The Project Gutenberg eBook, W.T. Pentateuch 1530-37 and N.T. 1525-26, translated by William Tyndale
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Title: W.T. Pentateuch 1530-37 and N.T. 1525-26
Translator: William Tyndale
Release Date: January 1, 2004 [eBook #10553]
[Most recently updated January 12, 2006]
Language: English
Character set encoding: Latin1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK W.T. PENTATEUCH 1530-37 AND N.T. 1525-26***
The Pentateuch first translated from Hebrew to English by William
Tyndale, published in 1530. This edition has the same wording, but
modernized spelling. Words found in {[Braquets]} are variants from
either Coverdale 1535 or Matthew's Bible 1537.
Copyright (C) 2003 faithofgod.net
May be quoted and used freely in all non-lucre, non-commercial Scripture
distribution endeavors provided the content is not altered.
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I. The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
IJ. The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus
IIJ. The Third Book of Moses, called Leviticus
IIIJ.The Fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers
V. The Fifth Book of Moses, called Deuteronomy
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The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
Chapter .j.
In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was void
and empty, and darkness was upon the deep, and the spirit of god
moved upon the water. Then God said: let there be light and there
was light. And God saw the light that it was good: and divided the
light from the darkness, and called the light day, and the
darkness night: and so of the evening and morning was made the
first day. And God said: let there be a firmament between the
waters, and let it divide the waters asunder. Then God made the
firmament and parted the waters which were under the firmament,
from the waters that were above the firmament: And it was so. And
God called the firmament heaven. And so of the evening and morning
was made the second day. And God said, let the waters that are
under heaven gather them selves unto one place, that the dry land
may appear: And it came so to pass. And God called the dry land
the earth and the gathering together of waters called he the sea.
And God saw that it was good. And God said: let the earth bring
forth herb and grass that sow seed, and fruitful trees that bear
fruit every one in his kind, having their seed in themselves upon
the earth. And it came so to pass: And the earth brought forth
herb and grass sowing seed every one in his kind and trees bearing
fruit and having their seed in them selves, every one in his kind.
And God saw that it was good: and then of the evening and morning
was made the third day. Then said God: let there be lights in the
firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night, that they
may be unto signs, seasons, days and years. And let them be lights
in the firmament of heaven, to shine upon the earth: and so it
was. And God made two great lights: A greater light to rule the
day, and a less light to rule the night, and he made stars also.
And God put them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the
earth, and to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light
from darkness. And God saw that it was good: and so of the evening
and morning was made the fourth day. And God said, let the water
bring forth creatures that move and have life, and fowls for to
flee {fly} over the earth under the firmament of heaven. And God
created great whales and all manner of creatures that live and
move, which the waters brought forth in their kinds, and all
manner of feathered fowls in their kinds. And God saw that it was
good: and God blessed them saying: Grow and multiply and fill the
waters of the seas, and let the fowls multiply upon the earth. And
so of the evening and morning was made the fifth day. And God
said: let the earth bring forth living creatures in their kinds:
cattle and worms and beasts of the earth in their kinds, and so it
came to pass. And God made the beasts of the earth in their kinds,
and cattle in their kinds, and all manner worms of the earth in
their kinds: and God saw that it was good. And God said: let us
make man in our similitude and after our likeness: that he may
have rule over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air,
and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over all worms that
creep on the earth. And God created man after his likeness, after
the likeness of God created he him: male and female created he
them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them: Grow and
multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over
the fishes of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over all
the beasts that move on the earth. And God said: see, I have given
yow all herbs that sow seed which are on all the earth, and all
manner trees that have fruit in them and sow seed: to be meat for
yow and for all beasts of the earth, and unto all fowls of the
air, and unto all that creepeth on the earth where in is life,
that they may have all manner herbs and grass for to eat, and even
so it was. And God beheld all that he had made, and lo they were
exceeding good: and so of the evening and morning was made the
sixth day.
Chapter .ij.
Thus was heaven and earth finished with all their apparel: and in
the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and rested in
the seventh day from all his works which he had made. And God
blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, for in it he rested
from all his works which he had created and made. These are the
generations of heaven and earth when they were created, in the
time when the LORD God created heaven and earth and all the shrubs
of the field before they were in the earth. And all the herbs of
the field before they sprang: for the LORD God had yet sent no
rain upon the earth, neither was there yet any man to till the
earth. But there arose a mist out of the ground and watered all
the face of the earth: Then the LORD God shope man, even of the
mould of the earth and breathed into his face the breath of life.
So man was made a living soul. The LORD God also planted a garden
in Eden from the beginning, and there he set man whom he had
formed. And the LORD God made to spring out of the earth, all
manner trees beautiful to the sight and pleasant to eat, and the
tree of life in the midst {middes} of the garden: and also the
tree of knowledge of good and evil. And there sprong a river out
of Eden to water the garden, and thence divided itself, and grew
into four principal waters. The name of the one is Phison, he it
is that compasseth all the land of Hevila, where gold groweth. And
the gold of that country is precious, there is found bedellion and
a stone called Onyx. The name of the second river is Gihon, which
compasseth all the land of Inde. And the name of the third river
is Hidekell, which runneth on the east side of the Assyrians; And
the fourth river is Euphrates. And the LORD God took Adam and put
him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it: And the
LORD God commanded Adam saying: Of all the trees of the garden see
thou eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and bad see that
thou eat not: For even the same day thou eatest of it, thou shalt
surely die. {die the death} And the LORD God said: It is not good
that man should be alone, I will make him an helper to bear him
company: And after that the LORD God had made of the earth all
manner beasts of the field, and all manner fowls of the air, he
brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them. And as Adam
called all manner living beasts: even so are their names. And Adam
gave names unto all manner cattle, and unto the fowls of the air,
and unto all manner beasts of the field. But there was no help
found unto Adam to bear him company. Then the LORD God cast a
slumber on Adam, and he slept. And then he took out one of his
ribs, and in stead thereof he filled up the place with flesh. And
the LORD God made of the rib which he took out of Adam, a woman,
and brought her unto Adam. Then said Adam: This is once bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh. This shall be called woman: because
she was taken of the man. For this cause shall a man leave father
and mother and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
And they were either of them naked, both Adam and his wife, and
were not ashamed.
Chapter .iij.
But the serpent was subtler than all the beasts of the field which
the LORD God had made, and said unto the woman: Ah sir, {Yee} that
God hath said, {[indeed]} ye shall not eat of all manner trees in
the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, of the fruit of
the trees in the garden we may eat, but of the fruit of the tree
that {yt} is in the midst {myddes} of the garden (said God) see
that ye eat not, and see that ye touch it not: lest ye die. Then
said the serpent unto the woman: tush ye shall not die: but God
doth know, that whensoever ye should eat of it, your eyes should
be opened and ye should be as God and know both good and evil. And
the woman saw that it was a good tree to eat of and lusty unto the
eyes and a pleasant tree for to make wise. And took of the fruit
of it and ate, and gave unto her husband also with her, and he
ate. And the eyes of both them were opened, that they understood
how that they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together and
made them aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God as he
walked in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam hid himself
and his wife also from the face of the LORD God, among the trees
of the garden. And the LORD God called Adam and said unto him
where art thou? And he answered: Thy voice I heard in the garden,
but I was afraid because I was naked, and therefore hid myself.
And he said: Who told thee that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten
of the tree, of which I bade thee that thou shouldest not eat? And
Adam answered: The woman which thou gavest to bear me company, she
took me of the tree, and I ate. And the LORD God said unto the
woman: Wherefore didst thou so? And the woman answered: The
serpent deceived me and I ate. And the LORD God said unto the
serpent because thou hast so done most cursed be thou of all
cattle and of all beasts of the field: upon thy belly shalt thou
go: and earth shalt thou eat all days of thy life. Moreover I will
put hatred between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed. And that seed shall tread thee on the head, and thou
shalt tread it {hit} on the heel. And unto the woman he said: I
will surely increase thy sorrow and make thee oft with child, and
with pain shalt thou be delivered: And thy lusts shall pertain
unto thy husband and he shall rule thee. And unto Adam he said:
Forasmuch as thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife, and hast
eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying: See thou eat
not thereof: cursed be the earth for thy sake. In sorrow shalt
thou eat thereof all days of thy life: And it shall bear thorns
and thistles unto thee. And thou shalt eat the herbs of the field:
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou return
unto the earth whence thou wast take: for earth thou art, and unto
earth shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife Heva, because
she was the mother of all that liveth. And the LORD God made Adam
and his wife garments of skins, and put them on them. And the LORD
God said: Lo, Adam is become as it were one of us, in knowledge of
good and evil. But now lest he stretch forth his hand and take
also of the tree of life and eat and live ever. And the LORD God
cast him out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth whence he
was taken. And he cast Adam out, and set at the entering of the
garden Eden, Cherubim with a naked sword moving in and out, to
keep the way to the tree of life.
Chapter .iiij.
And Adam lay with Heva is wife, which conceived and bare Cain, and
said: I have gotten a man of the LORD. And she proceeded forth and
bare his brother Abel: And Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became
a plowman. And it fortuned in process of time, that Cain brought
of the fruit of the earth: an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he
brought also of the firstlings of his sheep and of the fat of
them. And the LORD looked unto Abel and to his offering: but unto
Cain and unto his offering, looked he not. And Cain was wroth
exceedingly, and lowered. And the LORD said unto Cain: why art
thou angry, and why lowerest thou? Wotest thou not if thou dost
well thou shalt receive it? But and if thou dost evil, by and by
thy sin lieth open in the door. Notwithstanding let it be subdued
unto thee, and see thou rule it. And Cain talked with Abel his
brother. And as soon as they were in the fields, Cain fell upon
Abel his brother and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain: where
is Abel thy brother? And he said: I can not tell, am I my
brother's keeper? And he said: What hast thou done? The voice of
thy brother's blood cryeth unto me out of the earth. And now
cursed be thou as pertaining to the earth, which opened her mouth
to receive thy brother's blood of thine hand. For when thou
tillest the ground she shall henceforth not give her power unto
thee. A vagabond and a renegade shalt thou be upon the earth. And
Cain said unto the LORD: my sin is greater, than that it may be
forgiven. Behold thou castest me out this day from off the face of
the earth, and from thy sight must I hide myself, and I must be
wandering and a vagabond upon the earth: Moreover whosoever
findeth me, will kill me. And the LORD said unto him: Not so, but
whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished sevenfold. And the LORD
put a mark upon Cain that no man that found him should kill him.
And Cain went out from the face of the LORD, and dwelt in the land
Nod, on the east side of Eden. And Cain lay with his wife, which
conceived and bare Henoch. And he was building a city and called
the name of it after the name of his son, Henoch. And Henoch begat
Irad. And Irad begat Mahuiael. And Mahuiael begat Mathusael. And
Mathusael begat Lamech. And Lamech took him two wives: the one was
called Ada, and the other Zilla: And Ada bare Iabal, of whom came
they that dwell in tents and possess cattle. And his brother's
name was Iubal: of him came all that exercise them selves on the
harp and on the organs. And Zilla she also bare Tubalcain a worker
in metal and a father of all that grave in brass and iron. And
Tubalcain's sister was called Naema. Then said Lamech unto his
wives Ada and Zilla: hear my voice ye wives of Lamech and hearken
unto my words, for I have slain a man and wounded myself, and have
slain a young man, and got myself stripes: For Cain shall be
avenged sevenfold: but Lamech seventy times sevenfold. Adam also
lay with his wife yet again, and she bare a son and called his
name Seth For God (said she) hath given me another son for Abel
whom Cain slew. And Seth begat a son and called his name Enos. And
in that time began men to call on the name of the LORD.
Chapter .v.
This is the book of the generation of man, in the day when God
created man and made him after the similitude of God. Male and
female made he them, and called their names man, in the day when
they were created. And when Adam was an hundred and thirty years
old, he begat a son after his likeness and similitude: and called
his name Seth. And the days of Adam after he begat Seth, were
eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the
days of Adam which he lived, were nine hundred and thirty years,
and then he died. And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and
begat Enos. And after he had begot Enos he lived eight hundred and
seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of
Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and died. And Enos lived
ninety years, and begat Kenan. And Enos after he begat Kenan,
lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and
daughters: and all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five
years, and then he died. And Kenan lived seventy years, and begat
Mahalaliel. And Kenan after he had begot Mahalaliel, lived eight
hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the
days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and then he died.
And Mahalaliel lived sixty five years, and begat Iared. And
Mahalaliel after he had begot Iared lived eight hundred and thirty
years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of
Mahalaliel were eight hundred ninety and five years, and then he
died. And Iared lived an hundred and sixty two years, and begat
Henoch: and Iared lived after he begat Henoch, eight hundred
years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Iared
were nine hundred and sixty two years, and then he died. And
Henoch lived sixty five years, and begat Mathusala. And Henoch
walked with God after he had begot Mathusalah, three hundred
years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Henoch
were three hundred and sixty five years, and then Henoch lived a
godly life, and was no more seen, for God took him away. And
Mathusala lived an hundred and eighty seven years and begat
Lamech: and Mathusala after he had begot Lamech, lived seven
hundred and eighty two years, and begat sons and daughters. And
all the days of Mathusala were nine hundred sixty nine years, and
then he died. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty two years and
begat a son, and called him Noe saying: This same shall comfort
us: as concerning our work and sorrow of our hands which we have
about the earth that the LORD hath cursed. And Lamech lived after
he had begot Noe, five hundred, ninety and five years, and begat
sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred
seventy seven years, and then he died. And when Noe was five
hundred years old, he begat Sem, Ham and Iapheth.
Chapter .vi.
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply upon the earth and
had begot them daughters, the sons of God saw the daughters of men
that they were fair, and took unto them wives, which they best
liked among them all. And the LORD {LORd} said: My spirit shall
not alway strive with man, for they are flesh. Nevertheless I will
give them yet space, an hundred and twenty years. There were
tyrants in the world in those days. For after that the children of
God had gone in unto the daughters of men and had begotten them
children, the same children were the mightiest of the world and
men of renown. And when the LORD saw that the wickedness of man
was increased upon the earth, and that all the imagination and
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, he repented that
he had made man upon the earth and sorrowed in his heart. And
said: I will destroy mankind which I have made, from off the face
of the earth: both man, beast, worm and fowl of the air, for it
repenteth me that I have made them. But yet Noe found grace in the
sight of the LORD. These are the generations of Noe. Noe was a
righteous man and uncorrupt in his time, and walked with God. And
Noe begat three sons: Sem, Ham and Iapheth. And the earth was
corrupt in the sight of God, and was full of mischief. And God
looked upon the earth, and lo it was corrupt: for all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth. Then said God to Noe: the end of
all flesh is come before me, for the earth is full of their
mischief. And lo, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an
ark of pine tree, and make chambers in the ark, and pitch it
within and without with pitch. And of this fashion shalt thou make
it. The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, and the
breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A
window shalt thou make above in the ark. And within a cubit
compass shalt thou finish it. And the door of the ark shalt thou
set in the side of it: and thou shalt make it with three lofts one
above an other. For behold I will bring in a flood of water upon
the earth to destroy all flesh from under heaven, wherein breath
of life is, so that all that is in the earth shall perish. But I
will make mine appointment with thee, that both thou shalt come in
to the ark and thy sons, thy wife and thy sons' wives with thee.
And of all that liveth whatsoever flesh it be, shalt thou bring
into the ark, of every thing a pair, to keep them alive with thee.
And male and female see that they be, of birds in their kind, and
of beasts in their kind, and of all manner of worms of the earth
in their kind: a pair of every thing shall come unto thee to keep
them alive. And take unto thee of all manner of meat that may be
eaten and lay it up in store by thee, that it may be meat both for
thee and for them: and Noe did according to all that God commanded
him.
Chapter .vij.
And the LORD said unto Noe: Go into the ark both thou and all thy
household. For thee have I seen righteous before me in this
generation. Of all clean beasts take unto thee seven of every kind
the male and his female, and of unclean beasts a pair, the male
and his female: likewise of the birds of the air seven of every
kind, male and female to save seed upon all the earth. For seven
days hence will I send rain upon the earth forty days and forty
nights and will destroy all manner of things that I have made,
from off the face of the earth. And Noe did according to all that
the LORD {lorde} commanded him: and Noe was six hundred years old,
when the flood of water came upon the earth: and Noe went and his
sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him, into the ark from
the waters of the flood. And of clean beasts and of beasts that
were unclean and of birds and of all that creepeth upon the earth,
came in by couples of every kind unto Noe into the ark: a male and
a female: even as God commanded Noe. And the seventh day the
waters of the flood came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year
of Noe's life, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the
month, that same day were all the fountains of the great deep
broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and there fell a
rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights. And the self same
day went Noe, Sem, Ham and Iapheth, Noe's sons, and Noe's wife and
the three wives of his sons with them in to the ark: both they and
all manner of beasts in their kind, and all manner of cattle in
their kind and all manner of worms that creep upon the earth in
their kind, and all manner of birds in their kind, and all manner
of fowls whatsoever had feathers. And they came unto Noe into the
ark by couples, of all flesh that had breath of life in it. And
they that came, came male and female of every flesh according as
God commanded him: and the LORD shut the door upon him. And the
flood came forty days and forty nights upon the earth, and the
water increased and bare up the ark and it was lift up from off
the earth. And the water prevailed and increased exceedingly upon
the earth: and the ark went upon he top of the waters. And the
waters prevailed exceedingly above measure upon the earth, so that
all the high hills which are under all the parts of heaven, were
covered: even fifteen cubits high prevailed the waters, so that
the hills were covered. And all flesh that moved on the earth,
both birds, cattle and beasts perished, with all that crept on the
earth and all men: so that all that had the breath of life in the
nostrils of it thorow out all that was on dry land died. Thus was
destroyed all that was upon the earth, both man, beasts, worms and
fowls of the air so that they were destroyed from the earth: save
Noe was reserved only and they that were with him in the ark. And
the waters prevailed upon the earth, an hundred and fifty days.
Chapter .viij.
And God remembered Noe and all the beasts and all the cattle that
were with him in the ark; And God made a wind to blow upon the
earth, and the waters ceased: and the fountains of the deep and
the windows of heaven were stopped and the rain of heaven was
forbidden, and the waters returned from off the earth and abated
after the end of an hundred and fifty days. And the ark rested
upon the mountains of Ararat, the seventeenth day of the seventh
month. And the waters went away and decreased until the tenth
month. And the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the
mountains appeared. And after the end of forty days, Noe opened
the window of the ark which he had made, and sent forth a raven,
which went out, ever going and coming again, until the waters were
dried up upon the earth. Then sent he forth a dove from him, to
wete whether the waters were fallen from off the earth. And when
the dove could find no resting place for her foot, she returned to
him again unto the ark, for the waters were upon the face of all
the earth. And he put out his hand and took her and pulled her to
him into the ark. And he abode yet seven days mo, and sent out the
dove again out of the ark, and the dove came to him again about
eventide, and behold: there was in her mouth a leaf of an olive
tree which she had plucked, whereby Noe perceived that the waters
were abated upon the earth. And he tarried yet seven other days,
and sent forth the dove, which from thence forth came no more
again to him. And it came to pass, the six hundred and one year
and the first day of the first month, that the waters were dried
up upon the earth. And Noe took off the hatches of the ark and
looked: and behold, the face of the earth was dry. So by the
twenty seventh day of the second month the earth was dry. And God
spake unto Noe saying: Come out of the ark, both thou and thy wife
and thy sons and thy sons' wives with thee. And all the beasts
that are with thee whatsoever flesh it be, both fowl and cattle
and all manner worms that creep on the earth, bring out with thee,
and let them move, grow and multiply upon the earth. And Noe came
out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. And
all the beasts, and all the worms, and all the fowls, and all that
moved upon the earth, came also out of the ark, all of one kind
together. And Noe made an altar unto the LORD, {LORDE} and took of
all manner of clean beasts and all manner of clean fowls, and
offered sacrifice upon the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet
savour and said in his heart: I will henceforth no more curse the
earth for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil
even from the very youth of him. Moreover I will not destroy from
henceforth all that liveth as I have done. Neither shall sowing
time and harvest, cold, and heat, summer and winter, day and night
cease, as long as the earth endureth.
Chapter .ix.
And God blessed Noe and his sons, and said unto them: Increase and
multiply and fill the earth. The fear also and dread of yow be
upon all beasts of the earth, and upon all fowls of the air, and
upon all that creepeth on the earth, and upon all fishes of the
sea, which are given unto your hands. And all that moveth upon the
earth having life, shall be your meat: Even as the green herbs, so
give I yow all things. Only the flesh with his life which is his
blood, see that ye eat not. For verily the blood of yow wherein
your lives are will I require: Even of the hand of all beasts will
I require it, and of the hand of man and of the hand of every
man's brother, will I require the life of man: so that he which
sheddeth man's blood, shall have his blood shed by man again: for
God made man after his own likeness. See that ye increase, and
wax, and be occupied upon the earth, and multiply therein.
Furthermore God spake unto Noe and to his sons with him saying:
See, I make my bond with you and your seed after you, and with all
living things that is with you: both fowl and cattle, and all
manner beast of the earth that is with yow, of all that cometh out
of the ark what soever beast of the earth it be. I make my bond
with yow, that henceforth all flesh shall not be destroyed with
the waters of any flood, and that henceforth there shall not be a
flood to destroy the earth. And God said: This is the token of my
bond which I make between me and yow, and between all living thing
that is with yow for ever: I will set my bow in the clouds, and it
shall be a sign of the appointment made between me and the earth:
so that when I bring in clouds upon the earth, the bow shall
appear in the clouds. And then will I think upon my testament
which I have made between me and yow, and all that liveth
whatsoever flesh it be. So that henceforth there shall be no more
waters to make a flood to destroy all flesh. The bow shall be in
the clouds, and I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting
testament between God and all that liveth upon the earth,
whatsoever flesh it be. And God said unto Noe: This is the sign of
the testament which I have made between me and all flesh that is
on the earth. The sons of Noe that came out of the ark were: Sem,
Ham, and Iapheth. And Ham he is the father of Canaan. These are
the three sons of Noe, and of these was all the world overspread.
And Noe being an husbandman, went forth and planted a vineyard,
and drank of the wine and was drunk, and lay uncovered in the
middest of his tent. And Ham the father of Canaan saw his father's
privates, {prevytees} and told his two brethren that were without.
And Sem and Iapheth took a mantle, and put it on both their
shoulders and went backward, and covered their father's secrets,
but their faces were backward, so that they saw not their father's
nakedness. As soon as Noe was awaked from his wine and wist what
his youngest son had done unto him, he said: Cursed be Canaan, and
a servant, of all servants be he to his brethren. And he said:
Blessed be the LORD God of Sem, and Canaan be his servant. God
increase Iapheth that he may dwell in the tents of Sem. And Canaan
be their servant. And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and
fifty years: So that all the days of Noe were nine hundred and
fifty years, and then he died.
Chapter .x.
These are the generations of the sons of Noe: of Sem, Ham and
Iapheth, which begat them children after the flood. The sons of
Iapheth were: Gomir, Magog, Madai, Iavan, Tuball, Mesech and
Thyras. And the sons of Gomir were: Ascenas, Riphat and Togarma.
And the sons of Iavan were: Elisa, Tharsis, Cithim, and Dodanim.
Of these came the Isles of the gentiles in their countries, every
man in his speech, kindred and nation. The sons of Ham were: Chus,
Misraim, Phut and Canaan. The sons of Chus: were Seba, Hevila,
Sabta, Raima and Sabtema. And the sons of Raima were: Sheba, and
Dedan. Chus also begot Nimrod, which began to be mighty in the
earth. He was a mighty hunter in the sight of the LORD: Whereof
came the proverb: he is as Nimrod that mighty hunter in the sight
of the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babell, Erech,
Achad, and Chalne in the land of Sinear: Out of that land came
Assur and builded Ninive, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and
Ressen between Nineve and Calah. That is a great city. And Mizrim
begat Ludim, Enanim, Leabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim and Casluhim:
from whence came the Philistins, and the Caphtherines. Canaan also
begat Zidon his eldest son and Heth, Iebusi, Emori, Girgosi, Hivi,
Arki, Sini, Arvadi, Zemari and Harmati. And afterward sprang the
kindreds of the Cananites. And the coasts of the Cananites were
from Sidon till thou come to Gerara and to Asa, and till thou come
to Sodoma, Gomorra, Adama, Zeboim: even unto Lasa. These were the
children of Ham in their kindreds, tongues, lands and nations. And
Sem the father of all the children of Eber and the eldest brother
of Iapheth, begat children also. And his sons were: Elam Assur,
Arphachsad, Lud and Aram. And the children of Aram were: Ur, Hul,
Gether and Mas. And Arphachsad begat Sala, and Sala begat Eber.
And Eber begat two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his
time the earth was divided. And the name of his brother was
Iaketan. Iaketan begat Almodad, Saleph, Hizarmoneth, Iarah,
Hadoram, Usal, Dikela, Obal, Abimael, Seba, Ophir, Hevila and
Iobab. All these are the sons of Iaketan. And the dwelling of them
was from Mesa until thou come unto Sephara a mountain of the east
land. These are the sons of Sem in their kindreds, languages,
countries and nations. These are the kindreds of the sons of Noe,
in their generations and nations. And of these came the people
that were in the world after the flood.
Chapter .xi.
And all the world was of one tongue and one language. And as they
came from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sinear, and
there they dwelled. And they said one to another: come on, let us
make brick and burn it with fire. So brick was their stone and
slime was their mortar. And they said: Come on, let us build us a
city and a tower, that the top may reach unto heaven. And let us
make us a name, for peradventure we shall be scattered abroad over
all the earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the
tower which the children of Adam had builded. And the LORD said:
See, the people is one and have one tongue among them all: And
this have they begun to do, and will not leave off from all that
they have purposed to do. Come on, let us descend and mingle their
tongue even there, that one understand not what another sayeth.
Thus the LORD scattered them from thence upon all the earth. And
they left off to build the city. Wherefore the name of it is
called Babel, because that the LORD there confounded the tongue of
all the world. And because that the LORD from thence, scattered
them abroad upon all the earth. These are the generations of Sem:
Sem was an hundred year old and begat Arphachsad two years after
the flood. And Sem lived after he had beget Arphachsad five
hundred years and begot sons and daughters. And Arphachsad lived
thirty five years and begat Sala, and lived after he had begot
Sala four hundred years and three and begat sons and daughters.
And Sala was thirty years old and begat Eber, and lived after he
had begot Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and
daughters. When Eber was thirty four years old, he begat Peleg,
and lived after he had begot Peleg, four hundred and thirty years,
and begat sons and daughters. And Peleg when he was thirty years
old begat Regu, and lived after he had begot Regu two hundred and
nine years, and begat sons and daughters. And Regu when he had
lived thirty two years begat Serug, and lived after he had begot
Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
And when Serug was thirty years old, he begat Nahor, and lived
after he had begot Nahot two hundred years, and begat sons and
daughters. And Nahor when he was twenty nine years old, begat
Terah, and lived after he had begot Terah, an hundred and nineteen
years, and begat sons and daughters. And when Terah was seventy
years old, 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 died before Terah his father in the
land where he was born, at Ur in Chaldea. And Abram and Nahor took
them wives. Abram's wife was called Sarai. And Nahor's wife Milkah
the daughter of Haran which was father of Milca and of Iisca. But
Sarai was barren and had no child. Then took Terah Abram his son
and Lot his son Haran's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law his son
Abram's wife. And they went with him from Ur in Chaldea, to go
into the land of Chanaan. And they came to Haran and dwelled
there. And when Terah was two hundred year old and five he died in
Haran.
Chapter .xij.
Then the LORD said unto Abram: Get thee out of thy country and
from thy kindred, and out of thy father's house, into a land which
I will shew thee. And I will make of thee a mighty people, and
will bless thee, and make thy name great, that thou mayst be a
blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them
that curse thee. And in thee shall be blessed all the generations
of the earth. And Abram went as the LORD bade him, and Lot went
with him. Abram was seventy five years old, when he went out of
Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son,
with all their goods which they had gotten and souls which they
had begotten in Haran. And they departed to go into the land of
Chanaan. And when they were come into the land of Chanaan, Abram
went forth into the land till he came unto a place called Sichem,
and unto the oak of More. And the Cananites dwelled then in the
land. Then the LORD appeared unto Abram and said: unto thy seed
will I give this land. And he builded an altar there unto the LORD
which appeared to him. Then departed he thence unto a mountain
that lieth on the east side of BETHEL and pitched his tent: BETHEL
being on the west side, and Ay on the east: and he builded there
an altar unto the LORD, and called on the name of the LORD. And
then Abram departed and took his journey southward. After this
there came a dearth in the land. And Abram went down into Egypt to
sojourn there, for the dearth was sore in the land. And when he
was come nye for to enter into Egypt, he said unto Sarai his wife.
Behold, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon. It will
come to pass therefore when the Egyptians see thee, that they will
say: she is his wife. And so shall they slay me and save thee. Say
I pray thee therefore that thou art my sister, that I may fare the
better by reason of thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake.
As soon as he came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman that
she was very fair. And Pharao's lords saw her also, and praised
her unto Pharao: So that she was taken into Pharao's house, which
entreated Abram well for her sake, so that he had sheep, oxen and
he asses, men servants, maid servants, she asses and camels. But
GOD {|The LORDE|} plagued Pharao and his house with great plagues,
because of Sarai Abram's wife. Then Pharao called Abram and said:
Why hast thou thus dealt with me? Wherefore toldest thou me not
that she was thy wife? Why saidest thou that she was thy sister,
and causedest me to take her to my wife? But now lo, there is thy
wife, take her and be walking. Pharao also gave a charge unto his
men over Abram, to lead him out, with his wife and all that he
had.
Chapter .xiij.
Then Abram departed out of Egypt, both he and his wife and all
that he had, and Lot with him unto the south. Abram was very rich
in cattle, silver and gold. And he went on his journey from the
south even unto BETHEL, and unto the place where his tent was at
the first time between BETHEL and Ay, and unto the place of the
altar which he made before. And there called Abram upon the name,
of the LORD. Lot also which went with him had sheep, cattle and
tents: so that the land was not able to receive them that they
might dwell together, for the substance of their riches was so
great, that they could not dwell together. And there fell a strife
between the herdmen of Abram's cattle, and the herdmen of Lot's
cattle. Moreover the Cananites and the Pherisites dwelled at that
time in the land. Then said Abram unto Lot: Let there be no strife
I pray thee between thee and me and between my herdmen and thine,
for we be brethren. Is not all the hole land before thee? Depart I
pray thee from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, I will take
the right: or if thou take the right hand I will take the left.
And Lot lift up his eyes and beheld all the country about Iordan,
which was a plenteous country of water every where, before the
LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorra, even as the garden of the LORD,
and as the land of Egypt till thou come to Zoar. Then Lot chose
all the coasts of Iordan and took his journey from the east. And
so departed the one brother from the other. Abram dwelled in the
land of Canaan: And Lot in the cities of the plain, and tented
till he came to Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinned
exceedingly against the LORD. And the LORD said unto Abram, after
that Lot was departed from him: Lift up thine eyes and look from
the place where thou art, northward, southward, eastward and
westward, for all the land which thou seest will I give unto thee
and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed, as the dust of
the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then
shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise and walk about in the land,
in the length of it and in the breadth for I will give it unto
thee. Then Abram took down his tent, and went and dwelled in the
oak grove of Mamre which is in Ebron and builded there an altar to
the LORD.
Chapter .xiiij.
And it chanced within a while, that Amraphel king of Sinear,
Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Thydeall king
of the nations: made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsa
king of Gomorra. And with Sineab king of Adama, and with Semeaber
king of Zeboim, and with the king of Bela which Bela is called
Zoar. All these came together unto the vale of Siddim, which is
now the salt sea. Twelve years were they subject to king
Kedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year rebelled. Therefore in the
fourteenth year came Kedorlaomer and the kings that were with him,
and smote the Raphaims in Astaroth Karnaim, and the Susims in Ham,
and the Emims in Sabe Kariathaim, and the Horims in their own
mount Seir unto the plain of Pharan, which bordereth upon the
wilderness. And then turned they and came to the well of judgement
which is Cades, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and
also the Amorites that dwell in Hazezon Thamar. Then went out the
king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorra, and the king of Adama and
the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela now called Zoar. And set
their men in array to fight with them in the vale of Siddim, that
is to say, with Kedorlaomer the king of Elam and with Thydeall
king of the Nations, and with Amraphel king of Sinear. And with
Arioch king of Ellasar: four kings against five. And that vale of
Siddim was full of slime pits. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorra
fled, and fell there. And the residue fled to the mountains. And
they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorra and all their
vitailles, and went their way. And they took Lot also Abram's
brother's son and his goods (for he dwelled at Sodom) and
departed. Then came one that had escaped, and told Abram the
Hebrew which dwelt in the oak grove of Mamre the Amorite, brother
of Eschol and Aner: which were confederate with Abram. When Abram
heard that his brother was taken, he harnessed his servants born
in his own house three hundred and eighteen, and followed till
they came at Dan. And set himself and his servants in array, and
fell upon them by night, and smote them, and chased them away unto
Hoba: which lieth on the left hand of Damasco, and brought again
all the goods and also his brother Lot, and his goods, the women
also and the people. And as he returned again from the slaughter
of Kedorlaomer and of the kings that were with him, then came the
king of Sodom against {to meet} him unto the vale of Saue which
now is called king's dale. Then Melchisedech king of Salem brought
forth bread and wine. And he being the priest of the most highest
God, blessed him saying: Blessed be Abram unto the most highest
God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be God the most
highest, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hands. And
Abram gave him tithes of all. Then said the king of Sodom unto
Abram: Give me the souls, and take the goods to thy self. And
Abram answered the king of Sodom: I lift up my hand unto the LORD
God most high possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take
of all that is thine, so much as a thread or a shoe latchet, lest
thou shouldest say I have made Abram rich. Save only that which
the young men have eaten and the parts of the men which went with
me. Aner, Eschol and Mamre. Let them take their parts.
Chapter .xv.
After these deeds, the word of GOD {|the LORDE|} came unto Abram
in a vision saying fear not Abram, I am thy shield, and thy reward
shall be exceeding great. And Abram answered: Lord Iehouah what
wilt thou give me: I go childless, and the cater of mine house,
this Eleasar of Damasco hath a son. And Abram said: See, to me
hast thou given to seed: lo, a lad born in my house shall be mine
heir. And behold, the word of the LORD spake unto Abram saying: He
shall not be thine heir, but one that shall come out of thine own
body shall be thine heir. And he brought him out at the doors and
said: Look up unto heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to
number them. And said unto him: Even so shall thy seed be. And
Abram believed the LORD, and it was counted to him for
righteousness. And he said unto him: I am the LORD that brought
thee out of Ur in Chaldea to give thee this land to possess it.
And he said: Lord GOD, {LORde God} whereby shall I know that I
shall possess it? And he said unto him: take an heifer of three
years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a three year old
ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon. And he took all these and
divided them in the midst, and laid every piece, one over against
another. But the fowls divided he not. And the birds fell on the
carcasses, but Abram drove them away. And when the sun was down,
there fell a slumber upon Abram. And lo, fear and great darkness
came upon him. And he said unto Abram: know this of a surety, that
thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that pertaineth not unto
them. And they shall make bondmen of them and entreat them evil
four hundred years. But the nation whom they shall serve, will I
judge. And afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Nevertheless thou shalt go unto thy fathers in peace, and shalt be
buried when thou art of a good age: and in the fourth generation
they shall come hither again, for the wickedness of the Amorites
is not yet full. When the sun was down and it was waxed dark:
behold, there was a smoking furnace and a fire brand that went
between the said pieces. And that same day the LORD made a
covenant with Abram saying: unto thy seed will I give this land,
from the river of Egypt, even unto the great river Euphrates: the
Kenites, the Kenizites, the Cadmonites, the Hethites, the
Pherezites, the Raphaims, the Amorites, the Cananites, the
Gergesites and the Iebusites.
Chapter .xvi.
Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children. But she had an hand maid
an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. Wherefore she said unto Abram:
Behold the LORD hath closed me, that I can not bear. I pray thee
go in unto my maid, peradventure I shall be multiplied by means of
her; And Abram heard the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai Abram's wife
took Hagar her maid the Egyptian (after Abram had dwelled ten
years in the land of Canaan) and gave her to her husband Abram, to
be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And
when she saw that she had conceived her mistress was despised in
her sight. Then said Sarai unto Abram: Thou dost me unright, for I
have given my maid into thy bosom: and now because she seeth that
she hath conceived, I am despised in her sight: the LORD judge
between thee and me. Then said Abram to Sarai: behold, thy maid is
in thy hand, do with her as it pleaseth thee. And because Sarai
fared foul with her, she fled from her. And the Angel of the LORD
found her beside a fountain of water in the wilderness: even by a
well in the way to Sur. And he said: Hagar Sarai's maid, whence
comest thou and whither wilt thou go? And she answered: I flee
from my mistress Sarai. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her:
return to thy mistress again, and submit thyself under her hands.
And the angel of the LORD said unto her: I will so increase thy
seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the LORD's
angel said further unto her: see, thou art with child and shalt
bear a son, and shalt call his name Ismael: because the LORD hath
heard thy tribulation. He will be a wild man, and his hand will be
against every man, and every man's hand against him. And yet shall
he dwell fast by all his brethren. And she called the name of the
LORD that spake unto her: thou art the God that lookest on me, for
she said: I have of a surety seen here the back parts of him that
seeth me. Wherefore she called the well, the well of the living
that seeth me which well is between Cades and Bared. And Hagar
bare Abram a son, and Abram called his son's name which Hagar bare
Ismael. And Abram was eighty six years old, when Hagar bare him
Ismael.
Chapter .xvij.
When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to him
saying: I am the almighty God: walk before me and be uncorrupt.
And I will make my bond between thee and me, and will multiply
thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face. And God talked
moreover with him saying: I am, behold my testament is with thee,
that thou shalt be a father of many nations. Therefore shalt thou
no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham: for a
father of many nations have I made thee, and I will multiply thee
exceedingly, and will make nations of thee: yea and kings shall
spring out of thee. Moreover I will make my bond between me and
thee, and thy seed after thee, in their times to be an everlasting
testament, so that I will be God unto thee and to thy seed after
thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the
land wherein thou art a stranger: even all the land of Canaan, for
an everlasting possession, and will be their God. And God said
unto Abraham: See thou keep my testament, both thou and thy seed
after thee in their times: This is my testament which ye shall
keep between me and you and thy seed after thee, that ye
circumcise all your men children. Ye shall circumcise the foreskin
of your flesh, and it shall be a token of the bond betwixt me and
you. And every manchild when it is eight days old, shall be
circumcised among you in your generations, and all servants also
born at home or bought with money though they be strangers and not
of thy seed. The servant born in thy house, and he also that is
bought with money, must needs be circumcised, that my testament
may be in your flesh, for an everlasting bond. If there be any
uncircumcised manchild, that hath not the foreskin of his flesh
cut off, his soul shall perish from his people: because he hath
broken my testament. And God said unto Abraham. Sarai thy wife
shall no more be called Sarai: but Sara shall her name be. For I
will bless her and give thee a son of her and will bless her: so
that people, yea and kings of people shall spring of her. And
Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart:
shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred year old, and
shall Sara that is ninety years old, bear: And Abraham said unto
God. O that Ismael might live in thy sight. Then said God: nay,
Sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name
Isaac. And I will make my bond with him, that it shall be an
everlasting bond unto his seed after him. And as concerning Ismael
also, I have heard thy request: lo, I will bless him and increase
him, and multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he {be}
beget, and I will make a great nation of him. But my bond will I
make with Isaac, which Sara shall bear unto thee: even this time
twelve month. And God left off talking with him, and departed up
from Abraham. And Abraham took Ismael his son and all the servants
born in his house and all that was bought with money as many as
were men children among the men of Abraham's house, and
circumcised the foreskin of their flesh, even the selfsame day, as
God had said unto him. Abraham was ninety years old and nine when
he cut off the foreskin of his flesh. And Ismael his son was
thirteen year old, when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.
The self same day was Abraham circumcised and Ismael his son. And
all the men in his house, whether they were born in his house or
bought with money (though they were strangers) were circumcised
with him.
Chapter .xviij.
And the LORD appeared unto him in the oak grove of Mamre as he sat
in his tent door in the heat of the day. And he lift up his eyes
and looked: and lo, three men stood not far from him. And when he
saw them, he ran against {to meet} them from the tent door, and
fell to the ground and said: Lord {LORde} if I have found favour
in thy sight, go not by thy servant. Let a little water be
fetched, and wash your feet, and rest your selves under the tree:
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, to comfort your hearts withal.
And then go your ways, for even therefore are ye come to your
servant. And they answered: Do even so as thou hast said. And
Abraham went a pace into his tent unto Sara and said: make ready
at once three pecks of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes. And
Abraham ran unto his beasts and fetched a calf that was tender and
good, and gave it unto a young man which made it ready at once.
And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared,
and set it before them, and stood himself by them under the tree:
and they ate. And they said unto him: Where is Sara thy wife? And
he said: in the tent. And he said: I will come again unto thee as
soon as the fruit can live. And lo: Sara thy wife shall have a
son. That heard Sara, out of the tent door which was behind his
back. Abraham and Sara were both old and well stricken in age, and
it ceased to be with Sara after the manner as it is with wives.
And Sara laughed in her self saying: Now I am waxed old, shall I
give my self to lust, and my lord old also? Then said the LORD
unto Abraha: wherefore doth Sara laugh saying: shall I of a surety
bear a child, now when I am old? is the thing too hard for the
LORD to do? In the time appointed will I return unto thee, as soon
as the fruit can have life. And Sara shall have a son. Then Sara
denied it saying: I laughed not, for she was afraid. But he said:
yes thou laughtest. Then the men stood up from thence and looked
toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
And the LORD said: Can I hide from Abraham that thing which I am
about to do, seeing that Abraham shall be a great and a mighty
people, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
For I know him that he will command his children and his household
after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do after right
and conscience, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that he hath
promised him. And the LORD said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorra is
great, and their sin is exceeding grievous. I will go down and see
whether they have done altogether according to that cry which is
come unto me or not, that I may know. And the men departed thence
and went to Sodomward. But Abraham stood yet before the LORD, and
drew near and said Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the
wicked? If there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou
destroy it and not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous
that are therein? That be far from thee, that thou shouldest do
after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that
the righteous should be as the wicked: that be far from thee.
Should not the Iudge of all the world do according to right? And
the LORD said: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city,
I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered
and said: behold I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,
{LORde} and yet am but dust and ashes. What though there lack five
of fifty righteous, wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of
five? And he said: If I find there forty and five I will not
destroy them. And he spake unto him yet again and said: what if
there be forty found there: And he said: I will not do it for
forty's sake. And he said: O let not my Lord {LORde} be angry,
that I speak. What if there be found thirty there? And he said: I
will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said: Oh, see, I
have begun to speak unto my Lord, {LORde} what if there be twenty
found there? And he said: I will not destroy them for twenty's
sake. And he said: O let not my Lord {LORde} be angry, that I
speak yet, but even once more only. What if ten be found there?
And he said: I will not destroy them for ten's sake. And the LORD
went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham. And
Abraham returned unto his place.
Chapter .xix.
And there came two angels to Sodom at even. And Lot sat at the
gate of the city. And Lot saw them, and rose up against {to meet}
them, and he bowed himself to the ground with his face. And he
said: See lords, turn in I pray you in to your servant's house and
tarry all night and wash your feet, and rise up early and go on
your ways. And they said: nay, but we will bide in the streets all
night. And he compelled them exceedingly. And they turned in unto
him and entered into his house, and he made them a feast and did
bake sweet cakes, and they ate. But before they went to rest, the
men of the city of Sodom compassed the house round about both old
and young, all the people from all quarters. And they called unto
Lot and said unto him: where are the men which came into thy house
to night? bring them out unto us that we may do our lust with
them. And Lot went out at doors unto them and shut the door after
him and said: nay for god's {goddes} sake brethren, do not so
wickedly. Behold I have two daughters which have known no man,
them will I bring out unto you: do with them as it seemeth you
good: Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they
under the shadow of my roof. And they said: come hither. And they
said: camest thou not in to sojourn, and wilt thou be now a judge?
we will surely deal worse with thee than with them. And as they
preased sore upon Lot and began to break up the door, the men put
forth their hands and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut
to the door. And the men that were at the door of the house, they
smote with blindness both small and great: so that they could not
find the door. And the men said moreover unto Lot: If thou have
yet here any son-in-law or sons or daughters or whatsoever thou
hast in the city, bring it out of this place: for we must destroy
this place, because the cry of them is great before the LORD.
Wherefore he hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out and
spake unto his sons-in-law which should have married his
daughters, and said: stond up and get yow out of this place, for
the LORD will destroy the city. But he seemed as though he had
mocked, unto his sons-in-law. And as the morning arose the angels
caused Lot to speed him saying. Stond up, take thy wife and thy
two daughters and that that is at hand, lest thou perish in the
sin of the city. And as he prolonged the time, the men caught both
him, his wife and his two daughters by the hands, because the LORD
was merciful unto him, and they brought him forth and set him
without the city. When they had brought them out, they said: Save
thy life and look not behind thee neither tarry thou in any place
of the country, but save thyself in the mountain, lest thou
perish. Then said Lot unto them: Oh nay my Lord: {lorde} behold,
inasmuch as thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, now make
thy mercy great which thou shewest unto me in saving my life. For
I can not save myself in the mountains, lest some misfortune fall
upon me and I die. Behold, here is a city by, to flee unto, and it
is a little one, let me save myself therein: is it not a little
one, that my soul may live? And he said to him: see I have
received thy request as concerning this thing, that I will not
overthrow this city for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee,
and save thyself there, for I can do nothing till thou be come in
thither. And therefore the name of the city is called Zoar. And
the sun was upon the earth when Lot was entered into Zoar. Then
the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorra, brimstone and fire from
the LORD out of heaven, and overthrew those cities and all the
region, and all that dwelled in the cities, and that that grew
upon the earth. And Lot's wife looked behind her, and was turned
in to a pillar of salt. Abraham rose up early and got him to the
place where he stood before the LORD, and looked toward Sodom and
Gomorra and toward all the land of that country. And as he looked:
behold, the smoke of the country arose as it had been the smoke of
a furnace. But yet when God destroyed the cities of the region, he
thought upon Abraha: and sent Lot out from the danger of the
overthrowing, when he overthrew the cities where Lot dwelled. And
Lot departed out of Zoar and dwelled in the mountains and his two
daughters with him for he feared to tarry in Zoar: he dwelt
therefore in a cave, both he and his two daughters also. Then said
the elder unto the younger our father is old, and there are no
more men in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all
the world. Come therefore, let us give our father wine to drink,
and let us lie with him that we may save seed of our father. And
they gave their father wine to drink that same night. And the
elder daughter went and lay with her father. And he perceived it
not, neither when she lay down, neither when she rose up. And on
the morrow the elder said unto the younger: behold, yesternight
lay I with my father. Let us give him wine to drink this night
also, and go thou and lie with him, and let us save seed of our
father. And they gave their father wine to drink that night also.
And the younger arose and lay with him. And he perceived it not:
neither when she lay down, neither when she rose up. Thus were
both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the
elder bare a son and called him Moab, which is the father of the
Moabites unto this day. And the younger bare a son and called him
Ben Ammi, which is the father of the children of Ammon unto this
day.
Chapter .xx.
And Abraham departed thence toward the south country and dwelled
between Cades and Sur and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of
Sara his wife, that she was his sister. Then Abimelech king of
Gerar sent and fetched Sara away. And God came to Abimelech by
night in a dream and said to him: See, thou art but a dead man for
the woman's sake which thou hast taken away, for she is a man's
wife. But Abimelech had not yet come nye her, and therefore said:
Lord {lorde} wilt thou slay righteous people? said not he unto me,
that she was his sister? yea and said not she herself that he was
her brother? with a pure heart and innocent hands have I done
this. And God said unto him in a dream. I wot it well that thou
didst it in the pureness of thy heart: And therefore I kept thee
that thou shouldest not sin against me, neither suffered I thee to
come nigh her. Now therefore deliver the man his wife again, for
he is a prophet. And let him pray for thee that thou mayst live.
But and if thou deliver her not again, be sure that thou shalt die
the death, with all that thou hast. Then Abimelech rose up be
times in the morning and called all his servants, and told all
these things in their ears, and the men were sore afraid. And
Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him: What hast thou done
unto us, and what have I offended thee, that thou shouldest bring
on me and on my kingdom so great a sin? thou hast done deeds unto
me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said moreover unto
Abraham: What sawest thou that moved thee to do this thing? And
Abraham answered. I thought that peradventure the fear of God was
not in this place, and that they should slay me for my wife's
sake: yet in very deed she is my sister, the daughter of my
father, but not of my mother: and became my wife. And after God
caused me to wander out of my father's house, I said unto her:
This kindness shalt thou shew unto me in all places where we come,
that thou say of me, how that I am thy brother. Then took
Abimelech sheep and oxen, menservants and womenservants and gave
them unto Abraham, and delivered him Sara his wife again. And
Abimelech said: behold the land lieth before thee, dwell where it
pleaseth thee best. And unto Sara he said: See I have given thy
brother a thousand pieces of silver, behold he {this thing} shall
be a covering to thine eyes unto all that are with thee and unto
all men and an excuse. And so Abraham prayed unto God, and God
healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidens, so that they bare.
For the LORD had closed to, all the matrices of the house of
Abimelech, because of Sara Abraham's wife.
Chapter .xxj.
The lord visited Sara as he had said and did unto her according as
he had spoken. {promised} And Sara was with child and bare Abraham
a son in his old age even the same season which the Lorde {|God|}
had appointed. And Abraham called his son's name that was born
unto him which Sara bare him Isaac: and Abraham circumcised Isaac
his son when he was eight days old, as God commanded him. And
Abraham was an hundred year old, when his son Isaac was born unto
him. And Sara said: God hath made me a laughing stock: for all
that hear, will laugh at me. She said also: who would have said
unto Abraham, that Sara should have given children suck, or that I
should have borne him a son in his old age: The child grew and was
weaned, and Abraham made a great feast, the same day that Isaac
was weaned. Sara saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian which she had
borne unto Abraham, a mocking. Then she said unto Abraham: put
away this bondmaid and her son: for the son of this bondwoman
shall not be heir with my son Isaac: But the word seemed very
grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his son. Then the Lorde
{|God|} said unto Abraham: let it not be grievous unto thee,
because of the lad and of thy bondmaid: But in all that Sara hath
said unto thee, hear her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. Moreover of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation,
because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early in the morning
and took bread and a bottle with water, and gave it unto Hagar,
putting it on her shoulders with the lad also, and sent her away.
And she departed and wandered up and down in the wilderness of
Berseba. When the water was spent that was in the bottle, she cast
the lad under a bush and went and sat her out of sight a great
way, as it were a bowshot off: For she said: I will not see the
lad die. And she sat down out of sight, and lift up her voice and
wept. And God heard the voice of the child. And the angel of God
called Hagar out of heaven and said unto her: What aileth thee
Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the child where
he lieth. Arise and lift up the lad, and take him in thy hand, for
I will make of him a great people. And God opened her eyes and she
saw a well of water. And she went and filled the bottle with
water, and gave the boy drink. And God was with the lad, and he
grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. And he
dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan. And his mother got him a wife
out of thee, land of Egypt. And it chanced the same season, that
Abimelech and Phicol his chief captain spake unto Abraham saying:
God is with thee in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto
me even here by God, that thou wilt not hurt me nor my children,
nor my children's children. But that thou shalt deal with me and
the country where thou art a stranger, according unto the kindness
that I have shewed thee. Then said Abraham: I will swear. And
Abraham rebuked Abimelech for a well of water, which Abimelech's
servants had taken away. And Abimelech answered I wist not who did
it: Also thou toldest me not, neither heard I of it, but this day.
And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech. And
they made both of them a bond together. And Abraham set seven
lambs by them selves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham: what mean
these seven lambs which thou hast set by them selves. And he
answered: seven lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a
witness unto me, that I have digged this well: Wherefore the place
is called Berseba, because they sware both of them. Thus made they
a bond together at Berseba. Then Abimelech and Phicol his chief
Captain rose up and turned again unto the land of the Philistines.
And Abraham planted a wood in Berseba, and called there, on the
name of the LORD, the everlasting God: and dwelt in the Philistine
land a long season.
Chapter .xxij.
After these deeds, God did prove Abraham and said unto him:
Abraham. And he answered: here am I. And he said: take thy only
son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee unto the land of Moria,
and sacrifice him there for a sacrifice upon one of the mountains
which I will shew thee. Then Abraham rose up early in the morning
and saddled his ass, and took two of his meiny with him, and Isaac
his sonne: and clove wood for the sacrifice, and rose up and got
him to the place which God had appointed him. The third day
Abraham lift up his eyes and saw the place afar off, and said unto
his young men: bide here with the ass. I and the lad will go
yonder and worship and come again unto you. And Abraham took the
wood of the sacrifice and laid it upon Isaac his son, and took
fire in his hand and a knife. And they went both of them together.
Then spake Isaac unto Abraham his father and said: My father? And
he answered here am I my son. And he said: See here is fire and
wood, but where is the sheep for sacrifice? And Abraham said: my
son, God will provide him a sheep for sacrifice. So went they both
together. And when they came unto the place which God shewed him,
Abraham made an altar there and dressed the wood, and bound Isaac
his son and laid him on the altar, above upon the wood. And
Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to have
killed his son. Then the angel of the LORD called unto him from
heaven saying: Abraham, Abraham?. And he answered: here am I. And
he said: lay not thy hands upon the child, neither do anything at
all unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, in that thou
hast not kept thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his
eyes and looked about: and behold, there was a ram caught by the
horns in a thicket. And he went and took the ram and offered him
up for a sacrifice in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the
name of the place, the LORD will see: wherefore it is a common
saying this day: in the mount will the LORD be seen. And the angel
of the LORD cried unto Abraham from heaven the second time saying:
by myself have I sworn (saith the LORD) because thou hast done
this thing and hast not spared thy only son, that I will bless
thee and multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand
upon the sea side. And thy seed shall possess the gates of his
enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. So turned Abraham
again unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to
Berseba. And Abraham dwelt at Berseba. And it chanced after these
things, that one told Abraham saying: Behold, Milcha she hath also
born children unto thy brother Nachor: Hus his eldest son and Bus
his brother, and Kemuel the father of the Sirians, and Cesed, and
Haso, and Pildas, and Iedlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat
Rebecca. These eight did Milcha bear to Nachor Abraham's brother.
And his concubine called Rheuma she bare also Tebah, Gaham, Thaas
and Maacha.
Chapter .xxiij.
Sara was an hundred and twenty seven years old (for so long lived
she) and then died in a head city called Hebron in the land of
Canaan. Then Abraham came to mourn Sara and to weep for her. And
Abraham stood up from the corpse, and talked with the sons of Heth
saying: I am a stranger and a foreigner among yow, give me a
possession to bury in with you, that I may bury my dead out of my
sight. And the children of Heth answered Abraham saying unto him:
Hear us lord, thou art a prince of God among us. In the chiefest
of our sepulchers bury thy dead: None of us shall forbid thee his
sepulchre, that thou shouldest not bury thy dead therein. Abraham
stood up and bowed himself before the people of the land the
children of Heth. And he communed {comoned} with them saying: If
it be your minds that I shall bury my dead out of my sight, hear
me and speak for me to Ephron the son of Zoar: and let him give me
the double cave which he hath in the end of his field, for as much
money as it is worth, let him give it me in the presence of you,
for a possession to bury in. For Ephron dwelled among the children
of Heth. Then Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham in the audience
of the children of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of
his city, saying: Not so, my lord, but hear me: The field give I
thee, and the cave that therein is, give I thee also. And even in
the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee to bury thy
dead in. Then Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land,
and spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the country
saying: I pray thee hear me, I will give silver for the field,
take it of me, and so will I bury my dead there. Ephron answered
Abraham saying unto him: My lord, hearken unto me. The land is
worth four hundredth sicles of silver: But what is that betwixt
thee and me? bury thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and
weighed him the silver which he had said in the audience of the
sons of Heth. Even four hundred silver sicles of current money
among merchants. Thus was the field of Ephron wherein the double
cave is before Mamre: even the field and the cave that is therein
and all the trees of the field which grow in all the borders round
about, made sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the sight of
the children of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of the
city. And then Abraham buried Sara his wife in the double cave of
the field that lieth before Mamre, otherwise called Ebron in the
land of Canaan. And so both the field and the cave that is
therein, was made unto Abraham, a sure possession to bury in, of
the sons of Heth.
Chapter .xxiiij.
Abraham was old and stricken in days, and the LORD had blessed him
in all things. And he said unto his eldest servant of his house
which had the rule over all that he had: Put thy hand under my
thigh that I may make thee swear by the LORD that is God of heaven
and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son,
of the daughters of the Cananites, among which I dwell. But shalt
go unto my country and to my kindred, and there take a wife unto
my son Isaac. Then said the servant unto him: what and if the
woman will not agree to come with me unto this land, shall I bring
thy son again unto the land which thou camest out of? And Abraham
said unto him: beware of that, that thou bring not my son thither.
The LORD God of heaven which took me from my father's house and
from the land where I was born, and which spake unto me and sware
unto me saying: unto thy seed will I give this land, he shall send
his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife unto my son
from thence. Nevertheless if the woman will not agree to come with
thee then shalt thou be without danger of this oath. But above all
things bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his
hand under the thigh of Abraham and sware to him as concerning
that matter. And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his
master and departed, and had of all manner goods of his master
with him, and stood up and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of
Nahor. And made his camels to lie down without the city by a
well's side of water, at even: about the time that women come out
to draw water, and he said: LORD God of my master Abraham, send me
good speed this day, and shew mercy unto my master Abraham. Lo I
stond here by the well of water and the daughters of the men of
this city will come out to draw water: Now the damsel to whom I
say, stoop down thy pitcher, and let me drink. If she say: Drink,
and I will give thy camels drink also, the same is she that thou
hast ordained for thy servant Isaac: yea and thereby shall I know
that thou hast shewed mercy on my master. And it came to pass yer
he had left speaking, that Rebecca came out, the daughter of
Bethuel, son to Milkah the wife of Nahor Abraham's brother, and
her pitcher upon her shoulder: The damsel was very fair to look
upon, and yet a maid and unknown of man. And she went down to the
well and filled her pitcher and came up again. Then the servant
ran unto her and said: let me sip a little water of thy pitcher.
And she said: drink my lord. And she hasted and let down her
pitcher upon her arm and gave him drink. And when she had given
him drink, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, until
they have drunk enough. And she poured out her pitcher into the
trough hastily, and ran again unto the well, to fetch water: and
drew for all his camels. And the fellow wondered at her. But held
his peace, to wete whether the LORD had made his journey
prosperous or not. And as the camels had left drinking, he took an
earing of half a sicle weight, and two bracelets for her hands, of
ten sicles weight of gold, and said unto her: Whose daughter art
thou? tell me: is there room in thy father's house, for us to
lodge in? And she said unto him: I am the daughter of Bethuel the
son of Milkah which she bare unto Nahor: and said moreover unto
him: we have litter and provender enough and also room to lodge
in. And the man bowed himself and worshipped the LORD, and said:
blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham which ceaseth not to
deal mercifully and truly with my master. And {|For the LORDe|}
hath brought me the way to my master's brother's house. And the
damsel ran and told them of her mother's house these things. And
Rebecca had a brother called Laban. And Laban ran out unto the
man, to the well: for as soon as he had seen the earings and the
bracelets upon his sister's hands, and heard the words of Rebecca
his sister saying thus said the man unto me, then he went out unto
the man. And lo, he stood yet with the camels by the well side.
And Laban said: come in thou blessed of the LORD. Wherefore
stondest thou without? I have dressed the house and made room for
the camels. And then the man came in to the house: and he
unbridled the camels: and brought litter and provender for the
camels, and water to wash his feet and their feet that were with
him, and there was meat set before him to eat. But he said: I will
not eat, until I have said mine errand: And he said: say on; And
he said: I am Abraham's servant, and the LORD hath blessed my
master out of measure that he is become great and hath given him
sheep, oxen, silver and gold, menservants, maidservants, camels
and asses. And Sara my master's wife bare him a son, when she was
old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. And my master
made me swear saying: Thou shalt not take a wife to my son, among
the daughters of the Cananites in whose land I dwell. But thou
shalt go unto my father's house and to my kindred, and there take
a wife unto my son. And I said unto my master: What if the wife
will not follow me? And he said unto me: The LORD before whom I
walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy journey that
thou shalt take a wife for my son, of my kindred and of my
father's house. But and if (when thou comest unto my kindred) they
will not give thee one, then shalt thou bear no peril of mine
oath. And I came this day unto the well and said: O LORD, the God
of my master Abraham, if it be so that thou makest my journey
which I go, prosperous: behold, I stond by this well of water, and
when a virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her: give
me a little water of thy pitcher to drink, and she say again to
me: drink thou, and I will also draw water for thy camels: that
same is the wife, whom the LORD hath prepared for my master's son.
And before I had made an end of speaking in mine heart: behold
Rebecca came forth, and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went
down unto the well and drew. And I said unto her give me drink.
And she made haste, and took down her pitcher from off her, and
said: drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. And I drank,
and she gave the camels drink also. And I asked her saying: whose
daughter art thou? And she answered: the daughter of Bathuel
Nahor's son, whom Milkah bare unto him. And I put the earing upon
her face and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed myself, and
worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham
which had brought me the right way, to take my master's brother's
daughter unto his son. Now therefore if ye will deal mercifully
and truly with my master, tell me: And if not, tell me also: that
I may turn me to the right hand or to the left. Then answered
Laban and Bathuel saying: The thing is proceeded even out of the
LORD, {lorde} we can not therefore say unto thee, either good or
bad: Behold Rebecca before thy face, take her and go, and let her
be thy master's son's wife, even as the LORD hath said. And when
Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself unto the
LORD, flat upon the earth. And the servant took forth jewels of
silver and jewels of gold and raiment, and gave them to Rebecca:
But unto her brother and to her mother, he gave spices. And then
they ate and drank, both he and the men that were with him, and
tarried all night and rose up in the morning. And he said: let me
depart unto my master. But her brother and her mother said: let
the damsel abide with us a while, and it be but even ten days, and
then go thy ways. And he said unto them, hinder me not: for the
LORD {lorde} hath prospered my journey. Send me away that I may go
unto my master. And they said: let us call the damsel, and wit
what she saith to the matter. And they called forth Rebecca and
said unto her: wilt thou go with this man? And she said: Yea. Then
they brought Rebecca their sister on the way and her nurse and
Abraham's servant, and the men that were with him. And they
blessed Rebecca and said unto her: Thou art our sister, grow into
thousand thousands, and thy seed possess the gates of their
enemies. And Rebecca arose and her damsels, and sat them up upon
the camels and went their way after the man. And the servant took
Rebecca and went his way. And Isaac was a coming from the well of
the living and seeing, for he dwelt in the south country, and was
gone out to walk in his meditations before the even tide. And he
lift up his eyes and looked, and behold the camels were coming.
And Rebecca lift up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted
off the camel, and said unto the servant: what man is this that
cometh against us in the field? And the servant said: it is my
master. And then she took her mantle, and put it about her. And
the servant told Isaac all that he had done. Then Isaac brought
her in to his mother Sara's tent, and took Rebecca and she became
his wife, and he loved her: and so was Isaac comforted over his
mother.
Chapter .xxv.
Abraham took him another wife called Ketura, which bare him
Simran, Iacksan, Medan, Midian, Iesback and Suah. And Iacksan
begat Seba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Assurim, Letusim
and Leumim. And the sons of Midian were Epha, Epher, Hanoch, Abida
and Elda. All these were the children of Bethura. {Ketura} But
Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. And unto the sons of his
concubines he gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son
(while he yet lived) eastward, unto the east country. These are
the days of the life of Abraham which he lived: an hundred and
seventy five year and then fell sick and died, in a lusty age
(when he had lived enough) and was put unto his people. And his
sons Isaac and Ismael buried him in the double cave in the field
of Ephron son, of Zoar the Hethite before Mamre. Which field
Abraham bought of the sons of Heth: There was Abraham buried and
Sara his wife. And after the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac
his son, which dwelt by the well of the living and seeing. These
are the generations of Ismael Abraham's son, which Hagar the
Egyptian Sara's handmaid bare unto Abraham. And these are the
names of the sons of Ismael, with their names in their kindreds.
The eldest son of Ismael, Nevatoth, then Redar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
Misma, Duma, Masa, Hadar, Thema, Ietur, Naphis and Kedma. These
are the sons of Ismael, and these are their names, in their towns
and castles twelve princes of nations. And these are the years of
the life of Ismael: an hundred and thirty seven years, and then he
fell sick and died, and was laid unto his people. And he dwelt
from Evila unto Sur that is before Egypt, as men go toward the
Assyrians. And he died in the presence of all his brethren. And
these are the generations of Isaac Abraham's son: Abraham begat
Isaac. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca to wife
the daughter of Bethuel the Sirian of Mesopotamia and sister to
Laban the Sirian. And Isaac made intercession unto the LORD for
his wife: because she was barren: and the LORD was entreated of
him, and Rebecca his wife conceived: and the children strove
together within her. Then she said: if it should go so to pass,
what helpeth it that I am with child? And she went and asked the
LORD. And the LORD said unto her there are two manner of people in
thy womb, and two nations shall spring out of thy bowels, and the
one nation shall be mightier than the other and the eldest shall
be servant unto the younger. And when her time was come to be
delivered: behold there were two twins in her womb. And he that
came out first, was red and rough over all as it were an hide: and
they called his name Esau. And afterward his brother came out and
his hand holding Esau by the heel. Wherefore his name was called
Iacob. And Isaac was forty years old when she bare them: and the
boys grew, and Esau became a cunning hunter and a tillman. But
Iacob was a simple man and dwelled in the tents. Isaac loved Esau
because he did eat of his venison, but Rebecca loved Iacob. Iacob
sod pottage, and Esau came from the field and was fainty, and said
to Iacob: let me sip of that red pottage, for I am fainty. And
therefore was his name called Edom. And Iacob said: sell me this
day thy birthright. And Esau answered: Lo I am at the point to
die, and what profit shall this birthright do me? And Iacob said,
swear to me then this day. And he swore to him and sold his
birthright unto Iacob. Then Iacob gave Esau bread and pottage of
red rice. And he ate and drank and rose up and went his way. And
so Esau regarded not his birthright.
Chapter .xxvi.
And there fell a dearth in the land, passing the first dearth that
fell in the days of Abraham. Wherefore Isaac went unto Abimelech
king of the Philistines unto Gerar. Then the LORD appeared unto
him and said: go not down into Egypt, but bide in the land which I
say unto thee: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and
will bless thee: for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all
these countries. And I will perform the oath which I swore unto
Abraham thy father, and will multiply thy seed as the stars of
heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries. And
thorow thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,
because that Abraham hearkened unto my voice and kept mine
ordinances, commandments, statutes and laws. And Isaac dwelled in
Gerar. And the men of the place asked him of his wife, and he said
that she was his sister: for he feared to call her his wife lest
the men of the place should have killed him for her sake, because
she was beautiful to the eye. And it happened after he had been
there long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out
at a window, and saw Isaac sporting with Rebecca his wife. And
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said: see, she is of a surety thy
wife, and why saidest thou that she was thy sister? And Isaac said
unto him: I thought that I might peradventure have died for her
sake. Then said Abimelech: why hast thou done this unto us? one of
the people might lightly have lain by thy wife and so shouldest
thou have brought sin upon us. Then Abimelech charged all his
people saying: he that toucheth this man or his wife, shall surely
die for it. And Isaac sowed in the land, and found in the same
year an hundred bushels: for the LORD blessed him, and the man
waxed mighty, and went forth and grew till he was exceeding great,
that he had possession of sheep, of oxen and a mighty household:
so that the Philistines had envy at him: Insomuch that they
stopped and filled up with earth, all the wells which his father's
servants digged in his father Abraham's time. Then said Abimelech
unto Isaac: get thee from me, for thou art mightier than we a
great deal. Then Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in
the valley Gerar and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again, the
wells of water which they digged in the days of Abraham his father
which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham, and
gave them the same names which his father gave them. As Isaac's
servants digged in the valley, they found a well of springing
{living} water. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's
herdmen saying: the water is ours. Then called he the well Eseck
because they strove with him. Then digged they another well, and
they strove for that also. Therefore called he it Sitena. And then
he departed thence, and digged another well for the which they
strove not: therefore called he it Rehoboth, saying: the LORD hath
now made us room, and we are increased upon the earth. Afterward
departed he thence and came to Berseba. And the LORD appeared unto
him the same night and said: I am the God of Abraham thy father,
fear not for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy
seed for my servant Abraham's sake. And then he builded an altar
there and called upon the name of the LORD, and there pitched his
tent. And there Isaac's servants digged a well. Then came
Abimelech to him from Gerar and Ahusath his friend and Phicoll his
chief captain. And Isaac said unto them: wherefore come ye to me,
seeing ye hate me and have put me away from you? Then said they:
we saw that the LORD was with thee, and therefore we said that
there should be an oath betwixt us and thee, and that we would
make a bond with thee: that thou shouldest do us no hurt, as we
have not touched thee, and have done unto thee nothing but good,
and send thee away in peace: for thou art now the blessed of the
LORD. And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. And they
rose up by times in the morning and sware one to another. And
Isaac sent them away. And they departed from him in peace. And the
same day came Isaac's servants, and told him of a well which they
had digged: and said unto him, that they had found water. And he
called it Seba, wherefore the name of the city is called Berseba
unto this day. When Esau was forty years old, he took to wife
Iudith the daughter of Bery an Hethite, and Basmath the daughter
of Elon an Hethite also, which were disobedient unto Isaac and
Rebecca.
Chapter .xxvij.
And it came to pass that Isaac waxed old and his eyes were dim, so
that he could not see. Then called he Esau his eldest son and said
unto him: my son. And he said unto him: here am I. And he said:
behold, I am old and know not the day of my death: Now therefore
take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and get thee to the
fields, and take me some venison, and make me meat such as I love,
and bring it me and let me eat that my soul may bless thee before
that I die. But Rebecca heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son.
And as soon as Esau was gone to the field to catch venison, and to
bring it, she spake unto Iacob her son saying: Behold I have heard
thy father talking with Esau thy brother and saying: bring me
venison and make me meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the
LORD yer I die. Now therefore my son hear my voice in that which I
command thee: get thee to the flock, and bring me thence two good
kids, and I will make meat of them for thy father, such as he
loveth. And thou shalt bring it to thy father and he shall eat,
that he may bless thee before his death. Then said Iacob to
Rebecca his mother: Behold Esau my brother is rough and I am
smooth. My father shall peradventure feel me, and I shall seem
unto him as though I went about to beguile him, and so shall he
bring a curse upon me and not a blessing: and his mother said unto
him. Upon me be thy curse my son, only hear my voice, and go and
fetch me them. And Iacob went and fetched them and brought them to
his mother. And his mother made meat of them, according as his
father loved. And she went and fetched goodly raiment of her
eldest son Esau which she had in the house with her, and put them
upon Iacob her youngest son, and she put the skins upon his hands
and upon the smooth of his neck. And she put the meat and bread
which she had made in the hand of her son Iacob. And he went in to
his father saying: my father. And he answered: here am I, who art
thou my son? And Iacob said unto his father: I am Esau thy eldest
son, I have done according as thou baddest me, up and sit and eat
of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. But Isaac said unto his
son: How cometh it that thou hast found it so quickly my son? He
answered: The LORD thy God brought it to my hand. Then said Isaac
unto Iacob: come near and let me feel thee my son, whether thou be
my son Esau or not. Then went Iacob to Isaac his father, and he
felt him and said the voice is Iacob's voice, but the hands are
the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, because his hands were
rough as his brother Esau's hands and so he blessed him. And he
asked him, art thou my son Esau? And he said: that I am. Then said
he: bring me and let me eat of my son's venison, that my soul may
bless thee. And he brought him, and he ate. And he brought him
wine also, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him: come
near and kiss me my son. And he went to him and kissed him. And he
smelled the savour of his raiment and blessed him, and said See,
the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD
{lorde} hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of
the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine. People be
thy servants and nations bow unto thee. Be lord over thy brethren,
and thy mother's children stoop unto thee. Cursed be he that
curseth thee, and blessed {lessed} be he that blesseth thee. As
soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Iacob, and Iacob was
scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father: then came
Esau his brother from his hunting: and had made also meat, and
brought it in unto his father and said unto him: Arise my father
and eat of thy son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. Then his
father Isaac said unto him: Who art thou? he answered I am thy
eldest son Esau. And Isaac was greatly astonied out of measure,
and said: Where is he then that hath hunted venison and brought it
me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed
him, and he shall be blessed still. When Esau heard the words of
his father, he cried out greatly and bitterly above measure, and
said unto his father: bless me also my father. And he said thy
brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing. Then
said he: He may well be called Iacob, for he hath undermined me
now two times, first he took away my birthright: and see, now hath
he taken away my blessing also. And he said, hast thou kept never
a blessing for me? Isaac answered and said unto Esau: behold I
have made him thy lord, {LORde} and all his mother's children have
I made his servants. Moreover with corn and wine have I stablished
him, what can I do unto thee now my son? And Esau said unto his
father: hast thou but that one blessing my father? bless me also
my father: so lifted up Esau his voice and wept. Then Isaac his
father answered and said unto him: Behold thy dwelling place shall
have of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from
above. And with thy sword shalt thou live and shalt be thy
brother's servant; But the time will come, when thou shalt get the
mastery, and lowse his yoke from off thy neck. And Esau hated
Iacob, because of the blessing that his father blessed him withal,
and said in his heart: The days of my father's sorrow are at hand,
for I will slay my brother Iacob. And these words of Esau her
eldest son, were told to Rebecca. And she sent and called Iacob
her youngest son, and said unto him: behold thy brother Esau
threateneth to kill thee: Now therefore my son hear my voice, make
thee ready, and flee to Laban my brother at Haran: And tarry with
him a while, until thy brother's fierceness be swaged, and until
thy brother's wrath turn away from thee, and he forget that which
thou hast done to him. Then will I send and fetch thee away from
thence. Why should I lose you both in one day? And Rebecca spake
to Isaac: I am weary of my life, for fear of the daughters of
Heth. If Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such one as
these are, or of the daughters of the land, what lust should I
have to live?
Chapter .xxviij.
Then Isaac called Iacob his son and blessed him, and charged him
and said unto him: see thou take not a wife of the daughters of
Canaan, but arise and get thee to Mesopotamia to the house of
Bethuel thy mother's father: and there take thee a wife of the
daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. And God almighty bless
thee, increase thee, and multiply thee that thou mayest be a
number of people, and give thee the blessing of Abraham: both to
thee and to thy seed with thee, that thou mayest possess the land
(wherein thou art a stranger) which God gave unto Abraham. Thus
Isaac sent forth Iacob, to go to Mesopotamia unto Laban, son of
Bethuel the Sirien, and brother to Rebecca Iacob's and Esau's
mother. When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Iacob, and sent him
to Mesopotamia, to fetch him a wife thence, and that, as he
blessed him he gave him a charge saying: see thou take not a wife
of the daughters of Canaan: and that Iacob had obeyed his father
and mother, and was gone unto Mesopotamia: and seeing also that
the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father: Then went he
unto Ismael, and took unto the wives which he had, Mahala the
daughter of Ismael Abraham's son, the sister of Nabaioth to be his
wife. Iacob departed from Berseba and went toward Haran, and came
unto a place and tarried there all night, because the son was
down. And took a stone of the place, and put it under his head,
and laid him down in the same place to sleep. And he dreamed: and
behold there stood a ladder upon the earth, and the top of it
reached up to heaven. And see, the angels of God went up and down
upon it, yea and the LORD stood upon it and said: I am the LORD
God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac: The land which
thou sleepest upon will I give thee and thy seed. And thy seed
shall be as the dust of the earth: And thou shalt spread abroad:
west, east, north and south. And thorow thee and thy seed shall
all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. And see I am with thee,
and will be thy keeper in all places whother thou goest, and will
bring thee again into this land: Neither will I leave thee until I
have made good, all that I have promised thee. When Iacob was
awaked out of his sleep, he said: surely the LORD is in this
place, and I was not aware. And he was afraid and said how fearful
is this place? it is none other, but even the house of God and the
gate of heaven. And Iacob stood up early in the morning and took
the stone that he had laid under his head, and pitched it up on
end, and poured oil on the top of it. And he called the name of
the place Bethel, for indeed the name of the city was called Lus
before time. And Iacob vowed a vow, saying: If God will be with me
and will keep me in this journey which I go and will give me bread
to eat, and clothes to put on, so that I come again unto my
father's house in safety: then shall the LORD be my God, and this
stone which I have set up an end, shall be God's {godes} house.
And of all that thou shalt give me, will I give the tenth unto
thee.
Chapter .xxix.
Then Iacob lift up his feet, and went toward the east country. And
as he looked about, behold there was a well in the field, and
three flocks of sheep lay thereby (for at that well were the
flocks watered) and there lay a great stone at the well mouth. And
the manner was to bring the flocks thither, and to roll the stone
from the well's mouth and to water the sheep, and to put the stone
again upon the well's mouth unto his place. And Iacob said unto
them: brethren, whence be ye? And they said: of Haran are we. And
he said unto them: Know ye Laban the son of Nahor. And they said:
We know him. And he said unto them: is he in good health? And they
said: he is in good health: and behold, his daughter Rahel cometh
with the sheep. And he said: lo, it is yet a great while to night,
neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together:
water the sheep and go and feed them. And they said: we may not,
until all the flocks be brought together, and the stone be rolled
from the well's mouth, and so we water our sheep. While he yet
talked with them, Rahel came with her father's sheep, for she kept
them. As soon as Iacob saw Rahel, the daughter of Laban his
mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, he
went and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the
sheep of Laban his mother's brother. And Iacob kissed Rahel, and
lift up his voice and wept: and told her also that he was her
father's brother and Rebecca's son. Then Rahel ran and told her
father. When Laban heard tell of Iacob his sister's son, he ran
against him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him into
his house. And then Iacob told Laban all the matter. And then
Laban said: well, thou art my bone and my flesh. Abide with me the
space of a month. And afterward Laban said unto Iacob: though thou
be my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell
me what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters, the
eldest called Lea and the youngest Rahel. Lea was tender eyed, but
Rahel was beautiful and well favored. And Iacob loved her well,
and said: I will serve thee seven years for Rahel thy youngest
daughter. And Laban answered: it is better that I give her thee,
than to another man: bide therefore with me. And Iacob served
seven years for Rahel, and they seemed unto him but a few days,
for the love he had to her. And Iacob said unto Laban: give me my
wife, that I may lie with her. For the time appointed me is come.
Then Laban bade all the men of that place, and made a feast. And
when even was come, he took Lea his daughter and brought her to
him and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Lea,
Zilpha his maid, to be her servant. And when the morning was come,
behold it was Lea. Than said he to Laban: wherefore hast thou
played thus with me? did not I serve thee for Rahel, wherefore
then hast thou beguiled me? Laban answered: it is not the manner
of this place, to marry the youngest before the eldest. Pass out
this week, and then shall this also be given thee for the service
which thou shalt serve me yet seven years more. And Iacob did even
so, and passed out that week, and then he gave him Rahel his
daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rahel his daughter, Bilha
his handmaid to be her servant. So lay he by Rahel also, and loved
Rahel more than Lea, and served him yet seven years more. When the
LORD saw that Lea was despised, he made her fruitful: but Rahel
was barren. And Lea conceived and bare a son, and called his name
Ruben, for she said: the LORD hath looked upon my tribulation. And
now my husband will love me. And she conceived again and bare a
son, and said: the LORD hath heard that I am despised, and hath
therefore given me this son also, and she called him Simeon. And
she conceived yet and bare a son, and said: now this once will my
husband keep me company, because I have borne him three sons: and
therefore she called his name Levi. And she conceived yet again,
and bare a son saying: Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she
called his name Iuda, and left bearing.
Chapter .xxx.
When Rahel saw that she bare Iacob no children, she envied her
sister and said unto Iacob: give me children, or else I am but
dead. Then was Iacob wroth with Rahel saying: Am I in God's
{godes} stead which keepeth from thee the fruit of thy womb? Then
she said: here is my maid Bilha: go in unto her, that she may bear
upon my lap, that I may be increased by her. And she gave him
Bilha her handmaid to wife. And Iacob went in unto her: And Bilha
conceived and bare Iacob a son. Then said Rahel: God hath given
sentence on my side, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given
me a son. Therefore called she him Dan. And Bilha Rahel's maid
conceived again, and bare Iacob another son. And Rahel said. God
is turned, and I have made a change with my sister, and have
gotten the upper hand. And she called his name Naphtali. When Lea
saw that she had left bearing, she took Silpha her maid, and gave
her Iacob to wife. And Silpha Lea's maid bare Iacob a son. Then
said Lea: Good luck: and called his name Gad. And Silpha Lea's
maid bare Iacob another son. Then said Lea: happy am I, for the
daughters will call me blessed. And called his name Asser. And
Ruben went out in the wheat harvest and found mandragoras in the
fields, and brought them unto his mother Lea. Then said Rahel to
Lea give me of thy son's mandragoras. And Lea answered: Is it not
enough, that thou hast taken away my husband, but wouldest take
away my son's mandragoras also? Then said Rahel well, let him
sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandragoras. And when
Iacob came from the fields at even, Lea went out to meet him, and
said: come in to me, for I have bought thee with my son's
mandragoras. And he slept with her that night. And God heard Lea,
that she conceived and bare unto Iacob the fifth son. Then said
Lea: God hath given me my reward, because I gave my maiden to my
husband, and she called him Isachar. And Lea conceived yet again
and bare Iacob the sixth son. Then said she: God hath endued me
with a good dowry. Now will my husband dwell with me, because I
have borne him six sons: and called his name Zabulon. After that
she bare a daughter, and called her Dina. And God remembered
Rahel, heard her, and made her fruitful: so that she conceived and
bare a son, and said God hath taken away my rebuke. And she called
his name Ioseph saying: The LORD {lorde} give me yet another son.
As soon as Rahel had borne Ioseph, Iacob said to Laban: Send me
away that I may go unto mine own place and country, give me my
wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go:
for thou knowest what service I have done thee. Then said Laban
unto him: If I have found favour in thy sight (for I suppose that
the LORD {|God|} hath blessed me for thy sake) appoint what thy
reward shall be, and I will give it thee. But he said unto him,
thou knowest what service I have done thee, and in what taking thy
cattle have been under me: For it was but little that thou hadst
before I came, and now it is increased into a multitude, and the
LORD hath blessed thee for my sake. But now when shall I make
provision for mine own house also? And he said: what shall I give
thee? And Iacob answered: thou shalt give me nothing at all, if
thou wilt do this one thing for me: And then will I turn again and
feed thy sheep and keep them. I will go about all thy sheep this
day, and separate from them all the sheep that are spotted and of
divers colours, and all black sheep among the lambs and the party
and spotted among the kids: And then such shall be my reward. So
shall my righteousness answer for me: when the time cometh that I
shall receive my reward of thee: So that whatsoever is not
speckled and party among the goats and black among the lambs, let
that be theft with me. Then said Laban: Lo, I am content, that it
be according as thou hast said. And he took out that same day the
he goats that were party and of divers colours, and all the goats
that were spotted and party coloured, and all that had white in
them, and all the black among the lambs: and put them in the
keeping of his sons, and set three days' journey betwixt himself
and Iacob. And so Iacob kept the rest of Laban's sheep. Iacob took
rods of green poplar, hazel, and of chestnut trees, and pilled
white streaks in them and made the white appear in the staves: And
he put the staves which he had pilled, even before the sheep, in
the gutters and watering troughs, when the sheep came to drink:
that they should conceive when they came to drink. And the sheep
conceived before the staves, and brought forth streaked, spotted
and party. Then Iacob parted the lambs, and turned the faces of
the sheep toward spotted things, and toward all manner of black
things thorow out the flocks of Laban. And he made him flocks of
his own by them self, which he put not unto the flocks of Laban.
And alway in the first bucking time of the sheep, Iacob put the
staves before the sheep in the gutters, that they might conceive
before the staves: But in the latter bucking time, he put them not
there: so the last brood was Laban's and the first Iacob's. And
the man became exceeding rich and had many sheep, maidservants,
menservants, camels and asses.
Chapter .xxxj.
And Iacob heard the words of Laban's sons how they said: Iacob
hath taken away all that was our father's, and of our father's
goods, hath he gotten all this honour. And Iacob beheld the
countenance of Laban, that it was not toward him as it was in
times past. And the LORD said unto Iacob: turn again into the land
of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. Then
Iacob sent and called Rahel and Lea to the field unto his sheep,
and said unto them: I see your father's countenance, that it is
not toward me as in times past. Moreover the God of my father hath
been with me. And ye know how that I have served your father with
all my might. And your father hath deceived {disceaved} me and
changed my wages ten times: But God suffered him not to hurt me.
When he said the spotted shall be thy wages, then all the sheep
bare spotted. If he said, the streaked shall be thy reward, then
bare all the sheep streaked: thus hath God taken away your
father's cattle and given them me. For in bucking time, I lifted
up mine eyes and saw in a dream: and behold, the rams that bucked
the sheep were streaked, spotted and party. And the angel of God
spake unto me in a dream saying: Iacob?. And I answered: here am
I. And he said: lift up thine eyes and see how all the rams that
leap upon the sheep are streaked, spotted and party: for I have
seen all that Laban doth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel where
thou anointedest the stone and where thou vowdest a vow unto me.
Now arise and get thee out of this country, and return unto the
land where thou wast born. Then answered Rahel and Lea and said
unto him: we have no part nor inheritance in our father's house:
he counteth us even as strangers, for he hath sold us, and hath
even eaten up the price of us. Moreover all the riches which God
hath taken from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now
therefore whatsoever God hath said unto thee, that do. Then Iacob
rose up and set his sons and wives up upon camels, and carried
away all his cattle and all his substance which he had gotten in
Mesopotamia, for to go to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan
Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rahel had stolen her
father's images. And Iacob went away unknowing to {Iacob stale
away the heart of} Laban the Sirian, and told him not that he
fled. So fled he and all that he had, and made himself ready, and
passed over the rivers, and set his face straight toward the mount
Gilead. Upon the third day after, was it told Laban that Iacob was
fled. Then he took his brethren with him and followed after him
seven days' journey, and overtook him at the mount Gilead. And God
came to Laban the Sirian in a dream by night, and said unto him:
take heed to thyself, that thou speak not to Iacob ought save
good. And Laban overtook Iacob: and Iacob had pitched his tent in
that mount. And Laban with his brethren pitched their tent also
upon the mount Gilead. Then said Laban to Iacob: why hast thou
this done unknowing to me, {done to steal away my heart} and hast
carried away my daughters as though they had been taken captive
with sword? Wherefore wentest thou away secretly unknown to me and
didst not tell me, that I might have brought thee on the way with
mirth, singing, timbrels and harps, and hast not suffered me to
kiss my children and my daughters?. Thou wast a fool to do it, for
I am able to do you evil. But the God of your father spake unto me
yesterday saying take heed that thou speak not to Iacob ought save
good. And now though thou wentest thy way because thou longest
after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
Iacob answered and said to Laba: because I was afraid, and thought
that thou wouldest have taken away thy daughters from me. But with
whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him die here before our
brethren. Seek that thine is by me, and take it to thee: for Iacob
wist not that Rahel had stolen them. Then went Laban into Iacob's
tent, and into Lea's tent, and into two maidens' tents: but found
them not. Then went he out of Lea's tent, and entered into Rahel's
tent. And Rahel took the images, and put them in the camel's
straw, and sat down upon them. And Laban searched all the tent:
but found them not. Then said she to her father: my lord, be not
angry that I can not rise up before thee, for the disease of women
is come upon me. So searched he, but found them not. Iacob was
wroth, and chode with Laban: Iacob also answered and said to him:
what have I trespassed or what have I offended, that thou
followedest after me? Thou hast searched all my stuff, and what
hast thou found of all thy household stuff? put it here before thy
brethren and mine, and let them judge betwixt us both. This twenty
years that I have been with thee, thy sheep and thy goats have not
been barren, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
Whatsoever was torn of beasts I brought it not unto thee, but made
it good myself: of my hand didst thou require it, whether it was
stolen by day or night. Moreover by day the heat consumed me, and
the cold by night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have
I been twenty years in thy house, and served thee fourteen years
for thy two daughters, and six years for thy sheep, and thou hast
changed my reward ten times. And except the God of my father, the
God of Abraham, and the God whom Isaac feareth, had been with me:
surely thou hadst sent me away now all empty. But God beheld my
tribulation, and the labour of my, hands: and rebuked thee
yesterday. Laban answered and said unto Iacob: the daughters are
my daughters, and the children are my children, and the sheep are
my sheep, and all that thou seest is mine. And what can I do this
day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they
have born? Now therefore come on, let us make a bond, I and thou
together, and let it be a witness between thee and me. Then took
Iacob a stone and set it up on end, and said unto his brethren,
gather stones. And they took stones, and made an heap, and they
ate there, upon the heap. And Laban called it Zegar Sahadutha, but
Iacob called Gilead. Then said Laban: this heap be witness between
thee and me this day (therefore is it called Gilead) and this toot
hill which the LORD {lorde} seeth (said he) be witness between me
and thee when we are departed one from another: that thou shalt
not vex my daughters neither shalt take other wives unto them.
Here is no man with us: behold, God is witness betwixt thee and
me. And Laban said moreover to Iacob: behold, this heap and this
mark which I have set here, betwixt me and thee: this heap be
witness and also this mark, that I will not come over this heap to
thee, and thou shalt not come over this heap and this mark, to do
any harm. The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor and the God of
their fathers, be judge betwixt us. And Iacob sware by him that
his father Isaac feared. Then Iacob did sacrifice upon the mount,
and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and
tarried all night in the hill. And early in the morning Laban rose
up and kissed his children and his daughters, and blessed them and
departed and went unto his place again.
Chapter .xxxij.
But Iacob went forth on his journey. And the angels of God came
and met him. And when Iacob saw them, he said: this is God's
{godes} host: and called the name of that same place Mahanaim.
Iacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, unto the
land of Seir and the field of Edom. And he commanded them saying:
see that ye speak after this manner to my lord Esau: thy servant,
Iacob sayeth thus; I have sojourned and been a stranger with Laban
unto this time: and have gotten oxen, asses and sheep, menservants
and womenservants, and have sent to shew it my lord, that I may
find grace in thy sight. And the messengers came again to Iacob
saying: we came unto thy brother Esau, and he cometh against thee
and four hundred men with him. Then was Iacob greatly afraid, and
wist not which way to turn himself, and divided the people that
was with him and the sheep, oxen and camels, into two companies,
and said: If Esau come to the one part and smite it, the other may
save itself. And Iacob said: O God of my father Abraham, and God
of my father Isaac: LORD, which saidest unto me, return unto thy
country and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee. I am
not worthy of the least of all the mercies and truth which thou
hast shewed unto thy servant. For with my staff came I over this
Iordan, and now have I gotten two droves. Deliver me from the
hands of my brother Esau, for I fear him: lest he will come and
smite the mother with the children. Thou saidest that thou
wouldest surely do me good, and wouldest make my seed as the sand
of the sea which can not be numbered for multitude. And he tarried
there that same night, and took of that which came to hand, a
present, unto Esau his brother: Two hundred she goats and twenty
he goats: two hundred sheep and twenty rams: thirty milch camels
with their colts: forty kine and ten bulls: twenty she asses and
ten foals and delivered them unto his servants, every drove by
them selves, and said unto them: go forth before me and put a
space betwixt every drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying:
When Esau my brother meeteth thee and asketh thee saying: whose
servant art thou and whither goest thou, and whose are these that
go before thee: thou shalt say, they be thy servant Iacob's, and
are a present sent unto my lord Esau, and behold, he himself
cometh after us. And so commanded he the second, and even so the
third, and likewise all that followed the droves saying, of this
manner see that ye speak unto Esau when ye meet him, and say
moreover. Behold thy servant Iacob cometh after us, for he said. I
will pease his wrath with the present that goeth before me and
afterward I will see him myself, so peradventure he will receive
me to grace. So went the present before him and he tarried all
that night in the tent, and rose up the same night and took his
two wives and his two maidens and his eleven sons, and went over
the ford Iabok. And he took them and sent them over the river, and
sent over that he had and tarried behind himself alone. And there
wrestled a man with him unto the breaking of the day. And when he
saw that he could not prevail against him, he smote him under the
thigh, and the sinew of Iacob's thigh shrank as he wrestled with
him. And he said: let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said: I
will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him:
what is thy name? He answered: Iacob. And he said: thou shalt be
called Iacob no more, but Israel. For thou hast wrestled with God
and with men and hast prevailed. And Iacob asked him saying, tell
me thy name. And he said, wherefore dost thou ask after my name?
and he blessed him there. And Iacob called the name of the place
Pheniel, for I have seen God face to face, and yet is my life
reserved. And as he went over Peniel, the sun rose upon him, and
he halted upon his thigh: wherefore the children of Israel eat not
of the sinew that shrank under the thigh, unto this day: because
that he smote Iacob under the thigh in the sinew that shrank.
Chapter .xxxiij.
Iacob lift up his eyes and saw his brother Esau come, and with him
four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Lea and unto
Rahel and unto the two maidens. And he put the maidens and their
children foremost, and Lea and her children after, and Rahel and
Ioseph hindermost. And he went before them and fell on the ground
seven times, until he came unto his brother. Esau ran against {to
meet} him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him,
and they wept. And he lift up his eyes and saw the wive