde vnto him: Where is Sara thy wife? And he sayde: in the
tent. And he sayde: I will come agayne vnto the as soone as the frute
can lyue. And loo: Sara thy wife shall haue a sonne. That herde Sara/
out of the tent doore which was behind his backe. Abraham and Sara
were both olde and well stryken in age/ and it ceased to be with Sara
after the maner as it is wyth wyves. And Sara laughed in hir selfe
saynge: Now I am waxed olde/ shall I geue my selfe to lust/ and my
lorde olde also?
Than sayd the LORde vnto Abraha: wherfore doth Sara laughe saynge:
shal I of a suertie bere a childe/ now when I am olde? is the thinge
to harde for the LORde to do? In the tyme appoynted will I returne
vnto the/ as soone as the frute can haue lyfe/ And Sara shall haue a
sonne. Than Sara denyed it saynge: I laughed not/ for she was afrayde.
But he sayde: yes thou laughtest.
Than the men stode vp from thence and loked towarde Sodome. And
Abraham went with them to brynge them on the waye. And the LORde
sayde: Can I hyde from Abraham that thinge which I am aboute to do/
seynge that Abraham shalt be a great ad a myghtie people/ and all the
nations of the erth shalbe blessed in him? For I knowe him that he
will commaunde his childern and his housholde after him/ y^t they
kepe the waye of the LORde/ to do after righte and conscyence/ that
the LORde may brynge vppon Abraham that he hath promysed him.
And the LORde sayde: The crie of Sodome and Gomorra is great/ and
there synne is excedynge grevous. I will go downe and see whether they
haue done all to gedder acordynge to that crye which is come vnto me
or not/ that I may knowe. And the m[~e] departed th[~e]ce and went to
Sodomeward. But Abraham stode yet before y^e LORde/ & drewe nere &
sayde
Wylt thou destroy the rightwes with the wyked? Yf there be .l.
rightwes within the cyte/ wilt thou destroy it and not spare the place
for the sake of .l. rightwes that are therin? That be farre from the/
that thou shuldest be after thys maner/ to sley the rightwes with the
weked/ ad that the rightwes shulde be as the weked: that be farre from
the. Shulde not the iudge of all y^e worlde do acordynge to righte?
And the LORde sayde: Yf I fynde in Sodome .l. rightwes within the
cyte/ I will spare all the place for their sakes.
And Abraham answered and sayde: beholde I haue taken vppon me to
speake vnto y^e LORde/ ad yet am but dust ad asshes. What though there
lacke .v. of .l. rightwes/ wylt thou destroy all the cyte for lacke of
.v? And he sayde: Yf I fynde there .xl. and .v. I will not destroy
them.
And he spake vnto him yet agayne and sayde: what yf there be xl.
fo[~u]de there: And he sayde: I wyll not do it for forties sake. And
he sayde: O let not my LORde be angrye/ that I speake. What yf there
be fo[~u]de .xxx. there? And he sayde: I will not do it/ yf I finde
.xxx. there. And he sayde: Oh/ se/ I haue begonne to speake vnto my
LORde/ what yf there be .xx. founde there? And he sayde: I will not
distroy th[~e] for tw[~e]ties sake. And he sayde: O let not my LORde
be angrye/ that I speake yet/ but eu[~e] once more only. What yf ten
be founde there? And he sayde: I will not destroy th[~e] for .x. sake.
And the LORde w[~e]t his waye as soone as he had lefte comenynge with
Abraha. And Abraham returned vnto his place
¶ The .xix. Chapter.
And there came .ij. angells to Sodome at euen. And Lot satt at the
gate of the cyte. And Lot sawe th[~e]/ and rose vp agaynst them/ and
he bowed hym selfe to the grounde with his face. And he sayde: Se
lordes/ turne in I praye you in to youre servauntes house and tary all
nyghte & wash youre fete/ & ryse vp early and go on youre wayes. And
they sayde: nay/ but we will byde in the streates all nyghte. And he
copelled them excedyngly. And they turned in vnto hym and entred in to
his house/ and he made them a feaste and dyd bake swete cakes/ and
they ate.
But before they went to rest/ the men of the cyte of Sodome compassed
the house rownde aboute both olde and yonge/ all the people from all
quarters. And they called vnto Lot and sayde vnto him: where are the
men which came in to thy house to nyghte? brynge th[~e] out vnto vs
that we may do oure lust with them.
And Lot went out at doores vnto them and shote the dore after him and
sayde: nay for goddes sake brethren/ do no so wekedly. Beholde I haue
two doughters which haue knowne no man/ th[~e] will I brynge out vnto
you: do with them as it semeth you good: Only vnto these men do
nothynge/ for therfore came they vnder the shadowe of my rofe. And
they sayde: come hither. And they sayde: camest thou not in to
sogeorne/ and wilt thou be now a iudge? we will suerly deale worse
with the than with them
And as they preased sore vppon Lot and beganne to breake vp the doore/
the men put forth their handes and pulled Lot in to the house to them
and shott to the doore. And the men that were at the doore of the
house/ they smote with blyndnesse both small and greate: so that they
coude not fynde the doore.
And the men sayde moreover vnto Lot: Yf thou have yet here any sonne
in lawe or sonnes or doughters or what so euer thou hast in the cyte/
brynge it out of this place: for we must destroy this place/ because
the crye of th[~e] is great before the LORde. Wherfore he hath sent vs
to destroy it.
And Lot went out and spake vnto his sonnes in lawe which shulde haue
maried his doughters/ and sayde: stonde vpp and get yow out of this
place/ for the LORde will destroy the cite. But he semed as though he
had mocked/ vnto his sonnes in law.
And as the mornynge arose the angells caused Lot to spede him saynge.
Stonde vp/ take thy wyfe and thy two doughters and that that is at
hande/ lest thou perish in the synne of the cyte. And as he prolonged
the tyme/ the men caught both him/ his wife ad his two doughters by
the handes/ because the LORde was mercyfull vnto him/ ad they brought
him forth and sette him without the cyte.
When they had brought them out/ they sayde: Saue thy lyfe and loke not
behynde the nether tary thou in any place of the contre/ but saue thy
selfe in the mountayne/ lest thou perisshe. Than sayde Lot vnto them:
Oh nay my lorde: beholde/ in as moch as thy servaunte hath fownde
grace in thy syghte/ now make thi mercy great which thou shewest vnto
me in savinge my lyfe. For I can not saue my selfe in the mountayns/
lest some misfortune fall vpon me and I dye. Beholde/ here is a cyte
by/ to flee vnto/ and it is a lytle one: let me saue my selfe therein:
is it not a litle one/ that my soule may lyue?
And he sayde to him: se I haue receaved thy request as concernynge
this thynge/ that I will nott overthrowe this cytie for the which
thou hast spoken. Haste the/ ad saue thy selfe there/ for I can do
nothynge tyll thou be come in thyder. And therfore the name of the
cyte is called Zoar. And the sone was vppon the erth when Lot was
entred into Zoar.
Than the LORde rayned vpon Sodome and Gomorra/ brymstone and fyre from
the LORde out of heaven/ and overthrewe those cyteis and all the
region/ and all that dwelled in the cytes/ and that that grewe vpon
the erth. And lots wyfe loked behynde her/ ad was turned in to a
pillare of salte.
Abraham rose vp early and got him to the place where he stode before
the LORde/ and loked toward Sodome and Gomorra and toward all the
londe of that contre. And as he loked: beholde/ the smoke of the
contre arose as it had bene the smoke of a fornace. But yet wh[~e] God
destroyed the cities of y^e regio/ he thought a pon Abraha: and sent
Lot out from the dager of the overthrowenge/ when he overthrewe the
cyties where Lot dwelled.
And Lot departed out of Zoar and dwelled in the mountayns ad his .ij.
doughters with him for he feared to tary in Zoar: he dweld therfore in
a caue/ both he and his .ij. doughters also.
Than sayde the elder vnto the yonger oure father is olde/ and there
are no moo men in the erth to come in vnto vs after the maner of all
the world. Come therfore/ let vs geue oure father wyne to dryncke/ and
let vs lye with him that we may saue seed of oure father. And they
gaue their father wyne to drynke that same nyghte. And the elder
doughter went and laye with her father. And he perceaued it not/
nether when she laye doune/ nether when she rose vp.
And on the morewe the elder sayde vnto the yonger: beholde/ yesternyghte
laye I with my father. Let us geue hym wyne to drinke this nyghte
also/ and goo thou and lye with him/ and let us saue seed of oure
father. And they gaue their father wyne to drincke that nyghte also.
And the yonger arose and laye with him. And he perceaved it not:
nether when she laye downe/ nether when she rose vp.
Thus were both the doughters of lot with childe by their father And
the elder bare a sone and called hym Moab/ which is the father of the
Moabytes vnto this daye. And the yonger bare a sonne and called hym
Ben Ammi/ which is the father of the childern of Ammon vnto this daye.
The .xx. Chapter.
And Abraham departed thence towarde the southcontre and dwelled
betwene Cades and Sur ad sogeorned in Gerar. And Abraham sayde of Sara
his wyfe/ that she was his sister. Than Abimelech kynge of Gerar sent
and fett Sara awaye.
And God came to Abimelech by nyghte in a dreame and sayde to him: Se/
thou art but a deed man for the womas sake which thou hast taken
awaye/ for she is a mans wyfe. But Abimelech had not yet come nye her/
and therfore sayde: lorde wilt thou sley rightewes people? sayde not
he vnto me/ that she was hys sister? yee and sayde not she herself
that he was hir brother? wyth a pure herte and innocent handes haue I
done this.
And God sayde vnto him in a dreame. I wot it well that thou dydest it
in the purenesse of thi herte. And therfore I kepte y^e that thou
shuldest not synne agenst me/ nether suffred I the to come nygh her.
Now therfore delyuer the ma his wyfe ageyne/ for he is a prophete. And
let him praye for the that thou mayst lyue. But and yf thou delyuer
her not agayne/ be sure that thou shalt dye the deth/ with all that
thou hast.
Than Abimelech rose vp be tymes in the mornynge and called all his
servauntes/ and tolde all these thinges in their eares/ and the men
were sore a frayde. And Abimelech called Abraham and sayde vnto him:
What hast thou done vnto vs/ & what haue I offended the/ that thou
shuldest brynge on me and on my kyngdome so greate a synne? thou hast
done dedes vnto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech sayde
morouer vnto Abraham: What sawest thou that moved the to do this
thinge?
And Abraham Answered. I thought that peradv[~e]ture the feare of God
was not in this place/ and that they shulde sley me for my wyfes
sake: yet in very dede she is my sister/ the doughter of my father/
but not of my mother: and became my wyfe. And after God caused me to
wandre out of my fathers house/ I sayde vnto her: This kyndnesse shalt
thou shewe vnto me in all places where we come/ that thou saye of me/
how that I am thy brother.
Than toke Abimelech shepe and oxen/ menservauntes and wemenseruauntes
and gaue them vnto Abraham/ and delyvered him Sara his wyfe agayne.
And Abimelech sayde: beholde the lande lyeth be fore the/ dwell where
it pleaseth y^e best. And vnto Sara he sayde: Se I haue geuen thy
brother a thousande peeces of syluer/ beholde he shall be a couerynge
to thyne eyes vnto all that ar with the and vnto all men and an
excuse.
And so Abraham prayde vnto God/ and God healed Abimeleh and his wyfe
and hys maydens/ so that they bare. For the LORde had closed to/ all
the matryces of the house of Abimelech/ because of Sara Abrahams wyfe.