Genesis · Chapter 21

[ edit] God forſoþe viſitide Sara, as he had bihiȝt, and fulfillide þat þat he ſpak. And ſhe conſeyuede, and bare a ſone in hir elde, in þe tyme þat God bifore ſeide to hir. And Abraham clepide þe name of his ſone, whom gat to hym Sara, Yſaac. And he circumſidide hym þe eiȝte day, as God had comaundid hym, whan he was of an hundrid wynter; þis forſoþe age of þe fadir Yſaac was born. And Sara ſeide, Þe Lord haþ lawyng maad to me, and who ſo euer ſhal here ſhal wiþ lawe to me. And eft ſhe ſeiþ, Who to heren ſhulde leue Abraham, þat Sara ſhulde ȝyue a child to ſowk, whom ſhe bare to hym now oold?

Þanne þe child growide and was don awey fro ſowkyng; and Abraham made a greet feeſt, in þe day of þe wanyng of hym. And whan Sara had ſeen þe ſone of Agar Egipcian pleiynge wiþ Yſaac, hir ſone, ſhe ſeide to Abraham, Þrow out þis hand mayden, and þe ſone of hir; þe ſone of þe hand mayden ſhal not be eyre wiþ my ſone Yſaac. Hard toke þat Abraham for his ſone; to whom God ſeide, Sharp be it not ſeen to þee vpon þe child, and vpon þi hand mayden; alle þingis þat Sara ſhal ſeye to þee, here þe voys of hir, for in Yſaac ſhal be clepid ſeed to þee; but and þe ſone of þe handmaydyn I ſhal make into a greet folk of kynde, for þi ſeed he is.

And ſo Abraham aroos erly, and takynge breed, and a botel of water, leide to þe ſhuldur of hym, and bitoke þe childe, and lefte hir; þe which, whanne he was gon awey, erride in þe wildirnes of Berſabee. And whan þe water in þe botel was doon, ſhe þrewe awey þe child vndir a tree, þat þere was, and ȝede a wey, and ſhe ſet forn aȝens a fer, as myche as a bow may caſt; ſhe ſeide forſoþe, I ſhal not ſe dyinge þe child, and ſittynge aȝens, heuede vp hir voys, and wepte. And þe Lord herde þe vois of þe child, and þe aungel of þe Lord clepide Agar fro heuene, ſeiynge, Agar, what doſt þow? wole þow not drede; God forſoþe haþ herd þe vois of þe child, fro þe place in which he is.

Aryſe, and take þe child, and holde þe honde of hym; for into a greet folk I ſhal make hym. And God openede þe eyen of hir, þe whiche ſeynge þe pit of water, ȝede, and fillide þe botel, and ȝaue þe child to drynk; and was wiþ hym, þe whiche wex, and dwellid in wildyrnes, and he was maad a ȝong ſheter, and dwellid in þe deſert of Pharan; and his modir toke to hym a wijf of þe lond of Egipt.

Þe ſame tyme ſeide Abymalech, and Phicol, þe prince of his ooſt, to Abraham, God is wiþ þee in alle þingis þat þow doſt; þanne ſwere by God þat þow noye not to me, ne to myn aftir comers, and to my lynage; but after þe mercy þat I haue do to þee, do þow to me, and to þe loond in which þow haſt dwellid comelyng. And Abraham ſeide, I ſhal ſwere. And he blamyde Abymalech for þe pit of water, þe which þurȝ force token a wey þe ſeruauntis of hym. And Abymalec anſwerid, I wiſte not who dide þis þing, but and þow ſhewediſt not to me, and I herde not forto to day. And ſo Abraham toke ſheep, and oxen, and ȝaue to Abymalech, and boþe þei ſmyten a boond of pees.

And Abrahame ordeynede ſeuene ſhe lambis of þe flok aſyde. To whom ſayde Abymalech, What to hem wilne þes ſeuen ſhe lambis, þe which þow haſt maad ſtoond aſyde? And he, Seuen, he ſeiþ, ſhe lambis þow ſhalt take of myn honde, þat þei be into witnes to me, for I deluyde þis pit. Þerfore þis place was clepid Berſabee, for þere eiþir ſwore, and ȝeden in couenaunt of pees for þe pitt of oþe. Abymalech forſoþe aroos, and Phicol, þe prince of his chyualrye, and turneden aȝen into þe loond of Paleſtynes. Abraham forſoþe plauntide a wode in Berſabee, and inwardli clepide þere þe name of euerlaſtynge God; and was a tilier of þe erþe of Paleſtynes many dayes.