Transcriber's Notes:
There are wide variations in spelling, spacing and punctuation. In addition some of the blackletter type is worn and difficult to interpret.

Unambiguous spelling has mostly been retained. Apparent errors that have been changed are noted at the end of the text. Uncertain spelling has been transcribed according to the sense of the text. The King James Version (which incorporated most of Tyndale's translation) has also been consulted.

Spacing and punctuation have mostly been retained. Apparent errors that are inconsistent with the text have been corrected. Ambiguities have been transcribed according to the sense of the text.

Inverted or displaced type has been corrected.

Abbreviating lines over letters have been transcribed as tildes (e.g. "ã"). Superscript letters also indicate abbreviations. Some paragraphs and chapter titles begin with a "¶": these have been retained. Sidenotes begin with a "*" and refer to the "*" in the adjoining paragraph. The text of some of them (identified below) is uncertain. Ligatures (e.g. for "ll") have been ignored. Slanted bars (virgulae suspensivae) are equivalent to modern commas.

W. T. To the Reader.

WHen I had translated the newe testament/ I added a pistle vnto the laiter ende/ In which I desyred them y^t were learned to amend if ought were founde amysse. But oure malicious and wylye hypocrytes which are so stubburne and hard herted in their weked abhominaciõs that it is not possible for them to amend any thinge atall (as we see by dayly experience when their both lyvinges and doinges are rebuked with the trouth) saye/ some of them that it is unpossible to translate the scripture in to English/ some that it is not lawfull for the laye people to have it in their mother tonge/ some that it wold make them all heretykes/ as it wold no doute from many thinges which they of longe tyme haue falsly taught/ ãd that is the whole cause wherfore they forbyd it/ though they other clokes pretende. And some or rather every one/ saye that it wold make them ryse ageynst the kinge/ whom they them selves (vnto their damnatyõ) never yet obeyed. And leste the temporall rulars shuld see their falsehod/ if the scripture cam to light/ causeth them so to lye.

And as for my translatiõ in which they afferme vnto the laye people (as I haue hearde saye) to be I wotte not how many thousande heresyes/ so that it cã not be mẽded or correcte/ they haue yet taken so greate payne to examyne it/ & to compare it vnto that they wold fayne haue it and to their awne imaginations and iugglinge termes/ and to haue some what to rayle at/ and vnder that cloke to blaspheme the treuth/ that they myght with as litle laboure (as I suppose) haue translated the moste parte of the bible. For they which in tymes paste were wont to loke on no more scripture then they founde in their duns or soch like develysh doctryne/ haue yet now so narowlye loked on my translatyon/ that there is not so moch as one I therin if it lacke a tytle over his hed/ but they haue noted it/ and nombre it vnto the ignorant people for an heresy. Fynallye in this they be all agreed/ to dryve you from the knowlege of the scripture/ & that ye shall not haue the texte therof in the mother tonge/ and to kepe the world styll in darkenesse/ to the ntent they might sitt in the consciences of the people/ thorow vayne superstition and false doctrine/ to satisfye their fylthy lustes their proude ambition/ and vnsatiable covetuousnes/ and to exalte their awne honoure aboue kinge & emperoure/ yee & above god him silfe

¶ A thousand bokes had they lever to be put forth agenste their abhominable doynges and doctrine/ then that the scripture shulde come to light. For as long as they may kepe that doune/ they will so darken the ryght way with the miste of their sophistrye/ and so tangle thẽ that ether rebuke or despyse their abhominations with argumentes of philosophye & with wordly symylitudes and apparent reasons of naturall wisdom. And with wrestinge the scripture vnto their awne purpose clene contrarye vnto y^e processe/ order and meaninge of the texte/ and so delude them in descantynge vppon it with alligoryes/ and amase thẽ expoundinge it in manye senses before the vnlerned laye people (when it hath but one symple litterall sense whose light the owles cã not abyde) that though thou feale in thyne harte and arte sure how that all is false y^t they saye/ yet coudeste thou not solve their sotle rydles.

¶ Which thinge onlye moved me to translate the new testament. Because I had perceaved by experyence/ how that it was impossible to stablysh the laye people in any truth/ excepte y^e scripture were playnly layde before their eyes in their mother tonge/ that they might se the processe/ ordre and meaninge of the texte: for els what so ever truth is taught them/ these ennymyes of all truth qwench it ageyne/ partly with the smoke of their bottomlesse pyite wherof thou readest apocalipsis .ix. that is/ with apparent reasons of sophistrye & traditions of their awne makynge/ founded with out grounde of scripture/ and partely in iugglinge with the texte/ expoundinge it in soch a sense as is impossible to gether of the texte/ if thou see the processe ordre and meaninge therof.

¶ And even in the bisshope of londons house I entended to have done it. For when I was so turmoyled in the contre where I was that I coude no lenger there dwell (the processe wherof were to longe here to reherce) I this wyse thought in my silfe/ this I suffre because the prestes of the contre be vnlerned/ as god it knoweth there are a full ignorant sorte which haue sene no more latyn then that they read in their portesses and missales which yet many of them can scacely read (excepte it be Albertus de secretis mulierũ in which yet/ though they be never so soryly lerned/ they pore day and night and make notes therin and all to teach the mydwyves as they say/ and linwod a boke of constitutions to gether tithes/ mortuaryes/ offeringes/ customs/ and other pillage/ which they calle/ not theirs/ but godes parte and the deuty of holye chirch/ to discharge their consciences with all: for they are bound that they shall not dimynysh/ but encreace all thinge vnto the vttmost of their powers) and therfore (because they are thus vnlerned thought I) when they come to gedder to the alehouse/ which is their preachinge place/ they afferme that my sainges are heresy. And besydes y^t they adde to of thir awne heddes which I never spake/ as the maner is to prolonge the tale to shorte the tyme with all/ and accuse me secretly to the chauncelare and other the bishopes officers/ And in deade when I cam before the chauncelare/ he thretened me grevously/ and revyled me and rated me as though I had bene a dogge/ and layd to my charge wherof there coude be none accuser brought forth (as their maner is not to bringe forth the accuser) and yet all the prestes of y^e contre were y^t same daye there. As I this thought the bishope of london came to my remembrance whom Erasmus (whose tonge maketh of litle gnattes greate elephãtes and lifteth vpp aboue the starres whosoever geveth him a litle exhibition) prayseth excedingly amonge other in his annotatyons on the new testament for his great learninge. Then thought I/ if I might come to this mannes service/ I were happye. And so I gate me to london/ & thorow the accoyntaunce of my master came to sir harry gilford the kinges graces controller/ ãd brought him an oration of Isocrates which I had translated out of greke in to English/ and desyred him to speake vnto my lorde of london for me/ which he also did as he shewed me/ ãd willed me to write a pistle to my lorde/ and to goo to him my silf which I also did/ and delivered my pistle to a servant of his awne/ one wyllyam hebilthwayte/ a mã of myne old accoyntaũce. But god which kneweth what is within hypocrites/ sawe that I was begyled/ ãd that that councell was not the nexte way vnto my purpose. And therfore he gate me no favoure in my lordes sight

¶ Wherevppõ my lorde answered me/ his house was full/ he had mo thẽ he coude well finde/ and advised me to seke in london/ wher he sayd I coude not lacke a service/ And so in london I abode almoste an yere/ and marked the course of the worlde/ and herde oure pratars/ I wold say oure preachers how they bosted them selves and their hye authorite/ and beheld the pompe of oure prelates and how besyed they were as they yet are/ to set peace and vnite in the worlde (though it be not possible for them that walke in darkenesse to cõtinue longe in peace/ for they can not but ether stõble or dash them selves at one thinge or a nother that shall clene vnquyer all togedder) & sawe thinges wherof I deferre to speake at this tyme and vnderstode at the laste not only that there was no rowme in my lorde of londons palace to translate the new testament/ but also that there was no place to do it in all englonde/ as experience doth now openly declare.

¶ Vnder what maner therfore shuld I now submitte this boke to be corrected and amended of them/ which can suffer nothinge to be well? Or what protestacyon shuld I make in soch a matter vnto oure prelates those stubburne Nimrothes which so mightely fight agenste god and resiste his holy spirite/ enforceynge with all crafte and sotelte to qwench the light of the everlastinge testament/ promyses/ and apoyntemente made betwene god & vs: and heapinge the firce wrath of god vppon all princes and rulars/ mockinge thẽ with false fayned names of hypocrysye/ and servinge their lustes at all poyntes/ & dispensinge with thẽ even of the very lawes of god/ of which Christe him silf testifieth Mathew .v. y^t not so moch as one tittle therof maye perish or be brokẽ. And of which the prophete sayth Psalme .cxix. Thou haste cõmaunded thy lawes to be kepte meod/ y^t is in hebrew excedingly/ with all diligẽce/ might & power/ and haue made thẽ so mad with their iugglinge charmes and crafty persuasiõs that they thinke it full satisfaction for all their weked lyvinge/ to tormeẽt soch as tell thẽ trouth/ & to borne the worde of their soules helth & sle whosoever beleve theron.

¶ Not withstõdinge yet I submytte this boke and all other that I haue other made or trãslated/ or shall in tyme to come (if it be goddes will that I shall further laboure in his hervest) vnto all them that submytte thẽ selves vnto the worde of god/ to be corrected of thẽ/ yee and moreover to be disalewed & also burnte/ if it seme worthy when they have examyned it wyth the hebrue/ so that they first put forth of their awne translatinge a nother that is more correcte.

¶ A prologe shewinge the vse of the scripture

THough a man had a precious iuell and a rich/ yet if he wiste not the value therof nor wherfore it served/ he were nother the better nor rycher of a straw. Eyen so though we read the scripture & bable of it never so moch/ yet if we know not the vse of it/ and wherfore it was geven/ and what is theim to be sought/ it profiteth vs nothinge at all. It is not ynough therfore to read and talke of it only/ but we must also desyre god daye and night instantly to open oure eyes/ ãd to make vs vnderstond and feale wherfore the scripture was geuen/ that we maye applye the medicyne of the scripture/ every mã to his awne sores/ inlesse then we entend to be ydle disputers/ and braulers aboute vayne wordes/ ever gnawenge vppon the bitter barcke with out and newer attayninge vnto the swete pith with in/ and persequutinge one an other for defendinge of lewde imaginacions and phantasyes of oure awne invencyon

¶ Paule in y^e thyrde of y^e secõde epistle to Tymothe sayth/ y^t the scripture is good to teache (for y^t ought mẽ to teach & not dreames of their awne makĩge/ as y^e pope doth) & also to improve/ for y^e scripture is y^e twichstone y^t tryeth all doctrynes/ & by y^t we know the false from y^e true. And in the .vi. to the ephesians he calleth it the swerd of the spirite/ by cause it killeth hyppocrites and vttereth ãd improveth their false inventyons. And in the .xv. to the Romayns he sayth all that are wryten/ are wryten for oure learninge/ that we thorow pacyence and cõsorte of the scripture myght have hope. That is/ the ensamples that are in the scripture comforte vs in all oure tribulacyons/ and make vs to put oure truste in god/ and pacyently to abyde his leysure. And in the .x. of the firste to the Corinthyans he bringeth in examples of the scripture to feare vs and to bridle the fleshe/ that we caste not the yoke of the lawe of god from of oure neckes/ and fall to lustynge and doinge of evill.

¶ So now the scripture is a light and sheweth vs the true waye/ both what to do/ and what to hope. And a defence from all erroure/ and a comforte in adversyte that we despayre not. and feareth vs in prosperyte that we synne not Seke therfore in the scripture as thou readest it first the law/ what god cõmaundeth vs to doo. And secundarylye the promyses/ which god promyseth vs ageyne/ namely in Christe Iesu oure lorde. Then seke ensamples/ firste of comforte/ how god purgeth all them that submitte them selves to walke in his wayes/ in the purgatorye of tribulatyon/ delyveringe them yet at the latter ende/ and never soferinge any of them to perysh/ that cleave faste to his promyses. And fynallye/ note the ensamples which are writen to feare the flesh that we synne not. That is/ how god suffereth the vngodlye and weked synners that resiste god and refuse to folow him/ to contynue in their wekednesse/ ever waxinge worse and worse vntyll their synne be so sore encreased and so abhomynable/ that if they shuld longer endure they wold corrupte the very electe. But for the electes sake god sendeth thẽ preachers. Neverthelesse they harden their hartes agenste the truth/ and god destroyeth thẽ vtterlye and begynneth the world a new.

¶ This comforte shalt thou evermore finde in the playne texte and literall sense. Nether is there any storye so homely/ so rude/ yee or so vyle (as it semeth outwarde) wherin is not exceadinge greate comforte. And when some which seme to them selves great clarkes saye: they wott not what moare profite is in many geftes of the scripture if they be read with out an allegorye/ then in a tale of robenhode/ saye thou: that they were wryten for oure consolacyon and comforte/ that we despayre not/ if soch like happen vnto vs. We be not holyer then Noe/ though he were once dronke. Nether bettter beloved then Iacob/ though his awne sonne defyled his bedde. We be not holyer then lot/ though his doughters thorow ignorance deceaved him/ nor paradventure holyer then those doughters. Nether are we holyer then David/ though he brake wedlocke and vppon the same commytted abhomynable murther. All those men have witnesse of the scripture that they pleased god and ware good men both before that those thinges chaunsed them and also after. Neverthelesse soch thinges happened them for oure ensampler not that we shuld contrafayte their evill/ but if whyle we fight with oure selves enforsynge to walke in the law of god (as they did) we yet fall likewise/ that we despayre not/ but come agayn, to the lawes of god and take better holde

¶ We read sens the tyme of Christes deeth/ of virgins that have bene brought vnto the comẽstues/ and theye defyled/ and of martyrs that haue bene bounde and hores haue abvsed their bodyes. Why? The iudgemẽtes of god are bottõlesse. Soch thinges chaunced partely for ensamples/ partely God thorow synne healeth synne Pryde can nether be healed nor yet appere but thorow soch horrible deades. Paraduenture they were of y^e popes secte ãd reioysed fleshly/ thinkinge that heaven came by deades and not by Christ/ and that the outwarde dead iustyfyed them & made them holy and not the inward spirite receeved by fayth and the consent of the harte vnto the law of god.

¶ As thou readeste therfore thinke that every sillable pertayneth to thyne awne silf/ and sucke out the pithe of the scripture/ and arme thy silf ageynst all assaultes. Firste note with stronge faith the power of god in creatinge all of nought Then marke the grevous fall of Adam and of vs all in him/ thorow the light regardĩge of the commaundement of god. In the .iii. Chapitre God turneth him vnto Abel and then to his offeringe/ but not to Cain and his offeringe. Where thou seest that though the deades of the evel apere outwardly as gloryous as the deades of the good: yet in the sight of god which loketh on the harte/ the deade is good because of the man/ and not the man good because of his deade. In the vj. God sendeth Noe to preach to the weked and geueth them space to repent: they wax hard herted/ God bringeth them to nought And yet saveth Noe: even by the same water by which he destroyed them. Marke also what folowed the pryde of the buyldinge of the toure of Babel

Consydre how God sendeth forth Abrahã out of his awne contre in to a strange lande full of weked people/ and gave him but a bare promesse with him that he wold blesse him and defende him. Abraham beleved: and that worde saued and delyuered him in all parelles: so that we se/ how that mannes life is not mayntayned by bred onlye (as Christe sayeth) but moch rather by belevinge the promyses of god. Behold how soberly and how circũspectly both Abraham and also Isaac behaue them selves amõge the infideles. Abraham byeth that which might have ben geven him for nought/ to cutte of occasions. Isaac when his welles which he had digged were taken from him/ geveth rowme and resisteth not. More over they creand sowe and fede their catell/ and make confederacyons/ ãd take perpetuall truce/ and do all outward thinges: Even as they do which have no faith/ for god hath not made vs to be ydle in this world Every man must worke godly and truly to the vttmoste of the power that god hath geven him: and yet not truste therin: but in goddes worde or promesse: and god will worke with vs and bringe that we do to good effecte. And thẽ when oure power will extend no further/ goddes promesses wyll worke all alone

¶ How many thinges also resisted the promesses of god to Iacob? And yet Iacob coniureth god with his awne promesses sayenge: O god of my father Abraham: and god of my father Isaac/ O lorde which saydeste vnto me returne vnto thyne awne contre/ and vnto the place were thou waste borne and I wil do the good I am not worthy of the leste of those mercyes/ nor of that trouth which thou haste done to thy seruant I went out but with a staffe/ and come home with ij droves/ delyver me out of the handes of my brother Esau/ for I feare hym greatly &c. And god delyvered him/ and will likewyse all that call vnto his promesses with a repentinge herte/ were they never so great synners. Marke also the weake infirmites of the mã He loveth one wife more then a nother/ one sonne more then a nother. And se how god purgeth him. Esau threteneth him: Laban begyleth him. The beloued wife is longe baren: his doughter is ravyshed: his wife is defyled/ and that of his awne sonne. Rahel dieth/ Ioseph is taken a way/ yee and as he supposed rent of wild beastes And yet how gloryous was hys ende? Note the wekenesse of his Children/ yee and the synne of them/ and how god thorow their awne wekednes saved them. These ensamples teach vs that a man is not attonce parfecte the firste daye he beginneth to lyve wel They that be stronge therfore muste suffre with the weake/ and helpe to kepe them in vnite & peace one with a nother vntill they be strõger

Note what the brothren sayde when they were tached in Egipte/ we haue verelye synned (sayde they) ageynste oure brother in y^t we sawe the anguysh of his soule when he besought vs/ and wold not heare him: ãd therfore is this tribulation come vppon vs. By which ensample thou seiste/ how that conscience of evyll doenges findeth men out at the laste. But namely in tribulacyon and adversyte: there temptacyon and also desperacyon: yee and the verye paynes of hell find vs out: there the soule feleth the ferse wrath of god and wyssheth mountaynes to falle on her and to hyde her (yf it were possible) frõ the angrye face of god.

Marke also how greate evelles folow of how litle an occasion Dina goeth but forth alone to se the doughters of the contre/ and how greate myscheve and troble folowed? Iacob loved but one sonne more than a nother/ ãd how grevous murther folowed in their hartes? These are ensamples for oure learninge to teach vs to walke warely and circũspectlye in the worlde of weake people/ that we geve no mã occasions of evyll

¶ Finally/ se what god promysed Ioseph in his dreames. Those promesses accõpanyed him all ways/ and went doune wyth him even in to the depe dongeon/ And brought him vppe agayne/ And never forsoke him till all that was promysed was fulfilled. These are ensamples wrytẽ for our learnĩge (as paule seyth) to teach vs to truste in god in y^e strõge fyre of tribulation and purgatorye of oure flesh. And that they which submytte them selves to folow god shuld note and marke soch thinges/ for theyr lerninge and comforte/ is the frute of the scripture and cause why it was wryten: And with soch a purpose to reade it/ is the waye to everlastynge life and to those ioyfull blyssinges that are promysed vnto all nacyons in the seade of Abraham/ which seade is Iesus Christe oure lorde/ to whom be honoure and prayse for ever and vnto god oure father thorow him.

A M E N.

The fyrst boke
of Moses called Genesis

The fyrst Chapiter.

IN the begynnynge God created heaven and erth. The erth was voyde and emptie/ ãd darcknesse was vpon the depe/ and the spirite of god moved vpon the water

Than God sayd: let there be lyghte and there was lyghte. And God sawe the lyghte that it was good: & devyded the lyghte from the darcknesse/ and called the lyghte daye/ and the darcknesse nyghte: and so of the evenynge and mornynge was made the fyrst daye

And God sayd: let there be a fyrmament betwene the waters/ ãd let it devyde the waters a sonder. Than God made the fyrmament and parted the waters which were vnder the fyrmament/ from the waters that were above the fyrmament: And it was so. And God called the fyrmament heaven/ And so of the evenynge and morninge was made the seconde daye.

And God sayd/ let the waters that are vnder heaven gather them selves vnto one place/ that the drye londe may appere: And it came so to passe. And god called the drye lande the erth and the gatheringe togyther of waters called he the see. And God sawe that it was good

And God sayd: let the erth bringe forth herbe and grasse that sowe seed/ and frutefull trees that bere frute every one in his kynde/ havynge their seed in them selves vpon the erth. And it came so to passe: ãd the erth brought forth herbe and grasse sowenge seed every one in his kynde & trees berynge frute & havynge their seed in thẽ selves/ every one in his kynde. And God sawe that it was good: and thẽ of the evenynge and mornynge was made the thyrde daye.

Than sayd God: let there be lyghtes in y^e firmament of heaven to devyde the daye frõ the nyghte/ that they may be vnto sygnes/ seasons/ days & yeares. And let them be lyghtes in the fyrmament of heavẽ/ to shyne vpon the erth. & so it was. And God made two great lyghtes A greater lyghte to rule the daye/ & a lesse lyghte to rule the nyghte/ and he made sterres also. And God put them in the fyrmament of heaven to shyne vpon the erth/ and to rule the daye & the nyghte/ ãd to devyde the lyghte from darcknesse. And god sawe y^t it was good: and so of the evenynge ãd mornynge was made the fourth daye.

And God sayd/ let the water bryng forth creatures that move & have lyfe/ & foules for to flee over the erth vnder the fyrmament of heaven. And God created greate whalles and all maner of creatures that lyve and moue/ which the waters brought forth in their kindes/ ãd all maner of federed foules in their kyndes. And God sawe that it was good: and God blessed them saynge. Growe and multiplye ãd fyll the waters of the sees/ & let the foules multiplye vpõ the erth. And so of the evenynge & morninge was made the fyfth daye.

And God sayd: leth the erth bring forth lyvynge creatures in thir kyndes: catell & wormes & beastes of the erth in their kyndes/ & so it came to passe. And god made the beastes of the erth in their kyndes/ & catell in their kyndes/ ãd all maner wormes of the erth in their kyndes: and God sawe that it was good.

And God sayd: let vs make man in oure symilitude ãd after oure lycknesse: that he may have rule over the fysh of the see/ and over the foules of the ayre/ and over catell/ and over all the erth/ and over all wormes that crepe on the erth. And God created man after hys lycknesse/ after the lycknesse of god created he him: male & female created he them.

And God blessed them/ and God sayd vnto them. Growe and multiplye and fyll the erth and subdue it/ and have domynyon over the fysh of the see/ and over the foules of the ayre/ and over all the beastes that move on the erth.

And God sayd: se/ I have geven yow all herbes that sowe seed which are on all the erth/ and all maner trees that haue frute in them and sowe seed: to be meate for yow & for all beastes of the erth/ and vnto all foules of the ayre/ and vnto all that crepeth on the erth where in is lyfe/ that they may haue all maner herbes and grasse for to eate/ and even so it was. And God behelde al that he had made/ ãd loo they were exceadynge good: and so of the evenynge and mornynge was made the syxth daye

The seconde Chapter.

THus was heavẽ & erth fynished wyth all their apparell: ãd ĩ y^e seuẽth daye god ended his worke which he had made & rested in y^e seventh daye frõ all his workes which he had made. And God blessed y^e seventh daye/ and sanctyfyed it/ for in it he rested from all his workes which he had created and made.

¶ These are the generations of heaven & erth when they were created/ in the tyme when the LORde God created heaven and erth and all the shrubbes of the felde before they were in the erthe. And all the herbes of the felde before they sprange: for the LORde God had yet sent no rayne vpon the erth/ nether was there yet any man to tylle the erth. But there arose a myste out of the ground and watered all the face of the erth: Then the LORde God shope man/ even of the moulde of the erth and brethed into his face the breth of lyfe. So man was made a lyvynge soule.

¶ The LORde God also planted a garden in Eden from the begynnynge/ and there he sette man whom he had formed. And the LORde God made to sprynge out of the erth/ all maner trees bewtyfull to the syghte and pleasant to eate/ and the tree of lyfe in the middes of the garden: and also the tree of knowlege of good and euell.

¶ And there spronge a rever out of Eden to water the garden/ and thence devided it selfe/ and grewe in to foure principall waters. The name of the one is Phison/ he it is that compasseth all the lande of heuila/ where gold groweth. And the gold of that contre ys precious/ there is found bedellion and a stone called Onix. The name of the seconde ryver is Gihon/ which compassyth all the lande of Inde. And the name of the thyrde river is Hidekell/ which runneth on the easte syde of the assyryans And the fourth river is Euphrates.

¶ And the LORde God toke Adam and put him in the garden of Eden/ to dresse it and to kepe it: and the LORde God cõmaunded Adã saynge: of all the trees of the gardẽ se thoũ eate. But of the tre of knowlege of good and badd se that thou eate not: for even y^e same daye thou eatest of it/ thou shalt surely dye.

¶ And the LORde God sayd: it is not good that man shulde be alone/ I will make hym an helper to beare him company: And after y^t the LORde God had make of the erth all maner beastes of the felde/ and all maner foules of the ayre/ he brought them vnto Adam to see what he wold call them. And as Adã called all maner livynge beastes: evẽ so are their names. And Adam gave names vnto all maner catell/ and vnto the foules of the ayre/ and vnto all maner beastes of the felde. But there was no helpe founde vnto Adam to beare him companye

Then the LORde God cast a slomber on Adam/ and he slepte. And then he toke out one of his rybbes/ and in stede ther of he fylled vp the place with flesh. And the LORde God made of the rybbe which he toke out of Adam/ a womã and brought her vnto Adam. Then sayd Adã this is once bone of my boones/ and flesh of my flesh. This shall be called woman: because she was take of the man. For this cause shall a man leve father and mother & cleve vnto his wyfe/ & they shall be one flesh. And they were ether of them naked/ both Adam and hys wyfe/ ãd were not ashamed:

The .iij. Chapter

BUt the serpent was sotyller than all the beastes of the felde which y^e LORde God had made/ and sayd vnto the woman. Ah syr/ that God hath sayd/ ye shall not eate of all maner trees in the garden. And the woman sayd vnto the serpent/ of the frute of the trees in the garden we may eate/ but of the frute of the tree y^t is in the myddes of the garden (sayd God) se that ye eate not/ and se that ye touch it not: lest ye dye.

Then sayd the serpent vnto the woman: tush ye shall not dye: But God doth knowe/ that whensoever ye shulde eate of it/ youre eyes shuld be opened and ye shulde be as God and knowe both good and evell. And the woman sawe that it was a good tree to eate of and lustie vnto the eyes and a pleasant tre for to make wyse. And toke of the frute of it and ate/ and gaue vnto hir husband also with her/ and he ate. And the eyes of both of them were opened/ that they vnderstode how that they were naked. Than they sowed fygge leves togedder and made them apurns.

And they herd the voyce of the LORde God as he walked in the gardẽ in the coole of the daye. And Adam hyd hymselfe and his wyfe also from the face of the LORde God/ amonge the trees of the garden. And the LORde God called Adam and sayd vnto him where art thou? And he answered. Thy voyce I harde in the garden/ but I was afrayd because I was naked/ and therfore hyd myselfe. And he sayd: who told the that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree/ of which I bade the that thou shuldest not eate? And Adam answered. The woman which thou gavest to bere me company she toke me of the tree/ ãd I ate. And the LORde God sayd vnto the woman: wherfore didest thou so? And the woman answered/ the serpent deceaved me and I ate.

¶ And the LORde God sayd vnto the serpẽt because thou haste so done moste cursed be thou of all catell and of all beastes of the feld: vppõ thy bely shalt thou goo: and erth shalt thou eate all dayes of thy lyfe. Morover I will put hatred betwene the and the woman/ and betwene thy seed and hyr seed. And that seed shall tread the on the heed/ ãd thou shalt tread hit on the hele.

And vnto the woman he sayd: I will suerly encrease thy sorow ãd make the oft with child/ and with payne shalt thou be deleverd: And thy lustes shall pertayne vnto thy husbond and he shall rule the.

And vnto Adã he sayd: for as moch as thou hast obeyed the voyce of thy wyfe/ and hast eaten of the tree of which I commaunded the saynge: se thou eate not therof: cursed be the erth for thy sake. In sorow shalt thou eate therof all dayes of thy lyfe/ And it shall beare thornes ãd thystels vnto the. And thou shalt eate the herbes of y^e feld: In the swete of thy face shalt thou eate brede/ vntill thou returne vnto the erth whẽce thou wast takẽ: for erth thou art/ ãd vnto erth shalt thou returne.

And Adã called his wyfe Heua/ because she was the mother of all that lyveth. And the LORde God made Adam and hys wyfe garmentes of skynnes/ and put them on them. And the LORde God sayd: loo/ Adam is become as it were one of vs/ in knowlege of good and evell. But now lest he strech forth his hand and take also of the tree of lyfe and eate and lyve ever.

And the LORde God cast him out of the garden of Eden/ to tylle the erth whẽce he was taken. And he cast Adã out/ and sette at y^e enteringe of the garden Eden/ Cherubin with a naked swerde movinge in and out/ to kepe the way to the tree of lyfe.

¶ The .iiij. Chapter.

ANd Adam lay wyth Heua ys wyfe/ which conceaved and bare Cain/ and sayd: I haue goten a mã of the LORde. And she proceded forth and bare hys brother Abell: And Abell became a sheperde/ And Cain became a ploweman.

And it fortuned in processe of tyme/ that Cain brought of the frute of the erth: an offerynge vnto the LORde. And Abell/ he brought also of the fyrstlynges of hys shepe and of the fatt of them. And the LORde loked vnto Abell and to his offeynge: but vnto Cain and vnto his offrynge/ looked he not. And Cain was wroth exceadingly/ and loured. And the LORde sayd vnto Cain: why art thou angry/ and why loureste thou? Wotest thou not yf thou dost well thou shalt receave it? But & if thou dost evell/ by & by thy synne lyeth open in the dore. Not withstondyng let it be subdued vnto the/ ãd see thou rule it. And Cain talked wyth Abell his brother.

And as soone as they were in the feldes/ Cain fell vppon Abell his brother and slewe hym And y^e LORde sayd vnto Cain: where is Abell thy brother? And he sayd: I can not tell/ am I my brothers keper? And he sayd: What hast thou done? the voyce of thy brothers bloud cryeth vnto me out of the erth. And now cursed be thou as pertaynyng to the erth/ which opened hyr mouth to receaue thy brothers bloud of thyne hande. For when thou tyllest the grounde she shall hẽceforth not geve hyr power vnto the. A vagabunde and a rennagate shalt thou be vpon the erth.

* Of this place no doute y^e pope which in all thinges maketh hĩ self equal with God toke an occasion to marke all his creatures: and to forbid vnder payne of excõmunicatiõ y^t no mã (whether he were kĩge or emperowre) be so hardy to punishe them for what so euer myschef they doo. The crowne is to thẽ a licence to do what they wyste a protectiõ & a sure sentuarye.

And Cain sayd vnto the LORde: my synne is greater/ then that it may be forgeven. Beholde thou castest me out thys day from of the face of the erth/ and frõ thy syghte must I hyde my selfe ãd I must be wandrynge and a vagabunde vpon the erth: Morover whosoever fyndeth me/ wyll kyll me. And the LORde sayd vnto hĩ Not so/ but whosoever sleyth Cain shalbe punyshed .vij. folde. And y^e LORde put * a marke vpõ Cain that no mã y^t founde hym shulde kyll hym. And Cain went out frõ the face of the LORde and dwelt in the lande Nod/ on the east syde of Eden.

And Cain laye wyth hys wyfe/ which conceaved and bare Henoch. And he was buyldinge a cyte and called the name of it after the name of hys sonne/ Henoch. And Henoch begat Irad. And Irad begat Mahuiael. And Mahuiael begat Mathusael. And Mathusael begat Lamech.

And Lamech toke hym two wyves: the one was called Ada/ and the other Zilla. And Ada bare Iabal/ of whome came they that dwell in tentes ãd possesse catell. And hys brothers name was Iubal: of hym came all that excercyse them selves on the harpe and on the organs And Zilla she also bare Tubalcain a worker in metall and a father of all that grave in brasse and yeron. And Tubalcains syster was called Naema.

Then sayd Lamech vnto hys wyves Ada ãd Zilla: heare my voyce ye wyves of Lamech and herken vnto my wordes/ for I haue slayne a man and wounded myselfe/ and haue slayn a yongman/ and gotte my selfe strypes: For Cain shall be avenged sevenfolde: but Lamech seventie tymes sevenfolde.

¶ Adam also laye with hys wyfe yet agayne/ and she bare a sonne ãd called hys name Seth For god (sayd she) hath geven me a nother sonne For Abell whom Cain slewe. And Seth begat a sonne and called hys name Enos. And in that tyme began men to call on the name of the LORde.

The .v. Chapter

THys is the boke of the generacion of man/ In the daye when God created man and made hym after the symilytude of god Male and female made he thẽ and called their names man/ in the daye when they were created. And when Adam was an hundred and thyrty yere old/ he begat a sonne after hys lycknesse and symilytude: and called hys name Seth. And the dayes of Adam after he begat Seth/ were eyght hundred yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters. and all the dayes of Adam which he lyved/ were .ix. hundred and .xxx. yere/ and then he dyed.

And Seth lyved an hundred and .v. yeres/ and begat Enos. And after he had begot Enos he lyved .viij. hundred and .vij. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Seth were .ix. hundred and .xij. yere/ and dyed.

And Enos lyved .lxxxx. yere and begat kenan. And Enos after he begat kenan/ lyved viij. hundred and .xv. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters: and all the dayes of Enos were .ix hundred and .v. yere/ and than he dyed.

And kenan lyued .lxx. yere and begat Mahalaliel. And kenan after he had begot Mahalaliel/ lyved .viij. hundred and .xl. yere and begat sonnes and doughters: and al the dayes of kenan were .ix. hundred and .x. yere/ and than he dyed.

And Mahalaliel lyued .lxv. yere/ and begat Iared. And Mahalaliel after he had begot Iared lyved .viij. hundred and .xxx. yere and begat sonnes and doughters: and all the dayes of Mahalalyell were .viij. hundred nynetye and .v. yeare/ and than he dyed

And Iared lyved an hundred and .lxij. yere and begat Henoch: and Iared lyved after he begat Henoch .viij. hundred yere and begat sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Iared were .ix. hundred and .lxij. yere/ and than he dyed.

And Henoch lyved .lxv. yere ãd begat Mathusala. And Henoch walked wyth god after he had begot Mathusala .iij. hundred yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Henoch were .iij. hundred and .lxv. yere. and than Henoch lyved a godly lyfe/ and was nomore sene/ for God toke hym away.

And Mathusala lyved an hundred and lxxxvij. yere and begat Lamech: and Mathusala after he had begot Lamech/ lyved .vij. hundred and .lxxxij. yere/ ãd begat sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Methusala were .ix. hundred .lxix yere/ and than he dyed.

And Lamech lyved an hundred .lxxxij. yere & begat a sonne and called hym Noe sayng. This same shall comforte vs: as concernynge oure worke and sorowe of oure handes which we haue aboute the erthe that the LORde hath cursed. And Lamech lyved after he had begot Noe v. hundred/ nynetie and .v. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters. And all the dayes of Lamech were .vij. hundred .lxxvij. yere/ and than he dyed. And when Noe was .v. hundred yere olde/ he begat Sem/ Ham and Iaphet.

¶ The .vj. Chapter.

ANd it came to passe/ whã men begã to multiplye apõ the erth ãd had begot them doughters/ the sonnes of God sawe the doughters of men that they were fayre/ and toke vnto them wyves/ which they best liked amõge thẽ all. And the LORd sayd: My spirite shall not all waye stryve withe man/ for they are flesh. Nevertheles I wyll geue them yet space/ and hundred and .xx. yeres

There were tirantes in the world in thos dayes. For after that the children of God had gone in vnto the doughters of men and had begotten them childern/ the same childern were the mightiest of the world and men of renowne And whan the LORde sawe y^t the wekednesse of man was encreased apon the erth/ and that all the ymaginacion and toughtes of his hert was only evell continually/ he repented that he had made man apon the erth and sorowed in his hert. And sayd: I wyll destroy mankynde which I haue made/ frõ of the face of the erth: both man/ beast/ worme and foule of the ayre/ for it repẽteth me that I haue made them. But yet Noe found grace in the syghte of the LORde.

These are the generatiõs of Noe. Noe was a righteous man and vncorrupte in his tyme/ & walked wyth god. And Noe begat .iij. sonnes: Sem/ Ham and Iapheth And the erth was corrupte in the syghte of god and was full of mischefe. And God loked vpon the erth/ ãd loo it was corrupte: for all flesh had corrupte his way vppon the erth.

Than sayd God to Noe: the end of all flesh is come before me/ for the erth is full of there myschefe. And loo/ I wyll destroy them with the erth. Make the an arcke of pyne tree/ and make chaumbers in the arcke/ and pytch it wythin and wythout wyth pytch. And of this facion shalt thou make it.

The lenth of the arcke shall be .iij. hundred cubytes/ ãd the bredth of it .l. cubytes/ and the heyth of it .xxx. cubytes. A wyndow shalt thou make aboue in the arcke. And wythin a cubyte compasse shalt thou finysh it. And the dore of the arcke shalt thou sette in y^e syde of it: and thou shalt make it with iij loftes one aboue an other. For behold I wil bringe in a floud of water apon the erth to destroy all flesh from vnder heaven/ wherin breth of life is so that all that is in the erth shall perish. But I will make myne apoyntement with the/ that both thou shalt come in to y^e arcke and thy sonnes/ thy wyfe and thy sonnes wyves with the.

And of all that lyveth what soever flesh it be/ shalt thou brynge in to the arcke/ of every thynge a payre/ to kepe them a lyve wyth the. And male and female se that they be/ of byrdes in their kynde/ and of beastes in their kynde/ and of all maner of wormes of the erth in their kinde: a payre of every thinge shall come vnto the to kepe them a lyve. And take vnto the of all maner of meate y^t may be eaten & laye it vp in stoore by the/ that it may be meate both for y^e and for thẽ: and Noe did acordynge to all that God commaunded hym.

The .vij. Chapter.

ANd the LORde sayd vnto Noe: goo in to the arcke both thou and all thy houssold. For the haue I sene rightuous before me in thys generacion. Of all clene beastes take vnto the .vij. of every kynde the male and hys female And of vnclene beastes a payre/ the male and hys female: lykewyse of the byrdes of the ayre vij. of every kynde/ male and female to save seed vppon all the erth. For .vij. dayes hence wyll I send rayne vppõ the erth .xl. days & .xl. nyghtes and wyll dystroy all maner of thynges that I haue made/ from of the face of the erth..

And Noe dyd acordynge to all y^t the lorde cõmaunded hym: and Noe was .vi. hundred yere olde/ when the floud of water came vppon the erth: and Noe went and his sonnes and his wyfe and his sonnes wyves wyth hym/ in to the arke from the waters of the floud. And of clene beastes and of beastes that are vnclene and of byrdes and of all that crepeth vppõ the erth/ came in by cooples of every kynde vnto Noe in to the arke: a male and a female: even as God commaunded Noe. And the seventh daye the waters of the floud came vppon the erth.

In the .vi. hundred yere of Noes lyfe/ in the secõde moneth/ in the .xvij daye of the moneth/ y^t same daye were all the founteynes of the grete depe broken vp/ & the wyndowes of heavẽ were opened/ ãd there fell a rayne vpon the erth .xl. dayes and .xl. nyghtes.

And the selfe same daye went Noe/ Sem/ Ham and Iapheth/ Noes sonnes/ and Noes wyfe and the .iij. wyues of his sonnes wyth them in to the arke: both they and all maner of beastes in their kĩde/ & all maner of catell in their kynde & all maner of wormes that crepe vppon the erth in their kynde/ and all maner of byrdes in there kynde./ and all maner off foules whatsoever had feders. And they came vnto Noe in to the arke by cooples/ of all flesh y^t had breth of lyfe in it. And they that came/ came male ãd female of every flesh acordĩge as God cõmaunded hym: & y^e LORde shytt the dore vppõ him

And the floud came .xl. dayes & .xl. nyghtes vppon the erth/ & the water increased and bare vp the arcke ãd it was lifte vp from of the erth And the water prevayled and increased exceadingly vppon the erth: and the arke went vppõ the toppe of the waters.

And the waters prevayled excedingly above mesure vppõ the erth/ so that all the hye hylles which are vnder all the partes of heaven/ were covered: evẽ .xv. cubytes hye prevayled the waters/ so that the hylles were covered.

And all fleshe that moved on the erth/ bothe birdes catell and beastes perisshed/ with al that crepte on the erth and all men: so that all that had the breth of liffe in the nostrels of it thorow out all that was on drye lond dyed.

Thus was destroyed all that was vppõ the erth/ both man/ beastes/ wormes and foules of the ayre/ so that they were destroyed from the erth: save Noe was reserved only and they that were wyth hym in the arke. And the waters prevayled vppon the erth/ an hundred and fyftye dayes.

The .viij. Chapter.

ANd god remẽbred Noe & all y^e beastes & all y^e catell y^t were with hĩ in y^e arke And god made a wynde to blow vppõ y^e erth/ & y^e waters ceased: ãd y^e fountaynes of the depe ãd the wyndowes of heavẽ were stopte and the rayne of heaven was forbiddẽ/ and the waters returned from of y^e erth ãd abated after the ende of an hundred and .l. dayes.

And the arke rested vppõ the mountayns of Ararat/ the .xvij. daye of the .vij. moneth. And the waters went away ãd decreased vntyll the x. moneth. And the fyrst daye of the tenth moneth/ the toppes of the mounteyns appered.

And after the ende of .xl. dayes. Noe opened the wyndow of the arke which he had made/ ãd sent forth a raven/ which went out/ ever goinge and cominge agayne/ vntyll the waters were dreyed vpp vppon the erth

Then sent he forth a doue from hym/ to wete whether the waters were fallen from of the erth. And when the doue coude fynde no restinge place for hyr fote/ she returned to him agayne vnto the arke/ for the waters were vppon the face of all the erth. And he put out hys honde and toke her and pulled hyr to hym in to the arke

And he abode yet .vij. dayes mo/ and sent out the doue agayne out of the arke/ And the doue came to hym agayne aboute eventyde/ and beholde: There was in hyr mouth a lefe of an olyve tre which she had plucked wherby Noe perceaved that the waters wer abated vppon the erth. And he taried yet .vij. other dayes/ and sent forth the doue/ which from thence forth came no more agayne to him.

And it came to passe/ the syxte hundred and one yere and the fyrst daye of the fyrst moneth/ that the waters were dryed vpp apon the erth. And Noe toke off the hatches of the arke and loked: And beholde/ the face of the erth was drye. So by the .xxvij. daye of the seconde moneth the erth was drye.

And God spake vnto Noe saynge: come out of the arcke/ both thou and thy wyfe ãd thy sonnes and thy sonnes wyues with the. And all the beastes that are with the whatsoever flesh it be/ both foule and catell and all maner wormes that crepe on the erth/ brynge out with the/ and let them moue/ growe ãd multiplye vppon the erth. And Noe came out/ ãd his sonnes and his wyfe and his sonnes wyues with hym. And all the beastes/ and all the wormes/ and all the foules/ and all that moved vppon the erth/ came also out of the arke/ all of one kynde together.

And Noe made an aulter vnto the LORDE/ and toke of all maner of clene beastes and all maner of clene foules/ and offred sacrifyce vppon the aulter. And the LORDE smellyd a swete savoure and sayd in his hert: I wyll henceforth no more curse the erth for mannes sake/ for the imagynacion of mannes hert is evell/ even from the very youth of hym. Morouer I wyll not destroy from henceforth all that lyveth as I haue done. Nether shall sowynge tyme and harvest/ colde/ and hete/ somere & wynter/ daye and nyghte ceasse/ as longe as the erth endureth.

¶ The .ix. Chapter.

ANd God blessed Noe and his sonnes/ and sayd vnto them: Increase and multiplye and fyll the erth.

The feare also and drede of yow be vppon all beastes of the erth/ and vppon all foules of the ayre/ ãd vppon all that crepeth on the erth/ and vppon all fyshes of the see/ which are geuen vnto youre handes And all that moveth vppon the erth havynge lyfe/ shall be youre meate: Euen as y^e grene herbes/ so geue I yow all thynge. Only the flesh with his life which is his bloud/ se that ye eate not.

* This lawe and soch like to exequute/ were kinges and rulars ordeyned of God wherfore they ought not to suffre the popes Caimes thus to shede bloud theirs not shed ageyne/ nether yet to sett vpp their abhominable sẽtuaryes & necke verses cleane agenste the ordinaunce of god/ but vnto their dãnacyon

* For verely the bloude of yow wherein youre lyves are wyll I requyre: Euẽ of the hande of all beastes wyll I requyre it/ And of the hande of man and of the hand off euery mannes brother/ wyll I requyre the lyfe of man: so y^t he which shedeth mannes bloude/ shall haue hys bloud shed by man agayne: for God made man after his awne lyckness. See that ye encrease/ and waxe/ and be occupyde vppon the erth/ & multiplye therein.

Farthermore God spake vnto Noe & to hys sonnes wyth hym saynge: see/ I make my bõd wyth you and youre seed after you/ and wyth all lyvynge thinge that is wyth you: both foule and catell/ and all maner beste of the erth that is wyth yow/ of all that commeth out of the arke/ what soeuer beste of the erth it be.

I make my bonde wyth yow/ that hence forth all flesh shall not be destroyed wyth y^e waters of any floud/ ãd y^t hence forth there shall not be a floud to destroy the erth.

And God sayd. This is the token of my bõde which I make betwene me and yow/ ãd betwene all lyvynge thyng that is with yow for ever: I wyll sette my bowe in the cloudes/ and it shall be a sygne of the appoyntment made betwene me and the erth: So that when I bryng in cloudes vpõ y^e erth/ the bowe shall appere in y^e cloudes. And than wyll I thynke vppon my testament which I haue made betwene me and yow/ and all that lyveth what soeuer flesh it be. So that henceforth there shall be no more waters to make a floud to destroy all flesh.

The bowe shalbe in the cloudes/ and I wyll loke vpon it/ to remembre the euerlastynge testament betwene God and all the lyveth vppon the erth/ what soeuer flesh it be. And God sayd vnto Noe: This is the sygne of the testament which I have made betwene me and all flesh y^t is on the erth.

The sonnes of Noe that came out of the arke were: Sem/ Ham and Iapheth. And Ham he is the father of Canaã. These are the .iij. sonnes of Noe/ and of these was all the world overspred.

And Noe beynge an husbãd man/ went furth and planted a vyneyarde and drancke of the wyne and was droncke/ and laye vncouered in the myddest of his tẽt. And Ham the father of Canaan sawe his fathers prevytees/ & tolde his ij. brethren that were wythout. And Sem and Iapheth toke a mantell and put it on both there shulders ãd went backward/ ãd covered there fathers secrets/ but there faces were backward So that they sawe not there fathers nakydnes. As soone as Noe was awaked frõ his wyne and wyst what his yongest sonne had done vnto hym/ he sayd: cursed be Canaan/ ãd a seruante of all seruantes be he to his brethren. And he sayd: Blessed be the LORde God of Sẽ/ and Canaan be his seruante. God increase Iapheth that he may dwelle in the tentes of Sem. And Canaan be their seruante.

And Noe lyved after the floude .iij. hundred and .l. yere: So that all the dayes of Noe were ix. hundred and .l. yere/ ãd than he dyed.

The .x. Chapter.

THese are the generations of the sonnes of Noe: of Sem/ Ham and Iapheth/ which begat them children after the floude.

The sonnes of Iapheth were: Gomyr/ Magog/ Madai/ Iauan/ Tuball/ Mesech and Thyras. And the sonnes of Gomyr were: Ascenas Riphat and Togarma. And the sonnes of Iauan were: Elisa/ Tharsis/ Cithim and Dodanim. Of these came the Iles of the gentylls in there contres/ every man in his speach/ kynred and nation.

The sonnes of Ham were: Chus Misraim Phut and Canaan. The sonnes of Chus: were Seba/ Heuila/ Sabta/ Rayma and Sabtema. And the sonnes of Rayma were: Sheba/ & Dedan. Chus also begot Nemrod/ which begã to be myghtye in the erth. He was a myghtie hunter in the syghte of the LORde: Where of came the proverbe: he is as Nemrod that myghtie hunter in the syghte of the LORde. And the begynnynge of hys kyngdome was Babell/ Erech/ Achad and Chalne in the lande of Synear: Out of that lande came Assur and buylded Ninyue/ and the cyte rehoboth/ and Calah And Ressen betwene Ninyue ãd Chalah. That is a grete cyte. And Mizraim begat ludim/ Enamim/ Leabim/ Naphtuhim/ Pathrusim & Casluhim: from whence came the Philystyns/ and the Capthiherynes.

Canaan also begat zidon his eldest sonne & Heth/ Iebusi/ Emori/ Girgosi/ Hiui/ Arki/ Sini/ Aruadi/ Zemari and hamati. And afterward sprange the kynreds of the Canaanytes And the costes of the Canaanytes were frõ Sydon tyll thou come to Gerara & to Asa/ & tyll thou come to Sodoma/ Gomorra/ Adama Zeboim: evẽ vnto Lasa. These were the chyldre of Ham in there kynreddes/ tonges/ landes and nations.

And Sem the father of all y^e childrẽ of Eber and the eldest brother of Iapheth/ begat children also. And his sonnes were: Elam Assur/ Arphachsad/ Lud ãd Aram. And y^e childree of Aram were: Vz/ Hul/ Gether & Mas And Arphachsad begat Sala/ and Sala begat Eber. And Eber begat .ij. sonnes. The name of the one was Peleg/ for in his tyme the erth was devyded. And the name of his brother was Iaketan:

Iaketan begat Almodad/ Saleph/ Hyzarmoueth/ Iarah/ Hadoram/ Vsal/ Dikela/ Obal/ Abimael/ Seba/ Ophir/ Heuila & Iobab. All these are the sonnes of Iaketan. And the dwellynge of them was from Mesa vntill thou come vnto Sephara a mountayne of the easte lande. These are the sonnes o Sem in their kynreddes/ languages/ contrees and nations. These are the kynreddes of the sonnes of Noe/ in their generations and nations. And of these came the people that were in the world after the floude.

¶ The .xi. chapter.

ANd all the world was of one tonge and one language. And as they came from the east/ they founde a playne in the lande of Synear/ and there they dwelled. And they sayd one to a nother: come on/ let us make brycke ãd burne it wyth fyre. So brycke was there stone and slyme was there morter And they sayd: Come on/ let vs buylde vs a cyte and a toure/ that the toppe may reach vnto heauen. And let vs make us a name/ for perauenture we shall be scatered abrode over all the erth.

And the LORde came downe to see the cyte and the toure which the childern of Adã had buylded. And the LORde sayd: See/ the people is one and haue one tonge amonge them all. And thys haue they begon to do/ and wyll not leaue of from all that they haue purposed to do. Come on/ let vs descende and myngell theire tonge even there/ that one vnderstonde not what a nother sayeth. Thus y^e LORde skatered them from thence vppon all the erth. And they left of to buylde the cyte. Wherfore the name of it is called Babell/ because that the LORDE there confounded the tonge of all the world. And because that the LORde from thence/ skatered them abrode vppon all the erth.

These are the generations of Sem: Sẽ was an hundred yere olde and begat Arephachsad ij. yere after the floude. And Sẽ lyved after he had begot Arphachsad .v. hundred yere an begat sonnes and doughters.

And Arphacsad lyued .xxxv. yere and begat Sala/ and lyved after he had begot Sala iiij. hũdred yere & .iij & begat sonnes and doughters. And Sala was .xxx. yere old and begat Eber/ ãd lyued after he had begot Eber .iiij. hũdred and thre yere/ ãd begat sonnes and doughters

When Eber was .xxxiiij. yere olde/ he begat Peleg/ and lyued after he had begot Peleg/ foure hundred and .xxx. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters.

And Peleg when he was .xxx. yere olde begat Regu/ and lyued after he had begot Regu .ij. hundred and .ix. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters.

And Regu when he had lyued .xxxij. yere begat Serug/ and lyued after he had begot Serug .ij. hundred and .vij. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters.

And when Serug was .xxx. yere olde/ he begat Nahor/ and lyued after he had begot Nahor .ij. hundred yere/ and begat sonnes & doughters.

And Nahor when he was .xxix. yere olde/ begat Terah/ and lyved after he had begot Terah/ an hundred and .xix. yere/ and begat sonnes and doughters.

And when Terah was .lxx. yere olde/ 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 dyed before Terah his father in the londe where he was borne/ at Vr in Chaldea. And Abram and Nahor toke them wyves. Abrãs wyfe was called Sarai. And Nahors wyfe Mylca the doughter of Haran which was father of Milca ãd of Iisca. But Sarai was baren and had no childe.

Than toke Terah Abram his sonne and Lot his sonne Harans sonne/ & Sarai his doughter in lawe his sone Abrams wyfe. And they went wyth hym from Vr in Chaldea/ to go in to the lãde of Chanaan. And they came to Haran and dwelled there. And when Terah was ij. hundred yere old and .v. he dyed in Haran.

¶ The .xij. Chapter.

THen the LORde sayd vnto Abrã Gett the out of thy contre and from thy kynred/ and out of thy fathers house/ into a londe which I wyll shewe the. And I wyll make of the a myghtie people/ and wyll blesse the/ and make thy name grete/ that thou mayst be a blessinge. And I wyll blesse thẽ that blesse the/ ãd curse thẽ that curse the. And in the shall be blessed all the generations of the erth.

And Abram wẽt as the LORde badd hym/ and Lot went wyth hym. Abram was .lxxv. yere olde/ when he went out of Haran. And Abram toke Sarai his wyfe ãd Lot his brothers sonne/ wyth all their goodes which they had goten and soulles which they had begoten in Haran. And they departed to goo in to the lãde of Chanaan. And when they were come in to the lande of Chanaan/ Abram went furth in to the lãde tyll he came vnto a place called Sychem/ and vnto the oke of More. And the Canaanytes dwelled then in the lande.

Then the LORde apeared vnto Abram ãd sayd: vnto thy seed wyll I geue thys lãde. And he buylded an aultere there vnto the LORDE which apeared to hym. Then departed he thence vnto a mountayne that lyeth on the east syde of BETHEL and pytched his tente: BETHEL beynge on the west syde/ and Ay on the east: And he buylded there an aulter vnto the LORde/ and called on the name of y^e LORde. And than Abram departed and toke his iourney southwarde

After thys there came a derth in the lande. And Abram went doune in to Egipte to soiourne there/ for the derth was sore in the lande. And when he was come nye for to entre in to Egipte/ he sayd vnto Sarai his wife. Beholde/ I knowe that thou art a fayre woman to loke apõ. It wyll come to passe therfore whẽ the Egiptians see the/ that they wyll say: she is his wyfe. And so shall they sley me and save the. Saye I praye the therfore that thou art my sister/ that I maye fare the better by reason of the and that my soule may lyue for thy sake.

As soone as he came in to Egipte/ the Egiptiãs sawe the woman that she was very fayre. And Pharaos lordes sawe hir also/ and praysed hir vnto Pharao: So that she was taken in to Pharaos house/ which entreated Abram well for hir sake/ so that he had shepe/ oxsen ãd he asses/ men seruantes/ mayde seruãtes/ she asses and camels.

But God plaged Pharao/ and his house wyth grete plages/ because of Sarai Abrams wyfe. Then Pharao called Abram and sayd: why hast thou thus dealt with me? Wherfore toldest thou me not that she was thy wyfe? Why saydest thou that she was thy sister/ and causedest me to take hyr to my wyfe? But now loo/ there is the wife/ take hir ãd be walkynge. Pharao also gaue a charge vnto his men over Abram/ to leade hym out/ wyth his wyfe and all that he had.

¶ The .xiij. Chapter.

THan Abram departed out of Egipte/ both he and his wyfe and all that he had/ and Lot wyth hym vnto the south. Abram was very rych in catell/ syluer & gold. And he went on his iourney frõ the south even vnto BETHEL/ ãd vnto the place where his tente was at the fyrst tyme betwene BETHEL and Ay/ and vnto the place of the aulter which he made before. And there called Abram vpon the name of the LORde.

Lot also which went wyth hym had shepe/ catell and tentes: so that the londe was not abill to receaue/ them that they myght dwell to gether/ for the substance of their riches was so greate/ that they coude not dwell to gether And there fell a stryfe betwene the herdmen of Abrams catell/ and the herdmen of Lots catell. Moreouer the Cananytes and the Pherysites dwelled at that tyme in the lande.

Than sayd Abram vnto Lot: let there be no stryfe I praye the betwene the and me and betwene my herdmen and thyne/ for we be brethren. Ys not all the hole lande before the? Departe I praye the frõ me. Yf thou wylt take the lefte hande/ I wyll take the right: Or yf thou take the right hande I wyll take the left. And Lot lyft vp hys eyes and beheld all the contre aboute Iordane/ which was a plenteous contre of water every where/ before the LORde destroyed Sodoma and Gomorra. Even as the garden of the LORde/ & as the lande of Egipte tyll thou come to Zoar.

Than Lot chose all the costes of Iordane ãd toke hys iourney from the east. And so departed the one brother from the other. Abram dwelled in the lande of Canaan. And lot in the cytes of the playne/ & tented tyll he came to Sodome. But the men of sodome were wyked and synned exceadyngly agenst the LORde.

And the LORde sayed vnto Abram/ after that Lot was departed from hym: lyfte vp thyne eyes & loke from y^e place where thou art/ northward/ southward/ eastward and westward/ for all the lande which thou seiste wyll I gyue vnto the & to thy seed forever. And I wyll make thy seed/ as the dust of the erth: so that yf a mã can nombre the dust of the erth/ than shall thy seed also be nombred. Aryse and walke aboute in the lande/ in the length of it ãd in the bredth for I wyll geue it vnto the.

Than Abrã toke downe hys tente/ & went and dwelled in the okegrove of Mamre which is in Ebron and buylded there an altar to the LORde.

The .xiiij. Chapter.

ANd it chaunsed within a while/ that Amraphel kynge of Synear/ Arioch kynge of Ellasar/ Kedorlaomer kynge of Elam and Thydeall kynge of the nations: made warre wyth Bera kynge of Sodoh and with Birsa kynge of Gomorra. And wythe Sineab kynge of Adama/ & with Semeaber kynge of Zeboim/ and wyth the kynge of Bela Which Bela is called Zoar. All these came together vnto the vale of siddim which is now the salt see Twelve yere were they subiecte to kinge kedorlaomer/ and in the .xiij. yere rebelled.

Therfore in the .xiiij. yere came kedorlaomer and the kynges that were wyth hym/ and smote the Raphayms in Astarath Karnaim/ and the Susims in Ham/ ãd the Emyms in Sabe Kariathaim/ and the Horyms in their awne mounte Seir vnto the playne of Pharan/ which bordreth vpon the wyldernesse. And then turned they and came to the well of iugmente which is Cades/ and smote all the contre of the Amalechites/ and also the amorytes that dwell in Hazezon Thamar.

Than went out the kynge of Sodome/ and the kynge of Gomorra/ and the kinge of Adama and the kynge of Zeboijm/ and the kynge of Bela now called Zoar. And sette their men in aray to fyghte wyth them in the vale of siddim/ that is to say/ wyth kedorlaomer the kynge of Elam and with Thydeall kynge of the Nations/ and wyth Amraphel kynge of Synear. And with Arioch kynge of Ellasar: foure kynges agenste v. And that vale of siddim was full of slyme pyttes.

And the kynges of Sodome and Gomorra fled/ and fell there. And the resydue fled to the mountaynes. And they toke all the goodes of Sodome and Gomorra and all their vitalles/ ãd went their waye. And they toke Lot also Abrams brothers sonne and his good (for he dwelled at Sodome) and departed:

Than came one that had escaped/ and tolde Abram the hebrue which dwelled in the okegrove of Mamre the Amoryte brother of Eschol and Aner: which were confederate wyth Abram. When Abram herde that his brother was taken/ he harnessed his seruantes borne in his owne house .iij. hundred & .xviij. ãd folowed tyll they came at Dan. And sette hymselfe ãd his seruantes in aray/ & fell vpon them by nyght/ & smote them/ & chased them awaye vnto Hoba: which lyeth on the lefte hande of Damascos/ and broughte agayne all the goodes/ & also his brother Lot/ ãd his goodes/ the wemẽ also and the people.

And as he retourned agayne from the slaughter of kedorlaomer and of the kynges that were with hym/ than came the kynge of Sodome agaynst hym vnto the vale of Saue which now is called kynges dale.

Than Melchisedech kinge of Salem brought forth breed and wyne. And he beynge the prest of the most hyghest God/ blessed hym saynge. Blessed be Abram vnto the most hyghest God/ possessor of heaven and erth. And blessed be God the most hyghest/ which hath delyvered thyne enimies in to thy handes. And Abrã gaue hym tythes of all.

Than sayd the kynge of Sodome vnto Abram: gyue me the soulles/ and take the goodes to thy selfe. And Abram answered the kynge of Sodome: I lyfte vpp my hande vnto the LORde God most hygh possessor of heaven ãd erth/ that I will not take of all y^t is thyne/ so moch as a thred or a shoulachet/ lest thou shuldest saye I haue made Abrã ryche. Saue only that which the yonge men haue eaten ãd the partes of the men which went wyth me. Aner/ Escholl & Mamre. Let them take their partes.

xv. Chapter.

AFter these deades/ y^e worde of God came vnto Abram in a vision saynge feare not Abram/ I am thy shilde/ and thy rewarde shalbe exceadynge greate. And Abram answered: LORde Iehouah what wilt thou geue me: I goo childlesse/ and the cater of myne housse/ this Eleasar of Damasco hath a sonne. And Abram sayd: se/ to me hast thou geven no seed: lo/ a lad borne in my housse shal be myne heyre.

And beholde/ the worde of the LORde spake vnto Abram sayenge: He shall not be thyne heyre/ but one that shall come out of thyne awne bodye shalbe thyne heyre. And he brought him out at the doores ãd sayde. Loke vpp vnto heaven and tell the starres/ yf thou be able to nõbre them. And sayde vnto him Even so shall thy seed be.

And Abram beleved the LORde/ and it was counted to him for rightwesnes. And he sayde vnto hym: I am the LORde that brought the out of Vr in Chaldea to geue this lande to possesse it.

And he sayde: LORde God/ whereby shall I knowe that I shall possesse it? And he sayde vnto him: take an heyfer of .iij. yere olde/ and a she gotte of thre yeres olde/ and a thre yere olde ram/ a turtill doue and a yonge pigeon. And he toke all these and devyded them in the myddes/ and layde euery pece/ one over agenst a nother. But the foules devyded he not. And the byrdes fell on the carcases/ but Abrã droue thẽ awaye. And when the sonne was doune/ there fell a slomber apon Abram. And loo/ feare and greate darknesse came apon hym.

And he sayde vnto Abram: knowe this of a suertie/ that thi seed shalbe a straunger in a lande that perteyneth not vnto thẽ. And they shall make bondmen of them and entreate them evell iiij. hundred yeares. But the nation whom they shall serue/ wyll I iudge. And after warde shall they come out wyth greate substãce. Neuerthelesse thou shalt goo vnto thi fathers in peace/ ãd shalt be buried when thou art of a good age: ãd in the fourth generation they shall come hyther agayne/ for the wekednesse of the Amorites ys not yet full.

When the sonne was doune and it was waxed darcke: beholde/ there was a smokynge furnisse and a fyre brand that went betwene the sayde peces.

And that same daye the LORde made a covenaunte with Abram saynge: vnto thy seed wyll I geue thys londe/ frõ the ryver of Egypte/ even vnto the greate ryver euphrates: the kenytes/ the kenizites/ the Cadmonites/ the Hethites/ the Pherezites/ the Raphaims/ the Amorytes/ the Canaanites/ the Gergesites and the Iebusites.

The .xvi. Chapter.

SArai Abrams wyfe bare him no childerne. But she had an hand mayde an Egiptian/ whose name was Hagar. Wherfore she sayde vnto Abram. Beholde the LORde hath closed me/ that I can not bere. I praye the goo in vnto my mayde/ peraduẽture I shall be multiplyed by meanes of her And Abram herde the voyce of Sarai. Than Sarai Abrams wife toke Hagar hyr mayde the Egitian (after Abram had dwelled .x. yere in the lande of Canaan) and gaue her to hyr husbonde Abram/ to be his wyfe.

And he wente in vnto Hagar/ & she conceaved. And when she sawe that she had conceyved hyr mastresse was despised in hyr syghte. Than sayd Sarai vnto Abram: Thou dost me vnrighte/ for I haue geuen my mayde into thy bosome: & now because she seyth that she hath cõceaved/ I am despysed in hyr syghte: the LORde iudge betwene the and me. Than sayde Abrã to Sarai: beholde/ thy mayde is in thy hande/ do with hyr as it pleaseth the.

And because Sarai fared foule with her/ she fled from her. And the angell of the LORde founde her besyde a fountayne of water in the wyldernes: euen by a well in the way to Sur. And he sayde: Hagar Sarais mayde/ whence comest thou and whether wylt thou goo? And she answered: I flee from my mastresse Sarai. And the angell of the LORde sayde vnto her: returne to thy mastresse agayne/ & submytte thy selfe vnder her handes.

And the angell of y^e LORde sayde vnto her: I will so encrease thy seed/ that it shall not be numbred for multitude. And the LORdes angell sayd further vnto her: se/ thou art wyth childe and shalt bere a sonne/ and shalt call his name Ismael: because the LORDE hath herde thy tribulation. He will be a wylde man/ and his hande will be agenst every man/ & euery mans hande agenst him. And yet shall he dwell faste by all his brothren.

And she called the name of the LORde that spake vnto her: thou art the God that lokest on me/ for she sayde: I haue of a suertie sene here the backe parties of him that seith me. Wherfore she called the well/ the well of the lyuynge that seith me which well is betwene Cades & Bared.

And Hagar bare Abram a sonne/ and Abram called his sons name which Hagar bare Ismaell. And Abram was .lxxxvi. yere olde/ when Hagar bare him Ismael.

¶ The .xvij. Chapter.

WHen Abram was nynetye yere olde & ix. the LORde apeared to hym sayenge: I am the almyghtie God: walke before me ãd be vncorrupte. And I wyll make my bonde betwene the and me/ and wyll multiplye the excedyngly. And Abrã fell on his face. And God talked moreover with hym saynge: I am/ beholde my testamẽt is with the/ that thou shalt be a father of many natiõs. Therfore/ shalt thou no more be called Abram/ but thy name shalbe Abraham: for a father of many nations haue I made the/ and I will multiplye the excedyngly/ and wyll make nations of the: yes and kynges shall sprynge out of the.

Moreover I will make my bonde betwene me and the/ and thy seed after the/ in their tymes to be an everlastynge testament/ So that I wyll be God vnto the and to thy seed after the. And I will geue vnto the ãd to thy seed after the/ the lande where in thou arte a straunger: Euen all the lande of Canaan/ for an everlastynge possession/ and wil be their God.

And God sayde vnto Abrahã: Se thou kepe my testamente/ both thou & thy seed after the in their tymes: This is my testamente which ye shall kepe betwene me and you and thy seed after the/ that ye circũcyse all youre men childern Ye shall circumcyse the foreskynne of youre flesh/ ãd it shal be a token of the bond betwixte me and you. And euery manchilde when it is viij. dayes olde/ shal be circũcysed amonge you in youre generations/ and all seruauntes also borne at home or boughte with money though they be straungers and not of thy seed. The seruaunte borne in thy housse/ ãd he also that is bought with money/ must needes be circumcysed/ that my testament may be in youre flesh/ for an everlastynge bonde. Yf there be any vncircuncysed manchilde/ that hath not the forskynne of his flesh cutt of/ his soule shall perish from his people: because he hath brokẽ my testamẽt

And God sayde vnto Abraham. Sarai thy wyfe shall nomore be called Sarai: but Sara shall hir name be. For I will blesse her & geue the a sonne of her and will blesse her: so that people/ ye and kynges of people shall springe of her. And Abraham fell vpon his face ãd laughte/ and sayd in his harte: shall a childe be borne vnto hym that is an hundred yere olde/ ãd shall Sara that is nynetie yere olde/ bere? And Abrahã sayde vnto God. O that Ismaell myghte lyve in thy syghte.

Thẽ sayde God: na/ Sara thy wife shall bere the a sonne/ ãd thou shalt call his name Isaac. And I will make my bonde with him/ that it shall be an everlastynge bonde vnto his seed after him. And as concernynge Ismaell also/ I haue herde thy request: loo/ I will blesse him and encrease him/ and multiplye him excedyngly. Twelve prynces shall he begete/ and I will make a great nation of him. But my bonde will I make with Isaac/ which Sara shall bere vnto the: even this tyme twelue moneth.

And God left of talkynge with him/ and departed vp from Abraham. And Abraham toke Ismaell his sonne & all the servauntes borne in his housse and all that was bought with money as many as were menchildren amonge the mẽ of Abrahãs housse/ and circumcysed the foreskynne of their flesh/ even the selfe same daye/ as God had sayde vnto him. Abraham was nynetie yere olde and .ix. when he cutt of the foreskynne of his flesh. And Ismaell his sonne was .xiij. yere olde/ when the foreskynne of hys flesh was circumcysed. The selfe same daye was Abrahã circũcised & Ismael his sonne. And all the men in his housse/ whether they were borne in his housse or bought wyth money (though they were straungers) were circumcysed with him.

¶ The .xviij. Chapter.

ANd the LORde apeared vnto him in the okegrove of Mamre as he sat in his tent dore in the heate of the daye. And he lyfte vp his eyes and looked: ãd lo/ thre men stode not farr from hym. And whẽ he sawe them/ he ran agenst them from the tent dore/ and fell to the grounde and sayde: LORde yf I haue founde fauoure in thy syght/ goo not by thi seruaunte. Let a litle water be fett/ & wash youre fete/ and rest youre selves vnder the tree: And I will fett a morsell of breed/ to comforte youre hartes wythall. And thã goo youre wayes/ for even therfore ar ye come to youre servaunte. And they answered: Do even so as thou hast sayde.

And Abrahã went a pace in to his tent vnto Sara ãd sayde: make redy attonce thre peckes of fyne meale/ kneade it and make cakes. And Abraham ran vnto his beastes and fett a calfe that was tendre and good/ and gaue it vnto a yonge man which made it redy attonce. And he toke butter & mylcke and the calfe which he had prepared/ and sett it before them/ and stode hymselfe by them vnder the tree: and they ate.

And they sayde vnto him: Where is Sara thy wife? And he sayde: in the tent. And he sayde: I will come agayne vnto the as soone as the frute can lyue. And loo: Sara thy wife shall haue a sonne. That herde Sara/ out of the tent doore which was behind his backe. Abraham and Sara were both olde and well stryken in age/ and it ceased to be with Sara after the maner as it is wyth wyves. And Sara laughed in hir selfe saynge: Now I am waxed olde/ shall I geue my selfe to lust/ and my lorde olde also?

Than sayd the LORde vnto Abrahã: wherfore doth Sara laughe saynge: shal I of a suertie bere a childe/ now when I am olde? is the thinge to harde for the LORde to do? In the tyme appoynted will I returne vnto the/ as soone as the frute can haue lyfe/ And Sara shall haue a sonne. Than Sara denyed it saynge: I laughed not/ for she was afrayde. But he sayde: yes thou laughtest.

Than the men stode vp from thence and loked towarde Sodome. And Abraham went with them to brynge them on the waye. And the LORde sayde: Can I hyde from Abraham that thinge which I am aboute to do/ seynge that Abraham shalt be a great ãd a myghtie people/ and all the nations of the erth shalbe blessed in him? For I knowe him that he will commaunde his childern and his housholde after him/ y^t they kepe the waye of the LORde/ to do after righte and conscyence/ that the LORde may brynge vppon Abraham that he hath promysed him.

And the LORde sayde: The crie of Sodome and Gomorra is great/ and there synne is excedynge grevous. I will go downe and see whether they haue done all to gedder acordynge to that crye which is come vnto me or not/ that I may knowe. And the mẽ departed thẽce and went to Sodomeward. But Abraham stode yet before y^e LORde/ & drewe nere & sayde

Wylt thou destroy the rightwes with the wyked? Yf there be .l. rightwes within the cyte/ wilt thou destroy it and not spare the place for the sake of .l. rightwes that are therin? That be farre from the/ that thou shuldest be after thys maner/ to sley the rightwes with the weked/ ãd that the rightwes shulde be as the weked: that be farre from the. Shulde not the iudge of all y^e worlde do acordynge to righte? And the LORde sayde: Yf I fynde in Sodome .l. rightwes within the cyte/ I will spare all the place for their sakes.

And Abraham answered and sayde: beholde I haue taken vppon me to speake vnto y^e LORde/ ãd yet am but dust ãd asshes. What though there lacke .v. of .l. rightwes/ wylt thou destroy all the cyte for lacke of .v? And he sayde: Yf I fynde there .xl. and .v. I will not destroy them.

And he spake vnto him yet agayne and sayde: what yf there be xl. foũde there: And he sayde: I wyll not do it for forties sake. And he sayde: O let not my LORde be angrye/ that I speake. What yf there be foũde .xxx. there? And he sayde: I will not do it/ yf I finde .xxx. there. And he sayde: Oh/ se/ I haue begonne to speake vnto my LORde/ what yf there be .xx. founde there? And he sayde: I will not distroy thẽ for twẽties sake. And he sayde: O let not my LORde be angrye/ that I speake yet/ but euẽ once more only. What yf ten be founde there? And he sayde: I will not destroy thẽ for .x. sake.

And the LORde wẽt his waye as soone as he had lefte comenynge with Abrahã. And Abraham returned vnto his place

¶ The .xix. Chapter.

ANd there came .ij. angells to Sodome at euen. And Lot satt at the gate of the cyte. And Lot sawe thẽ/ and rose vp agaynst them/ and he bowed hym selfe to the grounde with his face. And he sayde: Se lordes/ turne in I praye you in to youre servauntes house and tary all nyghte & wash youre fete/ & ryse vp early and go on youre wayes. And they sayde: nay/ but we will byde in the streates all nyghte. And he cõpelled them excedyngly. And they turned in vnto hym and entred in to his house/ and he made them a feaste and dyd bake swete cakes/ and they ate.

But before they went to rest/ the men of the cyte of Sodome compassed the house rownde aboute both olde and yonge/ all the people from all quarters. And they called vnto Lot and sayde vnto him: where are the men which came in to thy house to nyghte? brynge thẽ out vnto vs that we may do oure lust with them.

And Lot went out at doores vnto them and shote the dore after him and sayde: nay for goddes sake brethren/ do no so wekedly. Beholde I haue two doughters which haue knowne no man/ thẽ will I brynge out vnto you: do with them as it semeth you good: Only vnto these men do nothynge/ for therfore came they vnder the shadowe of my rofe. And they sayde: come hither. And they sayde: camest thou not in to sogeorne/ and wilt thou be now a iudge? we will suerly deale worse with the than with them

And as they preased sore vppon Lot and beganne to breake vp the doore/ the men put forth their handes and pulled Lot in to the house to them and shott to the doore. And the men that were at the doore of the house/ they smote with blyndnesse both small and greate: so that they coude not fynde the doore.

And the men sayde moreover vnto Lot: Yf thou have yet here any sonne in lawe or sonnes or doughters or what so euer thou hast in the cyte/ brynge it out of this place: for we must destroy this place/ because the crye of thẽ is great before the LORde. Wherfore he hath sent vs to destroy it.

And Lot went out and spake vnto his sonnes in lawe which shulde haue maried his doughters/ and sayde: stonde vpp and get yow out of this place/ for the LORde will destroy the cite. But he semed as though he had mocked/ vnto his sonnes in law.

And as the mornynge arose the angells caused Lot to spede him saynge. Stonde vp/ take thy wyfe and thy two doughters and that that is at hande/ lest thou perish in the synne of the cyte. And as he prolonged the tyme/ the men caught both him/ his wife ãd his two doughters by the handes/ because the LORde was mercyfull vnto him/ ãd they brought him forth and sette him without the cyte.

When they had brought them out/ they sayde: Saue thy lyfe and loke not behynde the nether tary thou in any place of the contre/ but saue thy selfe in the mountayne/ lest thou perisshe. Than sayde Lot vnto them: Oh nay my lorde: beholde/ in as moch as thy servaunte hath fownde grace in thy syghte/ now make thi mercy great which thou shewest vnto me in savinge my lyfe. For I can not saue my selfe in the mountayns/ lest some misfortune fall vpon me and I dye. Beholde/ here is a cyte by/ to flee vnto/ and it is a lytle one: let me saue my selfe therein: is it not a litle one/ that my soule may lyue?

And he sayde to him: se I haue receaved thy request as concernynge this thynge/ that I will nott overthrowe this cytie for the which thou hast spoken. Haste the/ ãd saue thy selfe there/ for I can do nothynge tyll thou be come in thyder. And therfore the name of the cyte is called Zoar. And the sone was vppon the erth when Lot was entred into Zoar.

Than the LORde rayned vpon Sodome and Gomorra/ brymstone and fyre from the LORde out of heaven/ and overthrewe those cyteis and all the region/ and all that dwelled in the cytes/ and that that grewe vpon the erth. And lots wyfe loked behynde her/ ãd was turned in to a pillare of salte.

Abraham rose vp early and got him to the place where he stode before the LORde/ and loked toward Sodome and Gomorra and toward all the londe of that contre. And as he loked: beholde/ the smoke of the contre arose as it had bene the smoke of a fornace. But yet whẽ God destroyed the cities of y^e regiõ/ he thought a pon Abrahã: and sent Lot out from the dãger of the overthrowenge/ when he overthrewe the cyties where Lot dwelled.

And Lot departed out of Zoar and dwelled in the mountayns ãd his .ij. doughters with him for he feared to tary in Zoar: he dweld therfore in a caue/ both he and his .ij. doughters also.

Than sayde the elder vnto the yonger oure father is olde/ and there are no moo men in the erth to come in vnto vs after the maner of all the world. Come therfore/ let vs geue oure father wyne to dryncke/ and let vs lye with him that we may saue seed of oure father. And they gaue their father wyne to drynke that same nyghte. And the elder doughter went and laye with her father. And he perceaued it not/ nether when she laye doune/ nether when she rose vp.

And on the morewe the elder sayde vnto the yonger: beholde/ yesternyghte laye I with my father. Let us geue hym wyne to drinke this nyghte also/ and goo thou and lye with him/ and let us saue seed of oure father. And they gaue their father wyne to drincke that nyghte also. And the yonger arose and laye with him. And he perceaved it not: nether when she laye downe/ nether when she rose vp.

Thus were both the doughters of lot with childe by their father And the elder bare a sone and called hym Moab/ which is the father of the Moabytes vnto this daye. And the yonger bare a sonne and called hym Ben Ammi/ which is the father of the childern of Ammon vnto this daye.

The .xx. Chapter.

ANd Abraham departed thence towarde the southcontre and dwelled betwene Cades and Sur ãd sogeorned in Gerar. And Abraham sayde of Sara his wyfe/ that she was his sister. Than Abimelech kynge of Gerar sent and fett Sara awaye.

And God came to Abimelech by nyghte in a dreame and sayde to him: Se/ thou art but a deed man for the womãs sake which thou hast taken awaye/ for she is a mans wyfe. But Abimelech had not yet come nye her/ and therfore sayde: lorde wilt thou sley rightewes people? sayde not he vnto me/ that she was hys sister? yee and sayde not she herself that he was hir brother? wyth a pure herte and innocent handes haue I done this.

And God sayde vnto him in a dreame. I wot it well that thou dydest it in the purenesse of thi herte. And therfore I kepte y^e that thou shuldest not synne agenst me/ nether suffred I the to come nygh her. Now therfore delyuer the mã his wyfe ageyne/ for he is a prophete. And let him praye for the that thou mayst lyue. But and yf thou delyuer her not agayne/ be sure that thou shalt dye the deth/ with all that thou hast.

Than Abimelech rose vp be tymes in the mornynge and called all his servauntes/ and tolde all these thinges in their eares/ and the men were sore a frayde. And Abimelech called Abraham and sayde vnto him: What hast thou done vnto vs/ & what haue I offended the/ that thou shuldest brynge on me and on my kyngdome so greate a synne? thou hast done dedes vnto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech sayde morouer vnto Abraham: What sawest thou that moved the to do this thinge?

And Abraham Answered. I thought that peradvẽture the feare of God was not in this place/ and that they shulde sley me for my wyfes sake: yet in very dede she is my sister/ the doughter of my father/ but not of my mother: and became my wyfe. And after God caused me to wandre out of my fathers house/ I sayde vnto her: This kyndnesse shalt thou shewe vnto me in all places where we come/ that thou saye of me/ how that I am thy brother.

Than toke Abimelech shepe and oxen/ menservauntes and wemenseruauntes and gaue them vnto Abraham/ and delyvered him Sara his wyfe agayne. And Abimelech sayde: beholde the lande lyeth be fore the/ dwell where it pleaseth y^e best. And vnto Sara he sayde: Se I haue geuen thy brother a thousande peeces of syluer/ beholde he shall be a couerynge to thyne eyes vnto all that ar with the and vnto all men and an excuse.

And so Abraham prayde vnto God/ and God healed Abimeleh and his wyfe and hys maydens/ so that they bare. For the LORde had closed to/ all the matryces of the house of Abimelech/ because of Sara Abrahams wyfe.

The .xxj. Chapter

THe lorde visyted Sara as he had sayde and dyd vnto her acordynge as he had spoken. And Sara was with childe and bare Abrahã a sonne in his olde age euen the same season which the LORde had appoynted. And Abraham called his sonnes name that was borne vnto him which Sara bare him Isaac: & Abrã circũcysed Isaac his sõne whẽ he was .viij. dayes olde/ as God commaunded him And Abrahã was an hundred yere olde/ when his sonne Isaac was borne vnto him.

And Sara sayde: God hath made me a laughinge stocke: for all y^t heare/ will laugh at me She sayde also: who wolde haue sayde vnto Abraham/ that Sara shulde haue geuen childern sucke/ or y^t I shulde haue borne him a sonne in his olde age: The childe grewe and was wened/ and Abraham made a great feast/ the same daye that Isaac was wened.

Sara sawe the sonne of Hagar the Egiptian which she had borne vnto Abraham/ a mockynge. Then she sayde vnto Abraham: put awaye this bondemayde and hyr sonne: for the sonne of this bondwoman shall not be heyre with my sonne Isaac: But the wordes semed verey greavous in Abrahams syghte/ because of his sonne. Than the LORde sayde vnto Abraham: let it not be greavous vnto the/ because of the ladd and of thy bondmayde: But in all that Sara hath saide vnto the/ heare hir voyce/ for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Moreouer of the sonne of the Bondwoman will I make a nation/ because he is thy seed.

And Abraham rose vp early in the mornyng and toke brede and a bottell with water/ and gaue it vnto Hagar/ puttynge it on hir shulders wyth the lad also/ and sent her awaye. And she departed and wãdred vpp and doune in the wyldernes of Berseba. When the water was spent that was in the botell/ she cast the lad vnder a bush and went & sate her out of syghte a great waye/ as it were a bowshote off: For she sayde: I will not se the lad dye. And she satt doune out of syghte/ and lyfte vp hyr voyce and wepte.

And God herde the voyce of the childe. And the angell of God called Hagar out of heaven and sayde vnto her: What ayleth the Hagar? Feare not/ for God hath herde the voyce of the childe where he lyeth. Aryse and lyfte vp the lad/ and take hym in thy hande/ for I will make off him a greate people. And God opened hir eyes and she sawe a well of water. And she went and fylled the bottell with water/ and gaue the boye drynke. And God was wyth the lad/ and he grewe and dweld in the wildernesse/ and became an archer. And he dweld in the wyldernesse of Pharan. And hys mother gott him a wyfe out of the land of Egypte.

And it chaunced the same season/ that Abimelech and Phicoll his chefe captayne spake vnto Abraham saynge: God is wyth the in all that thou doist. Now therfore swere vnto me even here by God/ that thou wylt not hurt me nor my childern/ nor my childerns childern. But that thou shalt deale with me and the contre where thou art a straunger/ acordynge vnto the kyndnesse that I haue shewed the. Then sayde Abraham: I wyll swere.

And Abraham rebuked Abimelech for a well of water/ which Abimelech servauntes had taken awaye. And Abimelech answered I wyst not who dyd it: Also thou toldest me not/ nether herde I of it/ but this daye.

And Abraham toke shepe and oxen and gaue them vnto Abimelech. And they made both of them a bonde together. And Abraham sett vij. lambes by them selues. And Abimelech sayde vnto Abraham: what meane these .vij. lambes which thou hast sett by them selues. And he answered: vij. lambes shalt thou take of my hande/ that it maye be a wytnesse vnto me/ that I haue dygged this well: Wherfore the place is called Berseba/ because they sware both of them. Thus made they a bonde to gether at Berseba.

han Abimelech and Phicoll his chefe
captayne rose vp and turned agayne vnto the
lande of the Philistines. And Abraham planted
a wodd in Berseba/ and called there/
on the name of the LORde
the everlastynge God: and
dwelt in the Phelistin
lãde a longe
season

¶ The .xxij. Chapter.

AFter these dedes/ God dyd proue Abraham & sayde vnto him: Abraham. And he answered: here am I. And he sayde: take thy only sonne Isaac whome thou louest/ & get the vnto the lande of Moria/ and sacrifyce him there for a sacrifyce vpon one of the mountayns which I will shewe the Than Abraham rose vp early in the mornynge and sadled his asse/ and toke two of his meyny wyth him/ and Isaac his sonne: ãd clove wod for the sacrifyce/ and rose vp and gott him to the place which God had appoynted him.

The thirde daye Abraham lyfte vp his eyes and sawe the place a farr of/ and sayde vnto his yong men: byde here with the asse. I and the lad will goo yonder and worshippe and come agayne vnto you. And Abraham toke the wodd of the sacrifyce and layde it vpon Isaac his sonne/ and toke fyre in his hande and a knyfe. And they went both of them together.

Than spake Isaac vnto Abraham his father & sayde: My father? And he answered here am I my sonne. And he sayde: Se here is fyre and wodd/ but where is the shepe for sacrifyce? And Abraham sayde: my sonne/ God wyll prouyde him a shepe for sacrifyce. So went they both together.

And when they came vnto the place which God shewed him/ Abrahã made an aulter there and dressed the wodd/ ãd bownde Isaac his sonne and layde him on the aulter/ aboue apon the wodd. And Abraham stretched forth his hande/ and toke the knyfe to haue kylled his sonne.

Than the angell of the LORde called vnto him from heauen saynge: Abraham/ Abraham. And he answered: here am I. And he sayde: laye not thy handes apon the childe nether do any thinge at all vnto him/ for now I knowe that thou fearest God/ in y^t thou hast not kepte thine only sonne frõ me. And Abraham lyfted vp his eyes and loked aboute: and beholde/ there was a ram caught by the hornes in a thykette. And he went and toke the ram and offred him vp for a sacrifyce in the steade of his sonne And Abraham called the name of the place/ the LORde will see: wherfore it is a comẽ saynge this daye: in the mounte will the LORde be sene.

And the Angell of the LORde cryed vnto Abraham from heaven the seconde tyme saynge: by my selfe haue I sworne (sayth the LORde) because thou hast done this thinge and hast not spared thy only sonne/ that I will blesse the and multiplye thy seed as the starres of heaven and as the sonde vpõ the seesyde. And thy seed shall possesse the gates of hys enymies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the erth be blessed/ because thou hast obeyed my voyce

So turned Abraham agayne vnto his yonge men/ and they rose vp and wẽt to gether to Berseba. And Abraham dwelt at Berseba

And it chaũsed after these thĩges/ that one tolde Abraham saynge: Beholde/ Milcha she hath also borne childern vnto thy brother Nachor: Hus his eldest sonne and Bus his brother/ and Kemuell the father of the Sirians/ and Cesed/ and Haso/ and Pildas/ and Iedlaph/ and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat Rebecca. These .viij. dyd Milcha bere to Nachor Abrahams brother. And his concubyne called Rheuma she bare also Tebah/ Gaham/ Thahas and Maacha.

¶The .xxiij. Chapter.

SAra was an hundred and .xxvij. yere olde (for so longe lyued she) and than dyed in a heade cyte called Hebron in the londe of Canaan. Than Abraham came to morne Sara and to wepe for her. And Abraham stode vp from the coorse and talked with the sonnes of heth saynge: I am a straunger ãd a foryner amonge yow/ geue me a possession to bury in with you/ that I may bury my dead oute of my sighte.

And the children of heth answered Abraham saynge vnto him: heare vs lorde/ thou art a prynce of God amonge vs. In the chefest of oure sepulchres bury thy dead: None of vs shall forbydd y^e his sepulcre/ y^t thou shuldest not bury thy deade therein. Abrahã stode vp & bowed hĩ selfe before y^e people of y^e lãde y^e childrẽ of heth.

And he comoned with them saynge: Yf it be youre myndes y^t I shall bury my deade oute of my sighte/ heare me ãd speke for me to Ephron the sonne of Zoar: and let him geue me the dubill caue which he hath in the end of his felde/ for as moch money as it is worth/ let him geue it me in the presence of you/ for a possession to bury in. For Hephron dwelled amõge y^e childern of heth.

Than Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham in the audyẽce of the childern of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of his cyte/ saynge: Not so/ my lorde/ but heare me: The felde geue I the/ and the caue that therein is/ geue I the also/ And even in the presence of the sonnes of my people geve I it the to bury thy deede in. Than Abraham bowed himselfe before the people of the lãde and spake vnto Ephrõ in the audyence of the people of the contre saynge: I praye the heare me/ I will geue sylver for the felde/ take it of me/ ãd so will I bury my deed there.

Ephron answered Abrahã saynge vnto him My lorde/ harken vnto me. The lande is worth iiij. hundreth sycles of syluer: But what is that betwixte the and me? bury thy deede. And Abraham harkened vnto Ephron and weyde him the sylver which he had sayde in the audyence of the sonnes of Heth. Euen .iiij. hũdred syluer sycles of currant money amonge marchauntes

Thus was the felde of Ephron where in the dubbill caue is before Mamre: euen the felde & the caue that is therein and all the trees of the felde which growe in all the borders rounde aboute/ made sure vnto Abraham for a possession/ in the syghte of the childern of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of the cyte. And then Abraham buried Sara his wyfe in the double caue of the felde that lyeth before Mãre/ otherwise called Ebron in the lande of Canaan. And so both the felde ãd the caue that is therein/ was made vnto Abraham/ a sure possession to bury in/ of the sonnes of Heth.

¶ The .xxiiij. Chapter

ABraham was olde and stryken in dayes/ and the LORde had blessed him in all thinges. And he sayde vn to his eldest servaunte of his house which had the rule over all that he had: Put thy hande vnder my thye that I maye make the swere by the LORde that is God of heauen and God of the erth/ that thou shalt not take a wyfe vnto my sonne/ of the doughters of the canaanytes/ amonge which I dwell. But shalt goo vnto my contre and to my kynred/ and there take a wyfe vnto my sonne Isaac.

Thã sayde the seruaunte vnto him: what ãd yf the womã wyll not agree to come with me vnto this lãde/ shall I brynge thy sonne agayne vnto the lande which thou camest out of? And Abrahã sayde vnto him: bewarre of that/ that thou brĩge not my sonne thither. The LORde God of heauen which toke me from my fathers house and from the lande where I was borne/ and which spake vnto me and sware vnto me saynge: vnto thy seed wyll I geue this lande/ he shall sende his angell before the/ y^t thou mayst take a wife vnto my sonne from thence. Neuerthelesse yf the womã will not agree to come with the than shalt thou be with out daunger of this ooth. But aboue all thinge brynge not my sonne thyther agayne. And the seruaunte put his hand vnder the thye of Abraham and sware to him as concernynge that matter.

And the seruaunte toke .x. camels of the camels of his master and departed/ and had of all maner goodes of his master with him/ and stode vp and went to Mesopotamia/ vnto the cytie of Nahor. And made his camels to lye doune without the cytie by a wels syde of water/ at euen: aboute the tyme that women come out to drawe water/ and he sayde.

LORde God of my master Abrahã/ sende me good spede this daye/ & shewe mercy vnto my master Abraham. Lo I stonde here by the well of water and the doughters of the men of this citie will come out to drawe water: Now the damsell to whome I saye/ stoupe doune thy pytcher and let me drynke. Yf she saye/ drynke/ and I will geue thy camels drynke also/ y^e same is she that thou hast ordened for they servaunte Isaac: yee & therby shall I knowe that thou hast shewed mercy on my master.

And it came to passe yer he had leeft spakynge/ that Rebecca came out/ the doughter of Bethuell/ sonne to Melcha the wife of Nahor Abrahams brother/ and hir pytcher apon hir shulder: The damsell was very fayre to loke apon/ and yet a mayde and vnknowen of man. And she went doune to the well and fylled hyr pytcher and came vp agayne. Then the seruaunte ranne vnto her and sayde: let me syppe a litle water of thi pitcher. And she sayde: drynke my lorde.

And she hasted and laie downe her pytcher apon hyr arme and gaue him drinke. And whẽ she had geven hym drynke/ she sayde: I will drawe water for thy camels also/ vntill they haue dronke ynough. And she poured out hyr pitcher in to the trough hastely and ranne agayne vnto the well/ to fett water: and drewe for all his camels.

And the felowe wondred at her. But helde his peace/ to wete whether the LORde had made his iourney prosperous or not. And as the camels had lefte drynckynge/ he toke an earynge of halfe a sicle weght and .ij golden bracelettes for hyr hãdes/ of .x. sycles weyght of gold and sayde vnto her: whose doughter art thou? tell me: ys there rowme in thy fathers house/ for vs to lodge in? And she sayde vnto him: I am the doughter of Bethuell the sonne of Milcha which she bare vnto Nahor: and sayde moreouer vnto him: we haue litter and prauonder ynough and also rowme to lodge in.

And the man bowed himselfe and worshipped the LORde and sayde: blessed be the LORde God of my master Abraham which ceasseth not to deale mercyfully and truly with my master/ And hath brought me the waye to my masters brothers house. And the damsell ranne & tolde them of her mothers house these thinges. And Rebecca had a brother called Laban.

And Laban ranne out vnto the man/ to the well: for as soone as he had sene the earynges and the bracelettes apon his sisters handes/ ãd herde the wordes of Rebecca his sister saynge thus sayde the man vnto me/ than he went out vnto the man. And loo/ he stode yet with the camels by the well syde. And Laban sayde: come in thou blessed of the LORde. Wherfore stondest thou without? I haue dressed the house and made rowme for the camels. And than the mã came in to the house. And he vnbrydeld the camels: and brought litter and prauonder for the camels/ and water to weshe his fete and their fete that were with him/ and there was meate sett before him to eate.

* God blesseth vs whẽ he geveth vs his benefites: and curseth vs/ when he taketh them awaye.

But he sayde: I will not eate/ vntill I haue sayde myne earẽde: And he sayde/ saye on. And he sayde: I am Abrahãs servaunte/ & the LORDE hath * blessed my master out of measure that he is become greate and hath geven him shepe oxen/ syluer and golde/ menservauntes/ maydeservauntes/ camels ãd asses. And Sara my masters wyfe bare him a sonne/ whẽ she was old: and vnto him hath he geven all that he hath.

And my master made me swere saynge: Thou shalt not take a wyfe to my sonne/ amonge the doughters of the cananytes in whose lãde I dwell. But thou shalt goo vnto my fathers house and to my kynred/ and there take a wyfe vnto my sonne. And I sayde vnto my master. What yf the wyfe will not folowe me? And he sayde vnto me: The LORde before whome I walke/ will sende his angell with the and prosper thy iourney that thou shalt take a wyfe for my sonne/ of my kynred and of my fathers house. But and yf (when thou comest vnto my kynred) they will not geue the one/ thã shalt though bere no perell of myne oothe.

And I came this daye vnto the well and sayed: O LORde/ the God of my master Abrahã/ yf it be so that thou makest my iourney which I go/ prosperous: behold/ I stõde by this well of water/ And when a virgyn cometh forth to drawe water/ and I saye to her: geue me a litle water of thi pitcher to drynke/ and she saye agayne to me: dryncke thou/ and I will also drawe water for thy camels: that same is the wife/ whom the LORde hath prepared for my masters sonne.

And before I had made an ende of speakynge in myne harte: beholde Rebecca came forth/ and hir pitcher on hir shulder/ and she went doune vnto the well and drewe. And I sayde vnto her geue me dryncke. And she made hast and toke doune hir pitcher from of hir/ ãd sayd: drinke/ and I will geue thy camels drynke also. And I asked her saynge: whose doughter art thou? And she answered: the doughter of Bathuell Nahors sonne whome Milca bare vnto him.

And I put the earynge vpon hir face and the bracelettes apon hir hondes. And I bowed my selfe and worshepped the LORde and blessed the LORde God of my master Abrahã which had brought me the right waye/ to take my masters brothers doughter vnto his sonne. Now therfore yf ye will deall mercyfully and truly with my master/ tell me. And yf no/ tell me also: that I maye turne me to the right hande or to the left.

Than answered Laban and Bathuel saynge: The thinge is proceded even out of the lorde/ we can not therfore saye vnto the/ ether good or bad: Beholde Rebecca before thy face/ take her and goo/ and let her be thy masters sonnes wife/ euen as the LORde hath sayde. And whẽ Abrahams servaunte herde their wordes/ he bowed himselfe vnto the LORde/ flatt vpon the erth. And the servaunte toke forth iewells of syluer and iewelles of gold and rayment/ and gaue them to Rebecca: But vnto hir brother & to hir mother/ he gaue spyces. And then they ate and dranke/ both he and the men that were with him/ and taried all nyghte and rose vp in the mornynge.

And he sayde: let me de parte vnto my master. But hir brother and hir mother sayde: let the damsell abyde with vs a while/ ãd it be but even .x. dayes/ and than goo thy wayes. And he sayde vnto them/ hinder me not: for the lorde hath prospered my iourney. Sende me away y^t I maye goo vnto my master. And they sayde: let vs call the damsell/ and witt what she sayth to the matter. And they called forth Rebecca ãd sayde vnto her: wilt thou goo with this mã? And she sayde: Yee.

* To bless a mãs neyboure is to praye for him ãd to wisshe him goode and not to wagge .ij. fĩgers ouer him.

Than they broughte Rebecca their sister on the waye and her norse and Abrahãs servaunte/ and the men that were wyth him. And they * blessed Rebecca & sayde vnto her: Thou are oure sister/ growe in to thousande thousandes/ & thy seed possesse y^e gates of their enimes. And Rebecca arose & hir damsels/ & satt thẽ vp apõ the camels & went their waye after the man. And y^e servaunte toke Rebecca & went his waye

And Isaac was a comĩge from the well of y^e lyvynge & seynge/ for he dwelt in the south cõtre/ & was gone out to walke in his meditatiõs before y^e euẽ tyde. And he lyfte vp his eyes & loked/ & beholde y^e camels were cominge. And Rebecca lyfte vp hir eyes/ & whẽ she sawe Isaac/ she lyghted of the camel ãd sayde vnto y^e servaunte: what mã is this y^t cometh agenst vs in the feld? And the servaũte sayde: it is my master. And then she toke hir mantell ãd put it aboute her. And the servaũte tolde Isaac all that he had done. Thẽ Isaac broughte her in to his mother Saras tente/ ãd toke Rebecca & she became his wife/ & he loved her: & so was Isaac cõforted over his mother.

The .xxv. Chapter

ABrahã toke hĩ another wyfe cald Ketura/ which bare hĩ Simram/ Iacksan/ Medan/ Midiã Iesback & Suah. And Iacksan begat Seba & Dedã. And the sonnes of Dedan were Assurim/ Letusim & Leumim. And the sonnes of Midian were Epha/ Epher/ Hanoch/ Abida & Elda. All these were the childern of Kethura. But Abrahã gaue all that he had vnto Isaac. And vnto the sonnes of his concubines he gaue giftes/ and sent them awaye from Isaac his sonne (while he yet lyved) east ward/ vnto the east contre.

These are the dayes of the life of Abrahã which he lyved: an hũdred & .lxxv. yere and than fell seke ãd dyed/ in a lustie age (whẽ he had lyved ynough) ãd was put vnto his people. And his sonnes Isaac ãd Ismael buried him in the duble caue in the feld of Ephrõ sõne of Zoar the Hethite before Mamre. Which felde abrahã boughte of the sonnes of Heth: There was Abrahã buried and Sara hys wyfe. And after y^e deeth of Abrahã God blessed Isaac his sonne which dweld by the well of the lyvĩnge & seĩge

These are the generatiõs of Ismael Abrahãs sonne/ which Hagar the Egiptiã Saras hand mayde bare vnto Abraham. And these are the names of the sõnes of Ismaell/ with their names in their kĩreddes. The eldest sõne of Ismael Neuatoth/ thẽ Kedar/ Adbeel/ Mibsã/ Misma Duma/ Masa/ Hadar/ Thema/ Ietur/ Naphis & Kedma. These are the sõnes of Ismael/ and these are their names/ in their townes and castels .xij. princes of natiõs. And these are the yeres of the lyfe of Ismael: an hũdred and .xxxvij yere/ & than he fell seke & dyed & was layde vnto his people. And he dweld from Euila vnto Sur y^t is before Egypte/ as men go toward the Assiriãs. And he dyed in the presence of all his brethren.

And these are the generatiõs of Isaac Abrahãs sonne: Abrahã begat Isaac. And Isaac was .xl. yere olde whẽ he toke Rebecca to wyfe the doughter of Bethuel the Sirian of Mesopotamia & sister to Iaban the Sirian.

And Isaac made intercessiõ vnto y^e LORde for his wife: because she was barẽ: and y^e LORde was ĩtreated of hĩ/ and Rebecca his wife cõceaued: and y^e childern stroue together withĩ her. thẽ she sayde: yf it shulde goo so to passe/ what helpeth it y^t I am with childe? And she went & axed y^e LORde. And y^e LORde sayde vnto her there are .ij. maner of people in thi wombe and ij. nations shall springe out of thy bowels/ and the one nation shalbe myghtier than the other/ and the eldest shalbe servaunte vnto the yonger.

And whẽ hir tyme was come to be delyuered beholde: there were .ij. twyns in hir wõbe. And he that came out first/ was redde & rough ouer all as it were an hyde: and they called his name Esau. And after ward his brother came out & his hande holdynge Esau by the hele. Wherfore his name was called Iacob. And Isaac was .lx. yere olde whẽ she bare thẽ: and the boyes grewe/ and Esau bcame a conynge hunter & a tyllman. But Iacob was a simple man & dwelled in the tentes. Isaac loved Esau because he dyd eate of his venysõ/ but Rebecca loued Iacob.

Iacob sod potage & Esau came from the feld & was faĩtte/ & sayd to Iacob: let me syppe of y^t redde potage/ for I am fayntte. And therfore was his name called Edom. And Iacob sayde: sell me this daye thy byrthrighte. And Esau answered: Loo I am at the poynte to dye/ and what profit shall this byrthrighte do me? And Iacob sayde/ swere to me then this daye. And he swore to him & sold his byrthrighte vnto Iacob.

Than Iacob gaue Esau brede & potage of redde ryse. And he ate & dronke & rose vp and went his waye. And so Esau regarded not his byrthrighte.

The .xxvi. Chapter.