The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXVI.

[verse 1] Hungur forsothe sproong vpon the erthe, after thilk bareynte that felle in the daies of Abraham, ȝede Ysaac to Abymalech, the king of Palestynes, in Gerera. [verse 2] And the Lord apperide to hym, and seith, Desend thow not down into Egipt, but rest thow in the loond that I [verse 3] shal seye to thee, and be pilgrym in it; and I shal be with thee, and I shal blis to thee; to thee forsothe and to thi seed Y shal ȝyue alle thes regyouns, fulfillynge the oth that Y bihiȝt to Abraham, thi fader. [verse 4] And Y shal multiplie thi seed as sterrys of heuen, and Y shal ȝyue to thin aftir comers alle thes regiouns, and alle folkis of the erthe shulen be blissid in [verse 5] thi seed, therthurȝ that Abraham obeishid to my voys, and wolde kepe myn heestis and maundementis, and wolde holde my seremonyes and lawis. [verse 6] And so Ysaac dwelte in Gerarys. [verse 7] Which, whan he was askid of the men of thilk place vpon his wijf, answeride, My sister she is; for|sothe he dredde to knowlechen that she was to hym felowshipte thurȝ mariage, letyng lest perauenture thei [the A.] shulden slee hym for the fairnes of hir. [verse 8] And whan many dayes weren passid, and there dwellyd, the kyng Abymalech of Pale|stynes biholdynge thurȝ a wyndow, sawȝ hym pleiynge with Rebecca, his wiyf. [verse 9] And hym clepid seith, It is clere that she is thi wijf; whi hast thow lyed hir to be thi sistir? He answeryd, I dredde, lest Y shulde dye for hir. [verse 10] And Abyma|lech seide, Whi hast thow put [putt ine BEF pr. m. puttyn D.] blame to vs? Sum man of the puple myȝte haue

ley with thi wijf, and thow haddist yn|brouȝt vpon vs a greet synne. And he comaundide to alle the puple, seiynge, [verse 11] Who towchith the wijf of this man, with [Om. BEF.] deth he shal die. [verse 12] Isaac forsothe sowide in that loond, and he fonde that ȝeer the hundryd foold; and God blisside to hym. [verse 13] And the man fel ryche, and he ȝede profytynge and vndurgrowynge to the tyme that he was maad hugeli greet. [verse 14] And he hadde possessiouns of sheep, and of droues, and of meyne mych. For that [verse 15] Palestynes noiynge [enuying BDEFH.] to hym, stoppiden alle the pittis the whiche the seruauntis of his fader Abraham that tyme hadden [verse 16] doluun, fulfillynge with erthe, in so myche that hym silf Abymalech seide to Ysaac, Goo awey fro vs, for greetli thow art maad myȝtyer than we. [verse 17] And he goynge thens, that he come to the rennynge watir [verse 18] of Gerare, and dwelle there, eftsones he deluyde other pittis, the whiche the ser|uauntis of his fader Abraham delueden, and whom, hym deed, sumtyme Phili|stiens stoppiden; and he clepide hem the same names, in the whiche the fader hadde clepid bifore. [verse 19] The deluyden in the ren|nynge watir, and thei fonden quyk watir. [verse 20] But and there was striyf of the sheep|herdis of [Om. A.] Gerare aȝenus the sheepherdis of Isaac, seiynge, Oure [ourn BEH.] is the water; wherfor the name of the pit of that that [Om. A.] felle he clepide chalange. [verse 21] And thei del|ueden anothir, and for thilk forsothe thei stryuen, and he clepide it enmytese. [verse 22] Fro thens goon he deluyde another pit, for which thei stryuen not, and so he clepide the name of it breede, seiynge, Now God hath sprad vs a brood, and he hath maad growe vpon the erthe. [verse 23] Forsothe fro that [verse 24] place he steiȝ vp into Bersabe, where the Lord aperyde to hym in that nyȝt, sei|ynge, I am the God of Abraham, thi fader; nil thou not drede, for I am with thee, and I shal blisse to thee, and I shal

multiplie thi seed for my seruaunt Abra|ham. [verse 25] And so he bildide [bylde BDEFH.] there an auter to the Lord; and inwardli clepid the name of the Lord, strawȝte out a taber|nacle, and comaundide his seruauntis that thei shulden delue pittis. [verse 26] To the which place whan thei [Om. BDEFH.] weren comen fro Gera|ris, Abymalech and Ochoȝat, frendis of hym, and Phichol, the duyk of knyȝtis, [verse 27] Ysaac spak to hem, What ben ȝe comen to me, a man whom ȝe hatiden, and put|tiden [putten E.] awey fro ȝow? [verse 28] Whiche answer|iden, We han se the Lord to be with thee, and therfor we seiden, Be there an oth bitwix vs, and maak we to gider [verse 29] boond of pees, that thow do not to vs eny thing of yuel, and as we towchiden no thing of thin, ne han doon that shulde harm thee, but with pees we han laft thee encreessid with the blissyng of the Lord. [verse 30] Thanne he made hem a feest; [verse 31] and aftir meet and drynke arysynge eerli, thei sweren to hem siluen to gidere; and Ysaac peesibli laft hem into her place. [verse 32] Loo! forsothe in that day comen the ser|uauntis of Ysaac, tellynge to hym of the pit that thei delueden, and seiynge, We han foundun watir. [verse 33] Wher of he clepide it plente [plentith BDEFH.] ; and the name of [to BDEFH.] the cyte is set Bersabee, vnto the day that is now. [verse 34] Esau forsothe fourti wyntir olde took two wyues, Judith, the dowȝter of Beery Ethei, and Bethsamath, the dowter of [verse 35] Elon, of the same place; the whiche bothe hadden offendid the inwitt of Ysaac and Rebecca.