ABRAM RESCUES LOT. MELCHIZEDEK BLESSES HIM.

876 get ne migten he ſiker ben,
for magnie[[128]] of ðo woren ouer-taken,
Abram cude hem to ſorwe maken.
Henden damaſk, til burgt oba,
880 Abram hem folwede and wrogte woa;
He pursued them unto Hoba, near Damascus.
wifes, and childre, and ſrud, and ſat,
He brogte agen and mikel he bat;
And tol, and takel, and orf, he dede
884 wenden hom to here ogen ſtede,
Much spoil he took.
for loteſ luue fel him ðuſ rigt,
Borwen he ben wel of dat[[129]] figt.
All this he did for love of Lot.
Sodomes king in kinge dale,
888 Mette abram wið feres wale,
In ðe weie ðe ligið to ſalem,
ðe ſiðen iſ cald ieruſalem.
[Fol. 18.]
The king of Sodom went out to meet Abram.
Melchiſedech, ſalameſ king,
892 dede abram ðor mikel wurðing;
He froðer[ed]e him, after iſ ſwinc,
wið bredeſ fode and wines drinc;
Melchizedek brought him bread and wine.
Habram gaf him ðe tigðe del
896 Of alle iſ bigete, and dede ðor wel,
And bliſcede dor[[130]] godeſ migt,
ðat bargt abram wel of ðat figt;
Abram gave him a tenth of the spoil.
for he waſ boðen king and preſt,
900 of elde moſt, of wit hegest;
Melchizedek was both priest and king.
wiſte no man of werlðe ðo,
Quat kinde he waſ kumen fro;
None knew from what family he sprung.
Oc ſumme ſeiden ðat it waſ ſem,
904 ðiſ preſt and [oc] king of ſalem,
or or ðe flod waſ long bi-forn
of noe bi-geten, of[[131]] iſ wif born,
Some said that this king of Salem was Shem,
And fro ſo longe ðor bi-foren
908 Liuede til yſaac waſ boren.
who lived until the birth of Isaac.
Sodomes king bed dor[[132]] abram
Al agte and erf, wið-uten man,[[133]]
Alle heſ hadde wið migte bi-geten,
The king of Sodom offered Abram the goods and cattle taken from the enemy.

[128]

read manige

[129]

read ðat

[130]

read ðor

[131]

MS. oſ.

[132]

read ðor

[133]

? nam