The First Book of Moses, called Genesis

Chapter .j.

In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was void and

empty, and darkness was upon the deep, and the spirit of god moved upon

the water. Then God said: let there be light and there was light. And

God saw the light that it was good: and divided the light from the

darkness, and called the light day, and the darkness night: and so of

the evening and morning was made the first day. And God said: let there

be a firmament between the waters, and let it divide the waters

asunder. Then God made the firmament and parted the waters which were

under the firmament, from the waters that were above the firmament: And

it was so. And God called the firmament heaven. And so of the evening

and morning was made the second day. And God said, let the waters that

are under heaven gather them selves unto one place, that the dry land

may appear: And it came so to pass. And God called the dry land the

earth and the gathering together of waters called he the sea. And God

saw that it was good. And God said: let the earth bring forth herb and

grass that sow seed, and fruitful trees that bear fruit every one in

his kind, having their seed in themselves upon the earth. And it came

so to pass: And the earth brought forth herb and grass sowing seed

every one in his kind and trees bearing fruit and having their seed in

them selves, every one in his kind. And God saw that it was good: and

then of the evening and morning was made the third day. Then said God:

let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from

the night, that they may be unto signs, seasons, days and years. And

let them be lights in the firmament of heaven, to shine upon the earth:

and so it was. And God made two great lights: A greater light to rule

the day, and a less light to rule the night, and he made stars also.

And God put them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth,

and to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light from

darkness. And God saw that it was good: and so of the evening and

morning was made the fourth day. And God said, let the water bring

forth creatures that move and have life, and fowls for to flee {fly}

over the earth under the firmament of heaven. And God created great

whales and all manner of creatures that live and move, which the waters

brought forth in their kinds, and all manner of feathered fowls in

their kinds. And God saw that it was good: and God blessed them saying:

Grow and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let the fowls

multiply upon the earth. And so of the evening and morning was made the

fifth day. And God said: let the earth bring forth living creatures in

their kinds: cattle and worms and beasts of the earth in their kinds,

and so it came to pass. And God made the beasts of the earth in their

kinds, and cattle in their kinds, and all manner worms of the earth in

their kinds: and God saw that it was good. And God said: let us make

man in our similitude and after our likeness: that he may have rule

over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over

cattle, and over all the earth, and over all worms that creep on the

earth. And God created man after his likeness, after the likeness of

God created he him: male and female created he them. And God blessed

them, and God said unto them: Grow and multiply and fill the earth and

subdue it, and have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the

fowls of the air, and over all the beasts that move on the earth. And

God said: see, I have given yow all herbs that sow seed which are on

all the earth, and all manner trees that have fruit in them and sow

seed: to be meat for yow and for all beasts of the earth, and unto all

fowls of the air, and unto all that creepeth on the earth where in is

life, that they may have all manner herbs and grass for to eat, and

even so it was. And God beheld all that he had made, and lo they were

exceeding good: and so of the evening and morning was made the sixth

day.

Chapter .ij.

Thus was heaven and earth finished with all their apparel: and in the

seventh day God ended his work which he had made and rested in the

seventh day from all his works which he had made. And God blessed the

seventh day, and sanctified it, for in it he rested from all his works

which he had created and made. These are the generations of heaven and

earth when they were created, in the time when the LORD God created

heaven and earth and all the shrubs of the field before they were in

the earth. And all the herbs of the field before they sprang: for the

LORD God had yet sent no rain upon the earth, neither was there yet any

man to till the earth. But there arose a mist out of the ground and

watered all the face of the earth: Then the LORD God shope man, even of

the mould of the earth and breathed into his face the breath of life.

So man was made a living soul. The LORD God also planted a garden in

Eden from the beginning, and there he set man whom he had formed. And

the LORD God made to spring out of the earth, all manner trees

beautiful to the sight and pleasant to eat, and the tree of life in the

midst {middes} of the garden: and also the tree of knowledge of good

and evil. And there sprong a river out of Eden to water the garden, and

thence divided itself, and grew into four principal waters. The name of

the one is Phison, he it is that compasseth all the land of Hevila,

where gold groweth. And the gold of that country is precious, there is

found bedellion and a stone called Onyx. The name of the second river

is Gihon, which compasseth all the land of Inde. And the name of the

third river is Hidekell, which runneth on the east side of the

Assyrians; And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the LORD God took

Adam and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it: And

the LORD God commanded Adam saying: Of all the trees of the garden see

thou eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and bad see that thou

eat not: For even the same day thou eatest of it, thou shalt surely

die. {die the death} And the LORD God said: It is not good that man

should be alone, I will make him an helper to bear him company: And

after that the LORD God had made of the earth all manner beasts of the

field, and all manner fowls of the air, he brought them unto Adam to

see what he would call them. And as Adam called all manner living

beasts: even so are their names. And Adam gave names unto all manner

cattle, and unto the fowls of the air, and unto all manner beasts of

the field. But there was no help found unto Adam to bear him company.

Then the LORD God cast a slumber on Adam, and he slept. And then he

took out one of his ribs, and in stead thereof he filled up the place

with flesh. And the LORD God made of the rib which he took out of Adam,

a woman, and brought her unto Adam. Then said Adam: This is once bone

of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This shall be called woman: because

she was taken of the man. For this cause shall a man leave father and

mother and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. And they

were either of them naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not

ashamed.

Chapter .iij.

But the serpent was subtler than all the beasts of the field which the

LORD God had made, and said unto the woman: Ah sir, {Yee} that God hath

said, {[indeed]} ye shall not eat of all manner trees in the garden.

And the woman said unto the serpent, of the fruit of the trees in the

garden we may eat, but of the fruit of the tree that {yt} is in the

midst {myddes} of the garden (said God) see that ye eat not, and see

that ye touch it not: lest ye die. Then said the serpent unto the

woman: tush ye shall not die: but God doth know, that whensoever ye

should eat of it, your eyes should be opened and ye should be as God

and know both good and evil. And the woman saw that it was a good tree

to eat of and lusty unto the eyes and a pleasant tree for to make wise.

And took of the fruit of it and ate, and gave unto her husband also

with her, and he ate. And the eyes of both them were opened, that they

understood how that they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves

together and made them aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God

as he walked in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam hid himself

and his wife also from the face of the LORD God, among the trees of the

garden. And the LORD God called Adam and said unto him where art thou?

And he answered: Thy voice I heard in the garden, but I was afraid

because I was naked, and therefore hid myself. And he said: Who told

thee that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree, of which I bade

thee that thou shouldest not eat? And Adam answered: The woman which

thou gavest to bear me company, she took me of the tree, and I ate. And

the LORD God said unto the woman: Wherefore didst thou so? And the

woman answered: The serpent deceived me and I ate. And the LORD God

said unto the serpent because thou hast so done most cursed be thou of

all cattle and of all beasts of the field: upon thy belly shalt thou

go: and earth shalt thou eat all days of thy life. Moreover I will put

hatred between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.

And that seed shall tread thee on the head, and thou shalt tread it

{hit} on the heel. And unto the woman he said: I will surely increase

thy sorrow and make thee oft with child, and with pain shalt thou be

delivered: And thy lusts shall pertain unto thy husband and he shall

rule thee. And unto Adam he said: Forasmuch as thou hast obeyed the

voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded

thee, saying: See thou eat not thereof: cursed be the earth for thy

sake. In sorrow shalt thou eat thereof all days of thy life: And it

shall bear thorns and thistles unto thee. And thou shalt eat the herbs

of the field: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou

return unto the earth whence thou wast take: for earth thou art, and

unto earth shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife Heva, because

she was the mother of all that liveth. And the LORD God made Adam and

his wife garments of skins, and put them on them. And the LORD God

said: Lo, Adam is become as it were one of us, in knowledge of good and

evil. But now lest he stretch forth his hand and take also of the tree

of life and eat and live ever. And the LORD God cast him out of the

garden of Eden, to till the earth whence he was taken. And he cast Adam

out, and set at the entering of the garden Eden, Cherubim with a naked

sword moving in and out, to keep the way to the tree of life.

Chapter .iiij.

And Adam lay with Heva is wife, which conceived and bare Cain, and

said: I have gotten a man of the LORD. And she proceeded forth and bare

his brother Abel: And Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a

plowman. And it fortuned in process of time, that Cain brought of the

fruit of the earth: an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he brought

also of the firstlings of his sheep and of the fat of them. And the

LORD looked unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and unto his

offering, looked he not. And Cain was wroth exceedingly, and lowered.

And the LORD said unto Cain: why art thou angry, and why lowerest thou?

Wotest thou not if thou dost well thou shalt receive it? But and if

thou dost evil, by and by thy sin lieth open in the door.

Notwithstanding let it be subdued unto thee, and see thou rule it. And

Cain talked with Abel his brother. And as soon as they were in the

fields, Cain fell upon Abel his brother and slew him. And the LORD said

unto Cain: where is Abel thy brother? And he said: I can not tell, am I

my brother's keeper? And he said: What hast thou done? The voice of thy

brother's blood cryeth unto me out of the earth. And now cursed be thou

as pertaining to the earth, which opened her mouth to receive thy

brother's blood of thine hand. For when thou tillest the ground she

shall henceforth not give her power unto thee. A vagabond and a

renegade shalt thou be upon the earth. And Cain said unto the LORD: my

sin is greater, than that it may be forgiven. Behold thou castest me

out this day from off the face of the earth, and from thy sight must I

hide myself, and I must be wandering and a vagabond upon the earth:

Moreover whosoever findeth me, will kill me. And the LORD said unto

him: Not so, but whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished sevenfold.

And the LORD put a mark upon Cain that no man that found him should

kill him. And Cain went out from the face of the LORD, and dwelt in the

land Nod, on the east side of Eden. And Cain lay with his wife, which

conceived and bare Henoch. And he was building a city and called the

name of it after the name of his son, Henoch. And Henoch begat Irad.

And Irad begat Mahuiael. And Mahuiael begat Mathusael. And Mathusael

begat Lamech. And Lamech took him two wives: the one was called Ada,

and the other Zilla: And Ada bare Iabal, of whom came they that dwell

in tents and possess cattle. And his brother's name was Iubal: of him

came all that exercise them selves on the harp and on the organs. And

Zilla she also bare Tubalcain a worker in metal and a father of all

that grave in brass and iron. And Tubalcain's sister was called Naema.

Then said Lamech unto his wives Ada and Zilla: hear my voice ye wives

of Lamech and hearken unto my words, for I have slain a man and wounded

myself, and have slain a young man, and got myself stripes: For Cain

shall be avenged sevenfold: but Lamech seventy times sevenfold. Adam

also lay with his wife yet again, and she bare a son and called his

name Seth For God (said she) hath given me another son for Abel whom

Cain slew. And Seth begat a son and called his name Enos. And in that

time began men to call on the name of the LORD.

Chapter .v.

This is the book of the generation of man, in the day when God created

man and made him after the similitude of God. Male and female made he

them, and called their names man, in the day when they were created.

And when Adam was an hundred and thirty years old, he begat a son after

his likeness and similitude: and called his name Seth. And the days of

Adam after he begat Seth, were eight hundred years, and begat sons and

daughters. And all the days of Adam which he lived, were nine hundred

and thirty years, and then he died. And Seth lived an hundred and five

years, and begat Enos. And after he had begot Enos he lived eight

hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days

of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and died. And Enos lived

ninety years, and begat Kenan. And Enos after he begat Kenan, lived

eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: and all

the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and then he died.

And Kenan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaliel. And Kenan after he

had begot Mahalaliel, lived eight hundred and forty years, and begat

sons and daughters: and all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten

years, and then he died. And Mahalaliel lived sixty five years, and

begat Iared. And Mahalaliel after he had begot Iared lived eight

hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the

days of Mahalaliel were eight hundred ninety and five years, and then

he died. And Iared lived an hundred and sixty two years, and begat

Henoch: and Iared lived after he begat Henoch, eight hundred years, and

begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Iared were nine hundred

and sixty two years, and then he died. And Henoch lived sixty five

years, and begat Mathusala. And Henoch walked with God after he had

begot Mathusalah, three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

And all the days of Henoch were three hundred and sixty five years, and

then Henoch lived a godly life, and was no more seen, for God took him

away. And Mathusala lived an hundred and eighty seven years and begat

Lamech: and Mathusala after he had begot Lamech, lived seven hundred

and eighty two years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of

Mathusala were nine hundred sixty nine years, and then he died. And

Lamech lived an hundred eighty two years and begat a son, and called

him Noe saying: This same shall comfort us: as concerning our work and

sorrow of our hands which we have about the earth that the LORD hath

cursed. And Lamech lived after he had begot Noe, five hundred, ninety

and five years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of

Lamech were seven hundred seventy seven years, and then he died. And

when Noe was five hundred years old, he begat Sem, Ham and Iapheth.

Chapter .vi.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply upon the earth and had

begot them daughters, the sons of God saw the daughters of men that

they were fair, and took unto them wives, which they best liked among

them all. And the LORD {LORd} said: My spirit shall not alway strive

with man, for they are flesh. Nevertheless I will give them yet space,

an hundred and twenty years. There were tyrants in the world in those

days. For after that the children of God had gone in unto the daughters

of men and had begotten them children, the same children were the

mightiest of the world and men of renown. And when the LORD saw that

the wickedness of man was increased upon the earth, and that all the

imagination and thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, he

repented that he had made man upon the earth and sorrowed in his heart.

And said: I will destroy mankind which I have made, from off the face

of the earth: both man, beast, worm and fowl of the air, for it

repenteth me that I have made them. But yet Noe found grace in the

sight of the LORD. These are the generations of Noe. Noe was a

righteous man and uncorrupt in his time, and walked with God. And Noe

begat three sons: Sem, Ham and Iapheth. And the earth was corrupt in

the sight of God, and was full of mischief. And God looked upon the

earth, and lo it was corrupt: for all flesh had corrupted his way upon

the earth. Then said God to Noe: the end of all flesh is come before

me, for the earth is full of their mischief. And lo, I will destroy

them with the earth. Make thee an ark of pine tree, and make chambers

in the ark, and pitch it within and without with pitch. And of this

fashion shalt thou make it. The length of the ark shall be three

hundred cubits, and the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of

it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make above in the ark. And within

a cubit compass shalt thou finish it. And the door of the ark shalt

thou set in the side of it: and thou shalt make it with three lofts one

above an other. For behold I will bring in a flood of water upon the

earth to destroy all flesh from under heaven, wherein breath of life

is, so that all that is in the earth shall perish. But I will make mine

appointment with thee, that both thou shalt come in to the ark and thy

sons, thy wife and thy sons' wives with thee. And of all that liveth

whatsoever flesh it be, shalt thou bring into the ark, of every thing a

pair, to keep them alive with thee. And male and female see that they

be, of birds in their kind, and of beasts in their kind, and of all

manner of worms of the earth in their kind: a pair of every thing shall

come unto thee to keep them alive. And take unto thee of all manner of

meat that may be eaten and lay it up in store by thee, that it may be

meat both for thee and for them: and Noe did according to all that God

commanded him.

Chapter .vij.

And the LORD said unto Noe: Go into the ark both thou and all thy

household. For thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Of all clean beasts take unto thee seven of every kind the male and his

female, and of unclean beasts a pair, the male and his female: likewise

of the birds of the air seven of every kind, male and female to save

seed upon all the earth. For seven days hence will I send rain upon the

earth forty days and forty nights and will destroy all manner of things

that I have made, from off the face of the earth. And Noe did according

to all that the LORD {lorde} commanded him: and Noe was six hundred

years old, when the flood of water came upon the earth: and Noe went

and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him, into the ark

from the waters of the flood. And of clean beasts and of beasts that

were unclean and of birds and of all that creepeth upon the earth, came

in by couples of every kind unto Noe into the ark: a male and a female:

even as God commanded Noe. And the seventh day the waters of the flood

came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noe's life, in the

second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, that same day were

all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of

heaven were opened, and there fell a rain upon the earth forty days and

forty nights. And the self same day went Noe, Sem, Ham and Iapheth,

Noe's sons, and Noe's wife and the three wives of his sons with them in

to the ark: both they and all manner of beasts in their kind, and all

manner of cattle in their kind and all manner of worms that creep upon

the earth in their kind, and all manner of birds in their kind, and all

manner of fowls whatsoever had feathers. And they came unto Noe into

the ark by couples, of all flesh that had breath of life in it. And

they that came, came male and female of every flesh according as God

commanded him: and the LORD shut the door upon him. And the flood came

forty days and forty nights upon the earth, and the water increased and

bare up the ark and it was lift up from off the earth. And the water

prevailed and increased exceedingly upon the earth: and the ark went

upon he top of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly above

measure upon the earth, so that all the high hills which are under all

the parts of heaven, were covered: even fifteen cubits high prevailed

the waters, so that the hills were covered. And all flesh that moved on

the earth, both birds, cattle and beasts perished, with all that crept

on the earth and all men: so that all that had the breath of life in

the nostrils of it thorow out all that was on dry land died. Thus was

destroyed all that was upon the earth, both man, beasts, worms and

fowls of the air so that they were destroyed from the earth: save Noe

was reserved only and they that were with him in the ark. And the

waters prevailed upon the earth, an hundred and fifty days.

Chapter .viij.

And God remembered Noe and all the beasts and all the cattle that were

with him in the ark; And God made a wind to blow upon the earth, and

the waters ceased: and the fountains of the deep and the windows of

heaven were stopped and the rain of heaven was forbidden, and the

waters returned from off the earth and abated after the end of an

hundred and fifty days. And the ark rested upon the mountains of

Ararat, the seventeenth day of the seventh month. And the waters went

away and decreased until the tenth month. And the first day of the

tenth month, the tops of the mountains appeared. And after the end of

forty days, Noe opened the window of the ark which he had made, and

sent forth a raven, which went out, ever going and coming again, until

the waters were dried up upon the earth. Then sent he forth a dove from

him, to wete whether the waters were fallen from off the earth. And

when the dove could find no resting place for her foot, she returned to

him again unto the ark, for the waters were upon the face of all the

earth. And he put out his hand and took her and pulled her to him into

the ark. And he abode yet seven days mo, and sent out the dove again

out of the ark, and the dove came to him again about eventide, and

behold: there was in her mouth a leaf of an olive tree which she had

plucked, whereby Noe perceived that the waters were abated upon the

earth. And he tarried yet seven other days, and sent forth the dove,

which from thence forth came no more again to him. And it came to pass,

the six hundred and one year and the first day of the first month, that

the waters were dried up upon the earth. And Noe took off the hatches

of the ark and looked: and behold, the face of the earth was dry. So by

the twenty seventh day of the second month the earth was dry. And God

spake unto Noe saying: Come out of the ark, both thou and thy wife and

thy sons and thy sons' wives with thee. And all the beasts that are

with thee whatsoever flesh it be, both fowl and cattle and all manner

worms that creep on the earth, bring out with thee, and let them move,

grow and multiply upon the earth. And Noe came out, and his sons and

his wife and his sons' wives with him. And all the beasts, and all the

worms, and all the fowls, and all that moved upon the earth, came also

out of the ark, all of one kind together. And Noe made an altar unto

the LORD, {LORDE} and took of all manner of clean beasts and all manner

of clean fowls, and offered sacrifice upon the altar. And the LORD

smelled a sweet savour and said in his heart: I will henceforth no more

curse the earth for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is

evil even from the very youth of him. Moreover I will not destroy from

henceforth all that liveth as I have done. Neither shall sowing time

and harvest, cold, and heat, summer and winter, day and night cease, as

long as the earth endureth.

Chapter .ix.

And God blessed Noe and his sons, and said unto them: Increase and

multiply and fill the earth. The fear also and dread of yow be upon all

beasts of the earth, and upon all fowls of the air, and upon all that

creepeth on the earth, and upon all fishes of the sea, which are given

unto your hands. And all that moveth upon the earth having life, shall

be your meat: Even as the green herbs, so give I yow all things. Only

the flesh with his life which is his blood, see that ye eat not. For

verily the blood of yow wherein your lives are will I require: Even of

the hand of all beasts will I require it, and of the hand of man and of

the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man: so

that he which sheddeth man's blood, shall have his blood shed by man

again: for God made man after his own likeness. See that ye increase,

and wax, and be occupied upon the earth, and multiply therein.

Furthermore God spake unto Noe and to his sons with him saying: See, I

make my bond with you and your seed after you, and with all living

things that is with you: both fowl and cattle, and all manner beast of

the earth that is with yow, of all that cometh out of the ark what

soever beast of the earth it be. I make my bond with yow, that

henceforth all flesh shall not be destroyed with the waters of any

flood, and that henceforth there shall not be a flood to destroy the

earth. And God said: This is the token of my bond which I make between

me and yow, and between all living thing that is with yow for ever: I

will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the

appointment made between me and the earth: so that when I bring in

clouds upon the earth, the bow shall appear in the clouds. And then

will I think upon my testament which I have made between me and yow,

and all that liveth whatsoever flesh it be. So that henceforth there

shall be no more waters to make a flood to destroy all flesh. The bow

shall be in the clouds, and I will look upon it, to remember the

everlasting testament between God and all that liveth upon the earth,

whatsoever flesh it be. And God said unto Noe: This is the sign of the

testament which I have made between me and all flesh that is on the

earth. The sons of Noe that came out of the ark were: Sem, Ham, and

Iapheth. And Ham he is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons

of Noe, and of these was all the world overspread. And Noe being an

husbandman, went forth and planted a vineyard, and drank of the wine

and was drunk, and lay uncovered in the middest of his tent. And Ham

the father of Canaan saw his father's privates, {prevytees} and told

his two brethren that were without. And Sem and Iapheth took a mantle,

and put it on both their shoulders and went backward, and covered their

father's secrets, but their faces were backward, so that they saw not

their father's nakedness. As soon as Noe was awaked from his wine and

wist what his youngest son had done unto him, he said: Cursed be

Canaan, and a servant, of all servants be he to his brethren. And he

said: Blessed be the LORD God of Sem, and Canaan be his servant. God

increase Iapheth that he may dwell in the tents of Sem. And Canaan be

their servant. And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty

years: So that all the days of Noe were nine hundred and fifty years,

and then he died.

Chapter .x.

These are the generations of the sons of Noe: of Sem, Ham and Iapheth,

which begat them children after the flood. The sons of Iapheth were:

Gomir, Magog, Madai, Iavan, Tuball, Mesech and Thyras. And the sons of

Gomir were: Ascenas, Riphat and Togarma. And the sons of Iavan were:

Elisa, Tharsis, Cithim, and Dodanim. Of these came the Isles of the

gentiles in their countries, every man in his speech, kindred and

nation. The sons of Ham were: Chus, Misraim, Phut and Canaan. The sons

of Chus: were Seba, Hevila, Sabta, Raima and Sabtema. And the sons of

Raima were: Sheba, and Dedan. Chus also begot Nimrod, which began to be

mighty in the earth. He was a mighty hunter in the sight of the LORD:

Whereof came the proverb: he is as Nimrod that mighty hunter in the

sight of the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babell, Erech,

Achad, and Chalne in the land of Sinear: Out of that land came Assur

and builded Ninive, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and Ressen

between Nineve and Calah. That is a great city. And Mizrim begat Ludim,

Enanim, Leabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim and Casluhim: from whence came the

Philistins, and the Caphtherines. Canaan also begat Zidon his eldest

son and Heth, Iebusi, Emori, Girgosi, Hivi, Arki, Sini, Arvadi, Zemari

and Harmati. And afterward sprang the kindreds of the Cananites. And

the coasts of the Cananites were from Sidon till thou come to Gerara

and to Asa, and till thou come to Sodoma, Gomorra, Adama, Zeboim: even

unto Lasa. These were the children of Ham in their kindreds, tongues,

lands and nations. And Sem the father of all the children of Eber and

the eldest brother of Iapheth, begat children also. And his sons were:

Elam Assur, Arphachsad, Lud and Aram. And the children of Aram were:

Ur, Hul, Gether and Mas. And Arphachsad begat Sala, and Sala begat

Eber. And Eber begat two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in

his time the earth was divided. And the name of his brother was

Iaketan. Iaketan begat Almodad, Saleph, Hizarmoneth, Iarah, Hadoram,

Usal, Dikela, Obal, Abimael, Seba, Ophir, Hevila and Iobab. All these

are the sons of Iaketan. And the dwelling of them was from Mesa until

thou come unto Sephara a mountain of the east land. These are the sons

of Sem in their kindreds, languages, countries and nations. These are

the kindreds of the sons of Noe, in their generations and nations. And

of these came the people that were in the world after the flood.

Chapter .xi.

And all the world was of one tongue and one language. And as they came

from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sinear, and there they

dwelled. And they said one to another: come on, let us make brick and

burn it with fire. So brick was their stone and slime was their mortar.

And they said: Come on, let us build us a city and a tower, that the

top may reach unto heaven. And let us make us a name, for peradventure

we shall be scattered abroad over all the earth. And the LORD came down

to see the city and the tower which the children of Adam had builded.

And the LORD said: See, the people is one and have one tongue among

them all: And this have they begun to do, and will not leave off from

all that they have purposed to do. Come on, let us descend and mingle

their tongue even there, that one understand not what another sayeth.

Thus the LORD scattered them from thence upon all the earth. And they

left off to build the city. Wherefore the name of it is called Babel,

because that the LORD there confounded the tongue of all the world. And

because that the LORD from thence, scattered them abroad upon all the

earth. These are the generations of Sem: Sem was an hundred year old

and begat Arphachsad two years after the flood. And Sem lived after he

had beget Arphachsad five hundred years and begot sons and daughters.

And Arphachsad lived thirty five years and begat Sala, and lived after

he had begot Sala four hundred years and three and begat sons and

daughters. And Sala was thirty years old and begat Eber, and lived

after he had begot Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons

and daughters. When Eber was thirty four years old, he begat Peleg, and

lived after he had begot Peleg, four hundred and thirty years, and

begat sons and daughters. And Peleg when he was thirty years old begat

Regu, and lived after he had begot Regu two hundred and nine years, and

begat sons and daughters. And Regu when he had lived thirty two years

begat Serug, and lived after he had begot Serug two hundred and seven

years, and begat sons and daughters. And when Serug was thirty years

old, he begat Nahor, and lived after he had begot Nahot two hundred

years, and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor when he was twenty nine

years old, begat Terah, and lived after he had begot Terah, an hundred

and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And when Terah was

seventy years old, 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 died before Terah his father in the land where he

was born, at Ur in Chaldea. And Abram and Nahor took them wives.

Abram's wife was called Sarai. And Nahor's wife Milkah the daughter of

Haran which was father of Milca and of Iisca. But Sarai was barren and

had no child. Then took Terah Abram his son and Lot his son Haran's

son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law his son Abram's wife. And they went

with him from Ur in Chaldea, to go into the land of Chanaan. And they

came to Haran and dwelled there. And when Terah was two hundred year

old and five he died in Haran.

Chapter .xij.

Then the LORD said unto Abram: Get thee out of thy country and from thy

kindred, and out of thy father's house, into a land which I will shew

thee. And I will make of thee a mighty people, and will bless thee, and

make thy name great, that thou mayst be a blessing. And I will bless

them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee. And in thee shall

be blessed all the generations of the earth. And Abram went as the LORD

bade him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy five years old, when

he went out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his

brother's son, with all their goods which they had gotten and souls

which they had begotten in Haran. And they departed to go into the land

of Chanaan. And when they were come into the land of Chanaan, Abram

went forth into the land till he came unto a place called Sichem, and

unto the oak of More. And the Cananites dwelled then in the land. Then

the LORD appeared unto Abram and said: unto thy seed will I give this

land. And he builded an altar there unto the LORD which appeared to

him. Then departed he thence unto a mountain that lieth on the east

side of BETHEL and pitched his tent: BETHEL being on the west side, and

Ay on the east: and he builded there an altar unto the LORD, and called

on the name of the LORD. And then Abram departed and took his journey

southward. After this there came a dearth in the land. And Abram went

down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the dearth was sore in the land.

And when he was come nye for to enter into Egypt, he said unto Sarai

his wife. Behold, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon. It

will come to pass therefore when the Egyptians see thee, that they will

say: she is his wife. And so shall they slay me and save thee. Say I

pray thee therefore that thou art my sister, that I may fare the better

by reason of thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake. As soon as

he came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman that she was very fair.

And Pharao's lords saw her also, and praised her unto Pharao: So that

she was taken into Pharao's house, which entreated Abram well for her

sake, so that he had sheep, oxen and he asses, men servants, maid

servants, she asses and camels. But GOD {|The LORDE|} plagued Pharao

and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai Abram's wife. Then

Pharao called Abram and said: Why hast thou thus dealt with me?

Wherefore toldest thou me not that she was thy wife? Why saidest thou

that she was thy sister, and causedest me to take her to my wife? But

now lo, there is thy wife, take her and be walking. Pharao also gave a

charge unto his men over Abram, to lead him out, with his wife and all

that he had.

Chapter .xiij.

Then Abram departed out of Egypt, both he and his wife and all that he

had, and Lot with him unto the south. Abram was very rich in cattle,

silver and gold. And he went on his journey from the south even unto

BETHEL, and unto the place where his tent was at the first time between

BETHEL and Ay, and unto the place of the altar which he made before.

And there called Abram upon the name, of the LORD. Lot also which went

with him had sheep, cattle and tents: so that the land was not able to

receive them that they might dwell together, for the substance of their

riches was so great, that they could not dwell together. And there fell

a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle, and the herdmen of

Lot's cattle. Moreover the Cananites and the Pherisites dwelled at that

time in the land. Then said Abram unto Lot: Let there be no strife I

pray thee between thee and me and between my herdmen and thine, for we

be brethren. Is not all the hole land before thee? Depart I pray thee

from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, I will take the right: or if

thou take the right hand I will take the left. And Lot lift up his eyes

and beheld all the country about Iordan, which was a plenteous country

of water every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorra, even

as the garden of the LORD, and as the land of Egypt till thou come to

Zoar. Then Lot chose all the coasts of Iordan and took his journey from

the east. And so departed the one brother from the other. Abram dwelled

in the land of Canaan: And Lot in the cities of the plain, and tented

till he came to Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinned

exceedingly against the LORD. And the LORD said unto Abram, after that

Lot was departed from him: Lift up thine eyes and look from the place

where thou art, northward, southward, eastward and westward, for all

the land which thou seest will I give unto thee and to thy seed for

ever. And I will make thy seed, as the dust of the earth: so that if a

man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be

numbered. Arise and walk about in the land, in the length of it and in

the breadth for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram took down his

tent, and went and dwelled in the oak grove of Mamre which is in Ebron

and builded there an altar to the LORD.

Chapter .xiiij.

And it chanced within a while, that Amraphel king of Sinear, Arioch

king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Thydeall king of the

nations: made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsa king of

Gomorra. And with Sineab king of Adama, and with Semeaber king of

Zeboim, and with the king of Bela which Bela is called Zoar. All these

came together unto the vale of Siddim, which is now the salt sea.

Twelve years were they subject to king Kedorlaomer, and in the

thirteenth year rebelled. Therefore in the fourteenth year came

Kedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, and smote the Raphaims in

Astaroth Karnaim, and the Susims in Ham, and the Emims in Sabe

Kariathaim, and the Horims in their own mount Seir unto the plain of

Pharan, which bordereth upon the wilderness. And then turned they and

came to the well of judgement which is Cades, and smote all the country

of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwell in Hazezon Thamar.

Then went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorra, and the king

of Adama and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela now called Zoar.

And set their men in array to fight with them in the vale of Siddim,

that is to say, with Kedorlaomer the king of Elam and with Thydeall

king of the Nations, and with Amraphel king of Sinear. And with Arioch

king of Ellasar: four kings against five. And that vale of Siddim was

full of slime pits. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorra fled, and fell

there. And the residue fled to the mountains. And they took all the

goods of Sodom and Gomorra and all their vitailles, and went their way.

And they took Lot also Abram's brother's son and his goods (for he

dwelled at Sodom) and departed. Then came one that had escaped, and

told Abram the Hebrew which dwelt in the oak grove of Mamre the

Amorite, brother of Eschol and Aner: which were confederate with Abram.

When Abram heard that his brother was taken, he harnessed his servants

born in his own house three hundred and eighteen, and followed till

they came at Dan. And set himself and his servants in array, and fell

upon them by night, and smote them, and chased them away unto Hoba:

which lieth on the left hand of Damasco, and brought again all the

goods and also his brother Lot, and his goods, the women also and the

people. And as he returned again from the slaughter of Kedorlaomer and

of the kings that were with him, then came the king of Sodom against

{to meet} him unto the vale of Saue which now is called king's dale.

Then Melchisedech king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he

being the priest of the most highest God, blessed him saying: Blessed

be Abram unto the most highest God, possessor of heaven and earth. And

blessed be God the most highest, which hath delivered thine enemies

into thy hands. And Abram gave him tithes of all. Then said the king of

Sodom unto Abram: Give me the souls, and take the goods to thy self.

And Abram answered the king of Sodom: I lift up my hand unto the LORD

God most high possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take of

all that is thine, so much as a thread or a shoe latchet, lest thou

shouldest say I have made Abram rich. Save only that which the young

men have eaten and the parts of the men which went with me. Aner,

Eschol and Mamre. Let them take their parts.

Chapter .xv.

After these deeds, the word of GOD {|the LORDE|} came unto Abram in a

vision saying fear not Abram, I am thy shield, and thy reward shall be

exceeding great. And Abram answered: Lord Iehouah what wilt thou give

me: I go childless, and the cater of mine house, this Eleasar of

Damasco hath a son. And Abram said: See, to me hast thou given to seed:

lo, a lad born in my house shall be mine heir. And behold, the word of

the LORD spake unto Abram saying: He shall not be thine heir, but one

that shall come out of thine own body shall be thine heir. And he

brought him out at the doors and said: Look up unto heaven and tell the

stars, if thou be able to number them. And said unto him: Even so shall

thy seed be. And Abram believed the LORD, and it was counted to him for

righteousness. And he said unto him: I am the LORD that brought thee

out of Ur in Chaldea to give thee this land to possess it. And he said:

Lord GOD, {LORde God} whereby shall I know that I shall possess it? And

he said unto him: take an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of

three years old, and a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a young

pigeon. And he took all these and divided them in the midst, and laid

every piece, one over against another. But the fowls divided he not.

And the birds fell on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. And

when the sun was down, there fell a slumber upon Abram. And lo, fear

and great darkness came upon him. And he said unto Abram: know this of

a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that pertaineth

not unto them. And they shall make bondmen of them and entreat them

evil four hundred years. But the nation whom they shall serve, will I

judge. And afterward shall they come out with great substance.

Nevertheless thou shalt go unto thy fathers in peace, and shalt be

buried when thou art of a good age: and in the fourth generation they

shall come hither again, for the wickedness of the Amorites is not yet

full. When the sun was down and it was waxed dark: behold, there was a

smoking furnace and a fire brand that went between the said pieces. And

that same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram saying: unto thy seed

will I give this land, from the river of Egypt, even unto the great

river Euphrates: the Kenites, the Kenizites, the Cadmonites, the

Hethites, the Pherezites, the Raphaims, the Amorites, the Cananites,

the Gergesites and the Iebusites.

Chapter .xvi.

Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children. But she had an hand maid an

Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. Wherefore she said unto Abram: Behold

the LORD hath closed me, that I can not bear. I pray thee go in unto my

maid, peradventure I shall be multiplied by means of her; And Abram

heard the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid

the Egyptian (after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan)

and gave her to her husband Abram, to be his wife. And he went in unto

Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived her

mistress was despised in her sight. Then said Sarai unto Abram: Thou

dost me unright, for I have given my maid into thy bosom: and now

because she seeth that she hath conceived, I am despised in her sight:

the LORD judge between thee and me. Then said Abram to Sarai: behold,

thy maid is in thy hand, do with her as it pleaseth thee. And because

Sarai fared foul with her, she fled from her. And the Angel of the LORD

found her beside a fountain of water in the wilderness: even by a well

in the way to Sur. And he said: Hagar Sarai's maid, whence comest thou

and whither wilt thou go? And she answered: I flee from my mistress

Sarai. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her: return to thy mistress

again, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the LORD

said unto her: I will so increase thy seed, that it shall not be

numbered for multitude. And the LORD's angel said further unto her:

see, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name

Ismael: because the LORD hath heard thy tribulation. He will be a wild

man, and his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand

against him. And yet shall he dwell fast by all his brethren. And she

called the name of the LORD that spake unto her: thou art the God that

lookest on me, for she said: I have of a surety seen here the back

parts of him that seeth me. Wherefore she called the well, the well of

the living that seeth me which well is between Cades and Bared. And

Hagar bare Abram a son, and Abram called his son's name which Hagar

bare Ismael. And Abram was eighty six years old, when Hagar bare him

Ismael.

Chapter .xvij.

When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to him

saying: I am the almighty God: walk before me and be uncorrupt. And I

will make my bond between thee and me, and will multiply thee

exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face. And God talked moreover with

him saying: I am, behold my testament is with thee, that thou shalt be

a father of many nations. Therefore shalt thou no more be called Abram,

but thy name shall be Abraham: for a father of many nations have I made

thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly, and will make nations of

thee: yea and kings shall spring out of thee. Moreover I will make my

bond between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their times to be

an everlasting testament, so that I will be God unto thee and to thy

seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee,

the land wherein thou art a stranger: even all the land of Canaan, for

an everlasting possession, and will be their God. And God said unto

Abraham: See thou keep my testament, both thou and thy seed after thee

in their times: This is my testament which ye shall keep between me and

you and thy seed after thee, that ye circumcise all your men children.

Ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh, and it shall be a token

of the bond betwixt me and you. And every manchild when it is eight

days old, shall be circumcised among you in your generations, and all

servants also born at home or bought with money though they be

strangers and not of thy seed. The servant born in thy house, and he

also that is bought with money, must needs be circumcised, that my

testament may be in your flesh, for an everlasting bond. If there be

any uncircumcised manchild, that hath not the foreskin of his flesh cut

off, his soul shall perish from his people: because he hath broken my

testament. And God said unto Abraham. Sarai thy wife shall no more be

called Sarai: but Sara shall her name be. For I will bless her and give

thee a son of her and will bless her: so that people, yea and kings of

people shall spring of her. And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed,

and said in his heart: shall a child be born unto him that is an

hundred year old, and shall Sara that is ninety years old, bear: And

Abraham said unto God. O that Ismael might live in thy sight. Then said

God: nay, Sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his

name Isaac. And I will make my bond with him, that it shall be an

everlasting bond unto his seed after him. And as concerning Ismael

also, I have heard thy request: lo, I will bless him and increase him,

and multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he {be} beget, and I

will make a great nation of him. But my bond will I make with Isaac,

which Sara shall bear unto thee: even this time twelve month. And God

left off talking with him, and departed up from Abraham. And Abraham

took Ismael his son and all the servants born in his house and all that

was bought with money as many as were men children among the men of

Abraham's house, and circumcised the foreskin of their flesh, even the

selfsame day, as God had said unto him. Abraham was ninety years old

and nine when he cut off the foreskin of his flesh. And Ismael his son

was thirteen year old, when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.

The self same day was Abraham circumcised and Ismael his son. And all

the men in his house, whether they were born in his house or bought

with money (though they were strangers) were circumcised with him.

Chapter .xviij.

And the LORD appeared unto him in the oak grove of Mamre as he sat in

his tent door in the heat of the day. And he lift up his eyes and

looked: and lo, three men stood not far from him. And when he saw them,

he ran against {to meet} them from the tent door, and fell to the

ground and said: Lord {LORde} if I have found favour in thy sight, go

not by thy servant. Let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet,

and rest your selves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of

bread, to comfort your hearts withal. And then go your ways, for even

therefore are ye come to your servant. And they answered: Do even so as

thou hast said. And Abraham went a pace into his tent unto Sara and

said: make ready at once three pecks of fine meal, knead it, and make

cakes. And Abraham ran unto his beasts and fetched a calf that was

tender and good, and gave it unto a young man which made it ready at

once. And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared,

and set it before them, and stood himself by them under the tree: and

they ate. And they said unto him: Where is Sara thy wife? And he said:

in the tent. And he said: I will come again unto thee as soon as the

fruit can live. And lo: Sara thy wife shall have a son. That heard

Sara, out of the tent door which was behind his back. Abraham and Sara

were both old and well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sara

after the manner as it is with wives. And Sara laughed in her self

saying: Now I am waxed old, shall I give my self to lust, and my lord

old also? Then said the LORD unto Abraha: wherefore doth Sara laugh

saying: shall I of a surety bear a child, now when I am old? is the

thing too hard for the LORD to do? In the time appointed will I return

unto thee, as soon as the fruit can have life. And Sara shall have a

son. Then Sara denied it saying: I laughed not, for she was afraid. But

he said: yes thou laughtest. Then the men stood up from thence and

looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the

way. And the LORD said: Can I hide from Abraham that thing which I am

about to do, seeing that Abraham shall be a great and a mighty people,

and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know

him that he will command his children and his household after him, that

they keep the way of the LORD, to do after right and conscience, that

the LORD may bring upon Abraham that he hath promised him. And the LORD

said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorra is great, and their sin is exceeding

grievous. I will go down and see whether they have done altogether

according to that cry which is come unto me or not, that I may know.

And the men departed thence and went to Sodomward. But Abraham stood

yet before the LORD, and drew near and said Wilt thou destroy the

righteous with the wicked? If there be fifty righteous within the city,

wilt thou destroy it and not spare the place for the sake of fifty

righteous that are therein? That be far from thee, that thou shouldest

do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that

the righteous should be as the wicked: that be far from thee. Should

not the Iudge of all the world do according to right? And the LORD

said: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, I will spare

all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said: behold I

have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, {LORde} and yet am but dust

and ashes. What though there lack five of fifty righteous, wilt thou

destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said: If I find there

forty and five I will not destroy them. And he spake unto him yet again

and said: what if there be forty found there: And he said: I will not

do it for forty's sake. And he said: O let not my Lord {LORde} be

angry, that I speak. What if there be found thirty there? And he said:

I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said: Oh, see, I have

begun to speak unto my Lord, {LORde} what if there be twenty found

there? And he said: I will not destroy them for twenty's sake. And he

said: O let not my Lord {LORde} be angry, that I speak yet, but even

once more only. What if ten be found there? And he said: I will not

destroy them for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way as soon as he

had left communing with Abraham. And Abraham returned unto his place.

Chapter .xix.

And there came two angels to Sodom at even. And Lot sat at the gate of

the city. And Lot saw them, and rose up against {to meet} them, and he

bowed himself to the ground with his face. And he said: See lords, turn

in I pray you in to your servant's house and tarry all night and wash

your feet, and rise up early and go on your ways. And they said: nay,

but we will bide in the streets all night. And he compelled them

exceedingly. And they turned in unto him and entered into his house,

and he made them a feast and did bake sweet cakes, and they ate. But

before they went to rest, the men of the city of Sodom compassed the

house round about both old and young, all the people from all quarters.

And they called unto Lot and said unto him: where are the men which

came into thy house to night? bring them out unto us that we may do our

lust with them. And Lot went out at doors unto them and shut the door

after him and said: nay for god's {goddes} sake brethren, do not so

wickedly. Behold I have two daughters which have known no man, them

will I bring out unto you: do with them as it seemeth you good: Only

unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of

my roof. And they said: come hither. And they said: camest thou not in

to sojourn, and wilt thou be now a judge? we will surely deal worse

with thee than with them. And as they preased sore upon Lot and began

to break up the door, the men put forth their hands and pulled Lot into

the house to them and shut to the door. And the men that were at the

door of the house, they smote with blindness both small and great: so

that they could not find the door. And the men said moreover unto Lot:

If thou have yet here any son-in-law or sons or daughters or whatsoever

thou hast in the city, bring it out of this place: for we must destroy

this place, because the cry of them is great before the LORD. Wherefore

he hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out and spake unto his

sons-in-law which should have married his daughters, and said: stond up

and get yow out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city. But

he seemed as though he had mocked, unto his sons-in-law. And as the

morning arose the angels caused Lot to speed him saying. Stond up, take

thy wife and thy two daughters and that that is at hand, lest thou

perish in the sin of the city. And as he prolonged the time, the men

caught both him, his wife and his two daughters by the hands, because

the LORD was merciful unto him, and they brought him forth and set him

without the city. When they had brought them out, they said: Save thy

life and look not behind thee neither tarry thou in any place of the

country, but save thyself in the mountain, lest thou perish. Then said

Lot unto them: Oh nay my Lord: {lorde} behold, inasmuch as thy servant

hath found grace in thy sight, now make thy mercy great which thou

shewest unto me in saving my life. For I can not save myself in the

mountains, lest some misfortune fall upon me and I die. Behold, here is

a city by, to flee unto, and it is a little one, let me save myself

therein: is it not a little one, that my soul may live? And he said to

him: see I have received thy request as concerning this thing, that I

will not overthrow this city for the which thou hast spoken. Haste

thee, and save thyself there, for I can do nothing till thou be come in

thither. And therefore the name of the city is called Zoar. And the sun

was upon the earth when Lot was entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained

upon Sodom and Gomorra, brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven,

and overthrew those cities and all the region, and all that dwelled in

the cities, and that that grew upon the earth. And Lot's wife looked

behind her, and was turned in to a pillar of salt. Abraham rose up

early and got him to the place where he stood before the LORD, and

looked toward Sodom and Gomorra and toward all the land of that

country. And as he looked: behold, the smoke of the country arose as it

had been the smoke of a furnace. But yet when God destroyed the cities

of the region, he thought upon Abraha: and sent Lot out from the danger

of the overthrowing, when he overthrew the cities where Lot dwelled.

And Lot departed out of Zoar and dwelled in the mountains and his two

daughters with him for he feared to tarry in Zoar: he dwelt therefore

in a cave, both he and his two daughters also. Then said the elder unto

the younger our father is old, and there are no more men in the earth

to come in unto us after the manner of all the world. Come therefore,

let us give our father wine to drink, and let us lie with him that we

may save seed of our father. And they gave their father wine to drink

that same night. And the elder daughter went and lay with her father.

And he perceived it not, neither when she lay down, neither when she

rose up. And on the morrow the elder said unto the younger: behold,

yesternight lay I with my father. Let us give him wine to drink this

night also, and go thou and lie with him, and let us save seed of our

father. And they gave their father wine to drink that night also. And

the younger arose and lay with him. And he perceived it not: neither

when she lay down, neither when she rose up. Thus were both the

daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the elder bare a son

and called him Moab, which is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

And the younger bare a son and called him Ben Ammi, which is the father

of the children of Ammon unto this day.

Chapter .xx.

And Abraham departed thence toward the south country and dwelled

between Cades and Sur and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sara

his wife, that she was his sister. Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent

and fetched Sara away. And God came to Abimelech by night in a dream

and said to him: See, thou art but a dead man for the woman's sake

which thou hast taken away, for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had

not yet come nye her, and therefore said: Lord {lorde} wilt thou slay

righteous people? said not he unto me, that she was his sister? yea and

said not she herself that he was her brother? with a pure heart and

innocent hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream. I

wot it well that thou didst it in the pureness of thy heart: And

therefore I kept thee that thou shouldest not sin against me, neither

suffered I thee to come nigh her. Now therefore deliver the man his

wife again, for he is a prophet. And let him pray for thee that thou

mayst live. But and if thou deliver her not again, be sure that thou

shalt die the death, with all that thou hast. Then Abimelech rose up be

times in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these

things in their ears, and the men were sore afraid. And Abimelech

called Abraham and said unto him: What hast thou done unto us, and what

have I offended thee, that thou shouldest bring on me and on my kingdom

so great a sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

And Abimelech said moreover unto Abraham: What sawest thou that moved

thee to do this thing? And Abraham answered. I thought that

peradventure the fear of God was not in this place, and that they

should slay me for my wife's sake: yet in very deed she is my sister,

the daughter of my father, but not of my mother: and became my wife.

And after God caused me to wander out of my father's house, I said unto

her: This kindness shalt thou shew unto me in all places where we come,

that thou say of me, how that I am thy brother. Then took Abimelech

sheep and oxen, menservants and womenservants and gave them unto

Abraham, and delivered him Sara his wife again. And Abimelech said:

behold the land lieth before thee, dwell where it pleaseth thee best.

And unto Sara he said: See I have given thy brother a thousand pieces

of silver, behold he {this thing} shall be a covering to thine eyes

unto all that are with thee and unto all men and an excuse. And so

Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his

maidens, so that they bare. For the LORD had closed to, all the

matrices of the house of Abimelech, because of Sara Abraham's wife.

Chapter .xxj.

The lord visited Sara as he had said and did unto her according as he

had spoken. {promised} And Sara was with child and bare Abraham a son

in his old age even the same season which the Lorde {|God|} had

appointed. And Abraham called his son's name that was born unto him

which Sara bare him Isaac: and Abraham circumcised Isaac his son when

he was eight days old, as God commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred

year old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sara said: God hath

made me a laughing stock: for all that hear, will laugh at me. She said

also: who would have said unto Abraham, that Sara should have given

children suck, or that I should have borne him a son in his old age:

The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast, the same

day that Isaac was weaned. Sara saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian which

she had borne unto Abraham, a mocking. Then she said unto Abraham: put

away this bondmaid and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not

be heir with my son Isaac: But the word seemed very grievous in

Abraham's sight, because of his son. Then the Lorde {|God|} said unto

Abraham: let it not be grievous unto thee, because of the lad and of

thy bondmaid: But in all that Sara hath said unto thee, hear her voice,

for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Moreover of the son of the

bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham

rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle with water,

and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulders with the lad also,

and sent her away. And she departed and wandered up and down in the

wilderness of Berseba. When the water was spent that was in the bottle,

she cast the lad under a bush and went and sat her out of sight a great

way, as it were a bowshot off: For she said: I will not see the lad

die. And she sat down out of sight, and lift up her voice and wept. And

God heard the voice of the child. And the angel of God called Hagar out

of heaven and said unto her: What aileth thee Hagar? Fear not, for God

hath heard the voice of the child where he lieth. Arise and lift up the

lad, and take him in thy hand, for I will make of him a great people.

And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. And she went and

filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink. And God was with

the lad, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan. And his mother got him a wife

out of thee, land of Egypt. And it chanced the same season, that

Abimelech and Phicol his chief captain spake unto Abraham saying: God

is with thee in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto me even

here by God, that thou wilt not hurt me nor my children, nor my

children's children. But that thou shalt deal with me and the country

where thou art a stranger, according unto the kindness that I have

shewed thee. Then said Abraham: I will swear. And Abraham rebuked

Abimelech for a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had taken

away. And Abimelech answered I wist not who did it: Also thou toldest

me not, neither heard I of it, but this day. And Abraham took sheep and

oxen and gave them unto Abimelech. And they made both of them a bond

together. And Abraham set seven lambs by them selves. And Abimelech

said unto Abraham: what mean these seven lambs which thou hast set by

them selves. And he answered: seven lambs shalt thou take of my hand,

that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well:

Wherefore the place is called Berseba, because they sware both of them.

Thus made they a bond together at Berseba. Then Abimelech and Phicol

his chief Captain rose up and turned again unto the land of the

Philistines. And Abraham planted a wood in Berseba, and called there,

on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God: and dwelt in the

Philistine land a long season.

Chapter .xxij.

After these deeds, God did prove Abraham and said unto him: Abraham.

And he answered: here am I. And he said: take thy only son Isaac whom

thou lovest, and get thee unto the land of Moria, and sacrifice him

there for a sacrifice upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee.

Then Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass, and took

two of his meiny with him, and Isaac his sonne: and clove wood for the

sacrifice, and rose up and got him to the place which God had appointed

him. The third day Abraham lift up his eyes and saw the place afar off,

and said unto his young men: bide here with the ass. I and the lad will

go yonder and worship and come again unto you. And Abraham took the

wood of the sacrifice and laid it upon Isaac his son, and took fire in

his hand and a knife. And they went both of them together. Then spake

Isaac unto Abraham his father and said: My father? And he answered here

am I my son. And he said: See here is fire and wood, but where is the

sheep for sacrifice? And Abraham said: my son, God will provide him a

sheep for sacrifice. So went they both together. And when they came

unto the place which God shewed him, Abraham made an altar there and

dressed the wood, and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar,

above upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the

knife to have killed his son. Then the angel of the LORD called unto

him from heaven saying: Abraham, Abraham?. And he answered: here am I.

And he said: lay not thy hands upon the child, neither do anything at

all unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, in that thou hast

not kept thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and

looked about: and behold, there was a ram caught by the horns in a

thicket. And he went and took the ram and offered him up for a

sacrifice in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the

place, the LORD will see: wherefore it is a common saying this day: in

the mount will the LORD be seen. And the angel of the LORD cried unto

Abraham from heaven the second time saying: by myself have I sworn

(saith the LORD) because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared

thy only son, that I will bless thee and multiply thy seed as the stars

of heaven and as the sand upon the sea side. And thy seed shall possess

the gates of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the

earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. So turned Abraham

again unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to

Berseba. And Abraham dwelt at Berseba. And it chanced after these

things, that one told Abraham saying: Behold, Milcha she hath also born

children unto thy brother Nachor: Hus his eldest son and Bus his

brother, and Kemuel the father of the Sirians, and Cesed, and Haso, and

Pildas, and Iedlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat Rebecca. These

eight did Milcha bear to Nachor Abraham's brother. And his concubine

called Rheuma she bare also Tebah, Gaham, Thaas and Maacha.

Chapter .xxiij.

Sara was an hundred and twenty seven years old (for so long lived she)

and then died in a head city called Hebron in the land of Canaan. Then

Abraham came to mourn Sara and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up

from the corpse, and talked with the sons of Heth saying: I am a

stranger and a foreigner among yow, give me a possession to bury in

with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. And the children of

Heth answered Abraham saying unto him: Hear us lord, thou art a prince

of God among us. In the chiefest of our sepulchers bury thy dead: None

of us shall forbid thee his sepulchre, that thou shouldest not bury thy

dead therein. Abraham stood up and bowed himself before the people of

the land the children of Heth. And he communed {comoned} with them

saying: If it be your minds that I shall bury my dead out of my sight,

hear me and speak for me to Ephron the son of Zoar: and let him give me

the double cave which he hath in the end of his field, for as much

money as it is worth, let him give it me in the presence of you, for a

possession to bury in. For Ephron dwelled among the children of Heth.

Then Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham in the audience of the

children of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of his city,

saying: Not so, my lord, but hear me: The field give I thee, and the

cave that therein is, give I thee also. And even in the presence of the

sons of my people give I it thee to bury thy dead in. Then Abraham

bowed himself before the people of the land, and spake unto Ephron in

the audience of the people of the country saying: I pray thee hear me,

I will give silver for the field, take it of me, and so will I bury my

dead there. Ephron answered Abraham saying unto him: My lord, hearken

unto me. The land is worth four hundredth sicles of silver: But what is

that betwixt thee and me? bury thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto

Ephron and weighed him the silver which he had said in the audience of

the sons of Heth. Even four hundred silver sicles of current money

among merchants. Thus was the field of Ephron wherein the double cave

is before Mamre: even the field and the cave that is therein and all

the trees of the field which grow in all the borders round about, made

sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of

Heth and of all that went in at the gates of the city. And then Abraham

buried Sara his wife in the double cave of the field that lieth before

Mamre, otherwise called Ebron in the land of Canaan. And so both the

field and the cave that is therein, was made unto Abraham, a sure

possession to bury in, of the sons of Heth.

Chapter .xxiiij.

Abraham was old and stricken in days, and the LORD had blessed him in

all things. And he said unto his eldest servant of his house which had

the rule over all that he had: Put thy hand under my thigh that I may

make thee swear by the LORD that is God of heaven and God of the earth,

that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son, of the daughters of the

Cananites, among which I dwell. But shalt go unto my country and to my

kindred, and there take a wife unto my son Isaac. Then said the servant

unto him: what and if the woman will not agree to come with me unto

this land, shall I bring thy son again unto the land which thou camest

out of? And Abraham said unto him: beware of that, that thou bring not

my son thither. The LORD God of heaven which took me from my father's

house and from the land where I was born, and which spake unto me and

sware unto me saying: unto thy seed will I give this land, he shall

send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife unto my son

from thence. Nevertheless if the woman will not agree to come with thee

then shalt thou be without danger of this oath. But above all things

bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the

thigh of Abraham and sware to him as concerning that matter. And the

servant took ten camels of the camels of his master and departed, and

had of all manner goods of his master with him, and stood up and went

to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And made his camels to lie down

without the city by a well's side of water, at even: about the time

that women come out to draw water, and he said: LORD God of my master

Abraham, send me good speed this day, and shew mercy unto my master

Abraham. Lo I stond here by the well of water and the daughters of the

men of this city will come out to draw water: Now the damsel to whom I

say, stoop down thy pitcher, and let me drink. If she say: Drink, and I

will give thy camels drink also, the same is she that thou hast

ordained for thy servant Isaac: yea and thereby shall I know that thou

hast shewed mercy on my master. And it came to pass yer he had left

speaking, that Rebecca came out, the daughter of Bethuel, son to Milkah

the wife of Nahor Abraham's brother, and her pitcher upon her shoulder:

The damsel was very fair to look upon, and yet a maid and unknown of

man. And she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up

again. Then the servant ran unto her and said: let me sip a little

water of thy pitcher. And she said: drink my lord. And she hasted and

let down her pitcher upon her arm and gave him drink. And when she had

given him drink, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, until

they have drunk enough. And she poured out her pitcher into the trough

hastily, and ran again unto the well, to fetch water: and drew for all

his camels. And the fellow wondered at her. But held his peace, to wete

whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. And as the

camels had left drinking, he took an earing of half a sicle weight, and

two bracelets for her hands, of ten sicles weight of gold, and said

unto her: Whose daughter art thou? tell me: is there room in thy

father's house, for us to lodge in? And she said unto him: I am the

daughter of Bethuel the son of Milkah which she bare unto Nahor: and

said moreover unto him: we have litter and provender enough and also

room to lodge in. And the man bowed himself and worshipped the LORD,

and said: blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham which ceaseth

not to deal mercifully and truly with my master. And {|For the LORDe|}

hath brought me the way to my master's brother's house. And the damsel

ran and told them of her mother's house these things. And Rebecca had a

brother called Laban. And Laban ran out unto the man, to the well: for

as soon as he had seen the earings and the bracelets upon his sister's

hands, and heard the words of Rebecca his sister saying thus said the

man unto me, then he went out unto the man. And lo, he stood yet with

the camels by the well side. And Laban said: come in thou blessed of

the LORD. Wherefore stondest thou without? I have dressed the house and

made room for the camels. And then the man came in to the house: and he

unbridled the camels: and brought litter and provender for the camels,

and water to wash his feet and their feet that were with him, and there

was meat set before him to eat. But he said: I will not eat, until I

have said mine errand: And he said: say on; And he said: I am Abraham's

servant, and the LORD hath blessed my master out of measure that he is

become great and hath given him sheep, oxen, silver and gold,

menservants, maidservants, camels and asses. And Sara my master's wife

bare him a son, when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that

he hath. And my master made me swear saying: Thou shalt not take a wife

to my son, among the daughters of the Cananites in whose land I dwell.

But thou shalt go unto my father's house and to my kindred, and there

take a wife unto my son. And I said unto my master: What if the wife

will not follow me? And he said unto me: The LORD before whom I walk,

will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy journey that thou shalt

take a wife for my son, of my kindred and of my father's house. But and

if (when thou comest unto my kindred) they will not give thee one, then

shalt thou bear no peril of mine oath. And I came this day unto the

well and said: O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if it be so that

thou makest my journey which I go, prosperous: behold, I stond by this

well of water, and when a virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say

to her: give me a little water of thy pitcher to drink, and she say

again to me: drink thou, and I will also draw water for thy camels:

that same is the wife, whom the LORD hath prepared for my master's son.

And before I had made an end of speaking in mine heart: behold Rebecca

came forth, and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down unto the

well and drew. And I said unto her give me drink. And she made haste,

and took down her pitcher from off her, and said: drink, and I will

give thy camels drink also. And I drank, and she gave the camels drink

also. And I asked her saying: whose daughter art thou? And she

answered: the daughter of Bathuel Nahor's son, whom Milkah bare unto

him. And I put the earing upon her face and the bracelets upon her

hands. And I bowed myself, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the

LORD God of my master Abraham which had brought me the right way, to

take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. Now therefore if ye

will deal mercifully and truly with my master, tell me: And if not,

tell me also: that I may turn me to the right hand or to the left. Then

answered Laban and Bathuel saying: The thing is proceeded even out of

the LORD, {lorde} we can not therefore say unto thee, either good or

bad: Behold Rebecca before thy face, take her and go, and let her be

thy master's son's wife, even as the LORD hath said. And when Abraham's

servant heard their words, he bowed himself unto the LORD, flat upon

the earth. And the servant took forth jewels of silver and jewels of

gold and raiment, and gave them to Rebecca: But unto her brother and to

her mother, he gave spices. And then they ate and drank, both he and

the men that were with him, and tarried all night and rose up in the

morning. And he said: let me depart unto my master. But her brother and

her mother said: let the damsel abide with us a while, and it be but

even ten days, and then go thy ways. And he said unto them, hinder me

not: for the LORD {lorde} hath prospered my journey. Send me away that

I may go unto my master. And they said: let us call the damsel, and wit

what she saith to the matter. And they called forth Rebecca and said

unto her: wilt thou go with this man? And she said: Yea. Then they

brought Rebecca their sister on the way and her nurse and Abraham's

servant, and the men that were with him. And they blessed Rebecca and

said unto her: Thou art our sister, grow into thousand thousands, and

thy seed possess the gates of their enemies. And Rebecca arose and her

damsels, and sat them up upon the camels and went their way after the

man. And the servant took Rebecca and went his way. And Isaac was a

coming from the well of the living and seeing, for he dwelt in the

south country, and was gone out to walk in his meditations before the

even tide. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and behold the camels

were coming. And Rebecca lift up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she

lighted off the camel, and said unto the servant: what man is this that

cometh against us in the field? And the servant said: it is my master.

And then she took her mantle, and put it about her. And the servant

told Isaac all that he had done. Then Isaac brought her in to his

mother Sara's tent, and took Rebecca and she became his wife, and he

loved her: and so was Isaac comforted over his mother.

Chapter .xxv.

Abraham took him another wife called Ketura, which bare him Simran,

Iacksan, Medan, Midian, Iesback and Suah. And Iacksan begat Seba and

Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Assurim, Letusim and Leumim. And the

sons of Midian were Epha, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Elda. All these were

the children of Bethura. {Ketura} But Abraham gave all that he had unto

Isaac. And unto the sons of his concubines he gave gifts, and sent them

away from Isaac his son (while he yet lived) eastward, unto the east

country. These are the days of the life of Abraham which he lived: an

hundred and seventy five year and then fell sick and died, in a lusty

age (when he had lived enough) and was put unto his people. And his

sons Isaac and Ismael buried him in the double cave in the field of

Ephron son, of Zoar the Hethite before Mamre. Which field Abraham

bought of the sons of Heth: There was Abraham buried and Sara his wife.

And after the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac his son, which dwelt

by the well of the living and seeing. These are the generations of

Ismael Abraham's son, which Hagar the Egyptian Sara's handmaid bare

unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ismael, with their

names in their kindreds. The eldest son of Ismael, Nevatoth, then

Redar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Misma, Duma, Masa, Hadar, Thema, Ietur, Naphis

and Kedma. These are the sons of Ismael, and these are their names, in

their towns and castles twelve princes of nations. And these are the

years of the life of Ismael: an hundred and thirty seven years, and

then he fell sick and died, and was laid unto his people. And he dwelt

from Evila unto Sur that is before Egypt, as men go toward the

Assyrians. And he died in the presence of all his brethren. And these

are the generations of Isaac Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac. And

Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca to wife the daughter of

Bethuel the Sirian of Mesopotamia and sister to Laban the Sirian. And

Isaac made intercession unto the LORD for his wife: because she was

barren: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife

conceived: and the children strove together within her. Then she said:

if it should go so to pass, what helpeth it that I am with child? And

she went and asked the LORD. And the LORD said unto her there are two

manner of people in thy womb, and two nations shall spring out of thy

bowels, and the one nation shall be mightier than the other and the

eldest shall be servant unto the younger. And when her time was come to

be delivered: behold there were two twins in her womb. And he that came

out first, was red and rough over all as it were an hide: and they

called his name Esau. And afterward his brother came out and his hand

holding Esau by the heel. Wherefore his name was called Iacob. And

Isaac was forty years old when she bare them: and the boys grew, and

Esau became a cunning hunter and a tillman. But Iacob was a simple man

and dwelled in the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his

venison, but Rebecca loved Iacob. Iacob sod pottage, and Esau came from

the field and was fainty, and said to Iacob: let me sip of that red

pottage, for I am fainty. And therefore was his name called Edom. And

Iacob said: sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau answered: Lo I am

at the point to die, and what profit shall this birthright do me? And

Iacob said, swear to me then this day. And he swore to him and sold his

birthright unto Iacob. Then Iacob gave Esau bread and pottage of red

rice. And he ate and drank and rose up and went his way. And so Esau

regarded not his birthright.

Chapter .xxvi.

And there fell a dearth in the land, passing the first dearth that fell

in the days of Abraham. Wherefore Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the

Philistines unto Gerar. Then the LORD appeared unto him and said: go

not down into Egypt, but bide in the land which I say unto thee:

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: for

unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these countries. And I will

perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father, and will

multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed

all these countries. And thorow thy seed shall all the nations of the

earth be blessed, because that Abraham hearkened unto my voice and kept

mine ordinances, commandments, statutes and laws. And Isaac dwelled in

Gerar. And the men of the place asked him of his wife, and he said that

she was his sister: for he feared to call her his wife lest the men of

the place should have killed him for her sake, because she was

beautiful to the eye. And it happened after he had been there long

time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window,

and saw Isaac sporting with Rebecca his wife. And Abimelech sent for

Isaac and said: see, she is of a surety thy wife, and why saidest thou

that she was thy sister? And Isaac said unto him: I thought that I

might peradventure have died for her sake. Then said Abimelech: why

hast thou done this unto us? one of the people might lightly have lain

by thy wife and so shouldest thou have brought sin upon us. Then

Abimelech charged all his people saying: he that toucheth this man or

his wife, shall surely die for it. And Isaac sowed in the land, and

found in the same year an hundred bushels: for the LORD blessed him,

and the man waxed mighty, and went forth and grew till he was exceeding

great, that he had possession of sheep, of oxen and a mighty household:

so that the Philistines had envy at him: Insomuch that they stopped and

filled up with earth, all the wells which his father's servants digged

in his father Abraham's time. Then said Abimelech unto Isaac: get thee

from me, for thou art mightier than we a great deal. Then Isaac

departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley Gerar and dwelt

there. And Isaac digged again, the wells of water which they digged in

the days of Abraham his father which the Philistines had stopped after

the death of Abraham, and gave them the same names which his father

gave them. As Isaac's servants digged in the valley, they found a well

of springing {living} water. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with

Isaac's herdmen saying: the water is ours. Then called he the well

Eseck because they strove with him. Then digged they another well, and

they strove for that also. Therefore called he it Sitena. And then he

departed thence, and digged another well for the which they strove not:

therefore called he it Rehoboth, saying: the LORD hath now made us

room, and we are increased upon the earth. Afterward departed he thence

and came to Berseba. And the LORD appeared unto him the same night and

said: I am the God of Abraham thy father, fear not for I am with thee,

and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's

sake. And then he builded an altar there and called upon the name of

the LORD, and there pitched his tent. And there Isaac's servants digged

a well. Then came Abimelech to him from Gerar and Ahusath his friend

and Phicoll his chief captain. And Isaac said unto them: wherefore come

ye to me, seeing ye hate me and have put me away from you? Then said

they: we saw that the LORD was with thee, and therefore we said that

there should be an oath betwixt us and thee, and that we would make a

bond with thee: that thou shouldest do us no hurt, as we have not

touched thee, and have done unto thee nothing but good, and send thee

away in peace: for thou art now the blessed of the LORD. And he made

them a feast, and they ate and drank. And they rose up by times in the

morning and sware one to another. And Isaac sent them away. And they

departed from him in peace. And the same day came Isaac's servants, and

told him of a well which they had digged: and said unto him, that they

had found water. And he called it Seba, wherefore the name of the city

is called Berseba unto this day. When Esau was forty years old, he took

to wife Iudith the daughter of Bery an Hethite, and Basmath the

daughter of Elon an Hethite also, which were disobedient unto Isaac and

Rebecca.

Chapter .xxvij.

And it came to pass that Isaac waxed old and his eyes were dim, so that

he could not see. Then called he Esau his eldest son and said unto him:

my son. And he said unto him: here am I. And he said: behold, I am old

and know not the day of my death: Now therefore take thy weapons, thy

quiver and thy bow, and get thee to the fields, and take me some

venison, and make me meat such as I love, and bring it me and let me

eat that my soul may bless thee before that I die. But Rebecca heard

when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And as soon as Esau was gone to the

field to catch venison, and to bring it, she spake unto Iacob her son

saying: Behold I have heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother

and saying: bring me venison and make me meat, that I may eat and bless

thee before the LORD yer I die. Now therefore my son hear my voice in

that which I command thee: get thee to the flock, and bring me thence

two good kids, and I will make meat of them for thy father, such as he

loveth. And thou shalt bring it to thy father and he shall eat, that he

may bless thee before his death. Then said Iacob to Rebecca his mother:

Behold Esau my brother is rough and I am smooth. My father shall

peradventure feel me, and I shall seem unto him as though I went about

to beguile him, and so shall he bring a curse upon me and not a

blessing: and his mother said unto him. Upon me be thy curse my son,

only hear my voice, and go and fetch me them. And Iacob went and

fetched them and brought them to his mother. And his mother made meat

of them, according as his father loved. And she went and fetched goodly

raiment of her eldest son Esau which she had in the house with her, and

put them upon Iacob her youngest son, and she put the skins upon his

hands and upon the smooth of his neck. And she put the meat and bread

which she had made in the hand of her son Iacob. And he went in to his

father saying: my father. And he answered: here am I, who art thou my

son? And Iacob said unto his father: I am Esau thy eldest son, I have

done according as thou baddest me, up and sit and eat of my venison,

that thy soul may bless me. But Isaac said unto his son: How cometh it

that thou hast found it so quickly my son? He answered: The LORD thy

God brought it to my hand. Then said Isaac unto Iacob: come near and

let me feel thee my son, whether thou be my son Esau or not. Then went

Iacob to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said the voice is

Iacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he knew him

not, because his hands were rough as his brother Esau's hands and so he

blessed him. And he asked him, art thou my son Esau? And he said: that

I am. Then said he: bring me and let me eat of my son's venison, that

my soul may bless thee. And he brought him, and he ate. And he brought

him wine also, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him: come

near and kiss me my son. And he went to him and kissed him. And he

smelled the savour of his raiment and blessed him, and said See, the

smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD {lorde} hath

blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the

earth and plenty of corn and wine. People be thy servants and nations

bow unto thee. Be lord over thy brethren, and thy mother's children

stoop unto thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee, and blessed {lessed}

be he that blesseth thee. As soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing

Iacob, and Iacob was scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his

father: then came Esau his brother from his hunting: and had made also

meat, and brought it in unto his father and said unto him: Arise my

father and eat of thy son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. Then

his father Isaac said unto him: Who art thou? he answered I am thy

eldest son Esau. And Isaac was greatly astonied out of measure, and

said: Where is he then that hath hunted venison and brought it me, and

I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him, and he

shall be blessed still. When Esau heard the words of his father, he

cried out greatly and bitterly above measure, and said unto his father:

bless me also my father. And he said thy brother came with subtlety,

and hath taken away thy blessing. Then said he: He may well be called

Iacob, for he hath undermined me now two times, first he took away my

birthright: and see, now hath he taken away my blessing also. And he

said, hast thou kept never a blessing for me? Isaac answered and said

unto Esau: behold I have made him thy lord, {LORde} and all his

mother's children have I made his servants. Moreover with corn and wine

have I stablished him, what can I do unto thee now my son? And Esau

said unto his father: hast thou but that one blessing my father? bless

me also my father: so lifted up Esau his voice and wept. Then Isaac his

father answered and said unto him: Behold thy dwelling place shall have

of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. And

with thy sword shalt thou live and shalt be thy brother's servant; But

the time will come, when thou shalt get the mastery, and lowse his yoke

from off thy neck. And Esau hated Iacob, because of the blessing that

his father blessed him withal, and said in his heart: The days of my

father's sorrow are at hand, for I will slay my brother Iacob. And

these words of Esau her eldest son, were told to Rebecca. And she sent

and called Iacob her youngest son, and said unto him: behold thy

brother Esau threateneth to kill thee: Now therefore my son hear my

voice, make thee ready, and flee to Laban my brother at Haran: And

tarry with him a while, until thy brother's fierceness be swaged, and

until thy brother's wrath turn away from thee, and he forget that which

thou hast done to him. Then will I send and fetch thee away from

thence. Why should I lose you both in one day? And Rebecca spake to

Isaac: I am weary of my life, for fear of the daughters of Heth. If

Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such one as these are, or

of the daughters of the land, what lust should I have to live?

Chapter .xxviij.