Genesis · Chapter 2

[ edit] Therfor parfite ben heuene and erþe, and al þe anowrnyng of hem. And God fulfillide in þe ſeuenþe day his werk þat he made; and he reſtide þe ſeueneþ day fro al werk þat he hadde fulfillid; and he bliſſide to þe ſeuenþe day, and he halwide it; for in it he had ſeſyd fro al his werk þat God ſhapide þat he ſhulde make. Þes ben þe generaciouns of heuene and erþe, whan þei ben fourmed, in þe day þat þe Lord God made heuene and erþe, and ech buſhe of þe feeld or it were growun in þe erþe, and al erbe of regioun bifore þat it buriownde.

Þe Lord God forſoþe had not reyned vpon þe erþe, and was noo man þat myȝte worche þe erþe; but a welle aſcendide fro þe erþe, watering al þe ouermoſt of þe erþe. Þe Lord God þanne fourmede man of þe ſlyme of þe erþe, and ſpiride in to þe face of hym an entre of breþ of lijf; and maad is man into a ſoule ȝyuynge lijf. Forſoþe þe Lord God had plawntid paradiſe of delice fro bigynnyng, in þe which he ſette man whom he had fourmed. And þe Lord God brouȝte forþe of þe erþe eche tree fayre in ſiȝt, and ſwete to ete; alſo þe tree of lijf in þe mydle of paradys, and a tree of kunnyng of good and of yuel.

And a flood ȝede out of þe place of delice to watre paradis, þe which fro þens is deuydid in foure hedis; name of þe toon Phiſon, he is þat goþ abowt al þe erþe of Euilaþ, where growiþ gold, and þe gold of þat erþe is beſt; and þer is foundun bdelyum, and þe ſtoon onychynus; and name to þe ſecounde flood Gyon, he is þat goþe abowt al þe erþe of Eþiope; and name forſoþe of þe þrid flood Tigrys, he goþe aȝens Aſſyrios; þe ferþe forſoþe flood, he is Eufrates. Þanne þe Lord God toke man, and putte hym in paradis of delice, þat he ſhulde worche and kepe it.

And he commaundide to hym, ſeiynge, Of ech tree of paradis ete; of þe tree forſoþe of kunnyng of good and of yuel ete þow not; in what euer day ſoþeli þow etiſt þere of, wiþ deþ þow ſhalt die. Þe Lord God forſoþe ſeide, It is not good man to be alone; make we to hym help like hym. Fourmed þanne of þe moiſt erþe alle þingis of þe erþe hauynge ſoule, and al volatile of heuene, þe Lord God brouȝte hem to Adam, þat he ſhulde ſe what he ſhulde clepe hem; al þing forſoþe of ſoule lyuynge þat Adam clepid, þat is þe name of it. And Adam clepide alle þingis hauynge ſoule, and al volatile of heuene, and alle beeſtis of þe erþe, bi her names. To Adam forſoþe was not foundun an helper like hym.

Þanne ſend ynne þe Lord God ſlep into Adam, and whanne he was aſleep, he toke oon of his ribbis, and fulfillide flehs for it. And þe Lord God edifiede þe rib, þe which he toke of Adam, into a woman, and brouȝte hir to Adam. And Adam ſeide, Þis now boon of my bonys, and flehs of my flehs; þis ſhal be clepid mannus dede, for ſhe is takun of a man. Wherfor a man ſhal forſake his fadre and modre, and ſhal draw to hys wijf, and two ſhal be in o flehs. Eiþer forſoþe was nakid, Adam, þat is, and his wijf, and þei ſhameden noȝt.