THE OFFERING OF ISAAC.

And abraham ðe fier and ðe ſwerd bar;
1308 ðo wurð ðe child witter and war
ðat ðor ſal offrende ben don,
Oc ne wiſte he quuat, ne quor-on;
and Abraham the fire and the sword.
"fader," quað he, "quar ſal ben taken
1312 ðe offrende ðat ðu wilt maken?"
"Where," quoth Isaac, "is the offering that thou wilt make?"
Quat abraham, "god ſal bi-ſen
Quor-of ðe ofrende ſal ben;
Quoth Abraham, "God will provide the offering.
Sellik ðu art on wer[l]de cumen,
1316 Sellic ðu ſalt ben heðen numen;
Wið-uten long ðhrowing and figt,
God wile ðe taken of werlde nigt,
In a wonderful manner thou camest into the world, and so shalt thou depart hence.
And of ðe seluen holocaustum hauen,
1320 ðanc it him ðat he it wulde crauen."
God requires thee as an offering."
Yſaac waſ redi mildelike,
Quan ðat he it wiſte witterlike.
Oc abraham it wulde wel
1324 quat-ſo god bad, ðwerted he it neuer a del;
Isaac was ready to be sacrificed.
Yſaac waſ leid ðat auter on,
So men ſulden holocauſt don;
Isaac was placed upon the altar.
And abraham ðat ſwerd ut-drog,
1328 And waſ redi to ſlon him nuge,[[154]]
Abraham drew out his sword to slay his son, but an angel forbad him to harm the child.
Oc angel it him for-bed,
And barg ðe child fro ðe dead;
ðo wurð abraham frigti fagen,
1332 for yſaac bi-leaf un-ſlagen;
Bi-aften bak, aſ he nam kep,
[Fol. 26b.]
faſte in ðornes he ſag a ſep,
ðat an angel ðor-inne dede;
1336 It waſ brent on yſaac ſtede.
A ram is offered instead of Isaac.
And, or abraham ðeðen for,
God him ðor bi him-ſeluen ſwor
ðat he ſal michil hiſ kinde maken,
1340 And ðat lond hem to honde taken;
Good ſelðhe ſal him cumen on,
for he ðiſ dede wulde don.
Ere Abraham departed God swore to him that his seed should inherit the land.

[154]

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