Genesis · Chapter 26

[ edit] Hungur forſoþe ſproong vpon þe erþe, after þilk bareynte þat felle in þe daies of Abraham, ȝede Yſaac to Abymalech, þe king of Paleſtynes, in Gerera. And þe Lord apperide to hym, and ſeiþ, Deſend þow not down into Egipt, but reſt þow in þe loond þat I ſhal ſeye to þee, and be pilgrym in it; and I ſhal be wiþ þee, and I ſhal blis to þee; to þee forſoþe and to þi ſeed Y ſhal ȝyue alle þes regyouns, fulfillynge þe oþ þat Y bihiȝt to Abraham, þi fader.

And Y ſhal multiplie þi ſeed as ſterrys of heuen, and Y ſhal ȝyue to þin aftir comers alle þes regiouns, and alle folkis of þe erþe ſhulen be bliſſid in þi ſeed, þerþurȝ þat Abraham obeiſhid to my voys, and wolde kepe myn heeſtis and maundementis, and wolde holde my ſeremonyes and lawis. And ſo Yſaac dwelte in Gerarys. Which, whan he was aſkid of þe men of þilk place vpon his wijf, anſweride, My ſiſter ſhe is; forſoþe he dredde to knowlechen þat ſhe was to hym felowſhipte þurȝ mariage, letyng leſt perauenture þei ſhulden ſlee hym for þe fairnes of hir.

And whan many dayes weren paſſid, and þere dwellyd, þe kyng Abymalech of Paleſtynes biholdynge þurȝ a wyndow, ſawȝ hym pleiynge wiþ Rebecca, his wiyf. And hym clepid ſeiþ, It is clere þat ſhe is þi wijf; whi haſt þow lyed hir to be þi ſiſtir? He anſweryd, I dredde, leſt Y ſhulde dye for hir. And Abymalech ſeide, Whi haſt þow put blame to vs? Sum man of þe puple myȝte haue ley wiþ þi wijf, and þow haddiſt ynbrouȝt vpon vs a greet ſynne. And he comaundide to alle þe puple, ſeiynge, Who towchiþ þe wijf of þis man, wiþ deþ he ſhal die. Iſaac forſoþe ſowide in þat loond, and he fonde þat ȝeer þe hundryd foold; and God bliſſide to hym.

And þe man fel ryche, and he ȝede profytynge and vndurgrowynge to þe tyme þat he was maad hugeli greet. And he hadde poſſeſſiouns of ſheep, and of droues, and of meyne mych. For þat Paleſtynes noiynge to hym, ſtoppiden alle þe pittis þe whiche þe ſeruauntis of his fader Abraham þat tyme hadden doluun, fulfillynge wiþ erþe, in ſo myche þat hym ſilf Abymalech ſeide to Yſaac, Goo awey fro vs, for greetli þow art maad myȝtyer þan we.

And he goynge þens, þat he come to þe rennynge watir of Gerare, and dwelle þere, eftſones he deluyde oþer pittis, þe whiche þe ſeruauntis of his fader Abraham delueden, and whom, hym deed, ſumtyme Philiſtiens ſtoppiden; and he clepide hem þe ſame names, in þe whiche þe fader hadde clepid bifore. Þe deluyden in þe rennynge watir, and þei fonden quyk watir. But and þere was ſtriyf of þe ſheepherdis of Gerare aȝenus þe ſheepherdis of Iſaac, ſeiynge, Oure is þe water; wherfor þe name of þe pit of þat þat felle he clepide chalange. And þei delueden anoþir, and for þilk forſoþe þei ſtryuen, and he clepide it enmyteſe.

Fro þens goon he deluyde anoþer pit, for which þei ſtryuen not, and ſo he clepide þe name of it breede, ſeiynge, Now God haþ ſprad vs a brood, and he haþ maad growe vpon þe erþe. Forſoþe fro þat place he ſteiȝ vp into Berſabe, where þe Lord aperyde to hym in þat nyȝt, ſeiynge, I am þe God of Abraham, þi fader; nil þou not drede, for I am wiþ þee, and I ſhal bliſſe to þee, and I ſhal multiplie þi ſeed for my ſeruaunt Abraham. And ſo he bildide þere an auter to þe Lord; and inwardli clepid þe name of þe Lord, ſtrawȝte out a tabernacle, and comaundide his ſeruauntis þat þei ſhulden delue pittis.

To þe which place whan þei weren comen fro Geraris, Abymalech and Ochoȝat, frendis of hym, and Phichol, þe duyk of knyȝtis, Yſaac ſpak to hem, What ben ȝe comen to me, a man whom ȝe hatiden, and puttiden awey fro ȝow? Whiche anſweriden, We han ſe þe Lord to be wiþ þee, and þerfor we ſeiden, Be þere an oþ bitwix vs, and maak we to gider boond of pees, þat þow do not to vs eny þing of yuel, and as we towchiden no þing of þin, ne han doon þat ſhulde harm þee, but wiþ pees we han laft þee encreeſſid wiþ þe bliſſyng of þe Lord. Þanne he made hem a feeſt; and aftir meet and drynke, aryſynge eerli, þei ſweren to hem ſiluen to gidere; and Yſaac peeſibli laft hem into her place.

Loo! forſoþe in þat day comen þe ſeruauntis of Yſaac, tellynge to hym of þe pit þat þei delueden, and ſeiynge, We han foundun watir. Wher of he clepide it plente; and þe name of þe cyte is ſet Berſabee, vnto þe day þat is now. Eſau forſoþe fourti wyntir olde took two wyues, Judiþ, þe dowȝter of Beery Eþei, and Beþſamaþ, þe dowter of Elon, of þe ſame place; þe whiche boþe hadden offendid þe inwitt of Yſaac and Rebecca.