Genesis · Chapter 16

[ edit] For Saray, þe wijf of Abram, had not geet to hym fre children; but hauynge an hand mayden Egipcian, Agar bi name, ſeyde to hir howſbond, Loo! þe Lord haþ cloſid me, þat Y may not bere; go into myn hand maydyn, if perauenture at þe leſte of hir I take children. And whanne he aſſentide to hir preiyng, he toke Agar þe Egipcian, hir hand mayden, aftir ten ȝeer þat þei bigunnen to dwelle in þe londe of Chanaan, and ſhe ȝaue hir a wijf to hir huſbond. Þe which ȝede into hir; and ſhe ſeynge hir ſilf þat ſhe had conſeyued, diſpiſide hir ladi.

And Saray ſeide to Abram, Vneuenli þow doſt aȝens me; I haue ȝyuun myn hand mayden into þi boſum, þe which ſeynge þat ſhe haþ conſeyued, haþ me to deſpit; þe Lord deme bitwix me and þee. To whom anſwerynge Abram, Lo! he ſeiþ, þin hand maydyn is in þin hond; vſe hir as it is leueful. Þanne Saray ouertraueilynge hir, ſhe ȝede into flyȝt. And whanne þe aungel of þe Lord hadde foundun hir biſide þe welle of water in wildirnes, þe which is in þe weye of Sur in deſert, he ſeide to hir, Agar, þe hand mayden of Saray, whens comyſt þow, and whiþir goſt þow? Þe which anſweride, Fro þe face of Saray my ladi I flee.

And þe aungel of þe Lord ſeide to hir, Turne aȝen to þi ladi, and be meke vndir þe hondis of hir. And eft, Multipliynge, he ſeiþ, I ſhal multiplie þi ſeed, and it ſhal not be nowmbrid for þe multitude. And herafterward, Loo! he ſeiþ, þow haſt conſeyued, and þow ſhalt bere a ſone, and þow ſhalt cleep þe name of hym Yſmael, þerþurȝ þat þe Lord haþ herd þin affliccioun; þis ſhal be a feers man; þe hoond of hym aȝens alle, and þe hoond of alle aȝens hym; and forn aȝens alle his briþeren he ſhal ficche tabernaclis. Agar forſoþe clepide þe name of þe Lord þat ſpak to hir, Þow God þat ſaw me; and ſhe ſeide, Forſoþe here I haue ſeen þe hyndirmore of þilk þat ſaw me.

Þerfor ſhe nemnyde þat pytte, þe pytte of hym lyuynge and ſeynge me; þilk is bytwix Cades and Barad. And Agar bare to Abram a ſone, þe which clepide þe name of hym Iſmael. Of eiȝti and ſixe wynter was Abram, whanne Agar bare to hym Iſmael.