ABRAM COMPLAINS FOR WANT OF AN HEIR.

912 wolde he nogt him hiſ ſwinc for-geten,
oc abram dede ðor meðelike wel,
wid-held he ðor-of neu[er]e on del,
oc al ðat euere fel him to,
 [Fol. 18b.]
The patriarch would accept of nothing.
916 Sac-les he let hin welden it ſo.
Ebruiſ ſeigen, wune hem wex her
To algen ilk fiftene ger,
for loth waſ fifti winter hold,
920 Quan abram him bi-told.
Then first began the custom of keeping the 15th year holy.
Abel primiceſ firſt bi-gan,
Abel first began first-fruit.
And decimas first abram;
Nu iſt ſo boden and ſo bitagt,
924 Quo-ſo hiſ alt him bi agt.
Abram tithes.
After ðiſ ſpac god to abram:—
"ðin berg and tin werger ic ham.
ðin ſwinc ðe ſal ben gulden wel,
928 wid[[134]] michel welðe in good[e] ſel."
After this God spake to Abram, saying, "I am thy safety and thy defence, thy toil shall be requited."
Quad he, "quat ſal me welðes ware,
Quane ic child-leſ of werlde fare;
Damak eliezereſ ſune,
932 In al min welðe ſal he wunen?"
Quoth Abram, "What avails wealth, seeing that I am childless, and that Eliezer's son shall inherit my wealth?"
Quat god, "ſo ſal it nogt ben,
Of ðe ſelf ſal ðin erward ten."
Abram leuede ðiſ hot in ſped,
936 dat[[135]] waſ him [told] to rigt-wiſhed.
God said, "Of thyself shall thine heir come."
ðre der he toc, ilc ðre ger hold,
And ſacrede god on an wold;
Abram took three deer each three years old and offered them as a sacrifice.
of godeſ bode he nam god kep,
 [Fol. 19.]
940 A net, and a got, and a ſep;
Euerilc of ðeſe he delte on two,
And let hem lin on ſunder ſo,
Vndelt heſ leide quor-ſo heſ tok;
An heifer, a goat, and a sheep he took, and divided them in two and set them apart.
944 And ðor a duue and a turtul ok
Sat up on-rum til heuene he tok,
And of ðo doles kep he nam
The dove and the turtle he divided not.
Gredi foueles fellen ðor-on,
Greedy fowls fell upon the carcases.

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