| 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. |
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ELIEZER IS SENT TO MESOPOTAMIA.
| He wente bliðe and fagen agen, 1344 To berſabe he gunne teen, Sarra waſ fagen in kindes wune, ðat [hire][[155]] bilef ðat dere ſune. | Abraham went home joyful and glad. |
| Ðor quiles abraham wunede
ðor, 1348 Him cam good tiding of nachor, ðat melca bar him egte ſunen; | While at Beersheba he heard good tidings of Nahor. |
| Huſ waſ eldeſt, if we rigt munen. | Huz was Nahor's first-born. |
| Rigt-wiſ iob cam of hiſ kin, 1352 Hus lond he waſ riche wid-hin;[[156]] | Job came of his kin. |
| Of[[157]] buz, hiſ
broðeres kin, cam Buzites, Eliv, Balaam. | Of Buz came the Buzites, Eliv and Balaam. |
| Abraham, riche of welðe and
wale, 1356 wente a-gen in to manbre dale; | [Fol. 27.] Abraham went again to Mamre. |
| Sarra ðo ſtarf, an hundred ger old And ſeuene and .xx. winter told. | Sarah died being 127 years old. |
| Abraham ſente eliezer 1360 to lond meſopotanie fer, To caram ðor iſ fader lay, (Or he cam ðor waſ manie day) | Abraham sent Eliezer to Mesopotamia, |
| To fechen yſaac hom a wif, 1364 Of hiſ kinde ðe ðor waſ in lif. | to fetch a wife for Isaac. |
| Ten kameles ſemeð[[158]] forð he nam, | Ten camels he took with him. |
| Wið michel ſwinc he ðider cam At a welle wið-uten ðe tun; 1368 ðor he leide hiſe ſemes dun, | Eliezer came to a well without the city. |
| ðor he wulde him reſten and ben, Sum good tiding heren or ſen. "Louerd god," quað he mildelike, 1372 "min erdne ðu forðe ſelðhelike, ðiſ dai me lene hire to ſen, ðat ſal yſaaces leman ben." | He there prayed to God to send him good speed. |
| He bad hiſe bede on good
ſel. 1376 Rebecca, bi-geten of batuel, | He offered his prayer in a good time. |
MS. hire is written over in the later hand.
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