Chapter 3

After these deeds, the word of GOD {|the LORDE|} came unto Abram in a vision saying fear not Abram, I am thy shield, and thy reward shall be exceeding great. And Abram answered: Lord Iehouah what wilt thou give me: I go childless, and the cater of mine house, this Eleasar of Damasco hath a son. And Abram said: See, to me hast thou given to seed: lo, a lad born in my house shall be mine heir. And behold, the word of the LORD spake unto Abram saying: He shall not be thine heir, but one that shall come out of thine own body shall be thine heir. And he brought him out at the doors and said: Look up unto heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. And said unto him: Even so shall thy seed be. And Abram believed the LORD, and it was counted to him for righteousness. And he said unto him: I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur in Chaldea to give thee this land to possess it. And he said: Lord GOD, {LORde God} whereby shall I know that I shall possess it? And he said unto him: take an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon. And he took all these and divided them in the midst, and laid every piece, one over against another. But the fowls divided he not. And the birds fell on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. And when the sun was down, there fell a slumber upon Abram. And lo, fear and great darkness came upon him. And he said unto Abram: know this of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that pertaineth not unto them. And they shall make bondmen of them and entreat them evil four hundred years. But the nation whom they shall serve, will I judge. And afterward shall they come out with great substance. Nevertheless thou shalt go unto thy fathers in peace, and shalt be buried when thou art of a good age: and in the fourth generation they shall come hither again, for the wickedness of the Amorites is not yet full. When the sun was down and it was waxed dark: behold, there was a smoking furnace and a fire brand that went between the said pieces. And that same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram saying: unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt, even unto the great river Euphrates: the Kenites, the Kenizites, the Cadmonites, the Hethites, the Pherezites, the Raphaims, the Amorites, the Cananites, the Gergesites and the Iebusites.

Chapter .xvi.

Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children. But she had an hand maid an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. Wherefore she said unto Abram: Behold the LORD hath closed me, that I can not bear. I pray thee go in unto my maid, peradventure I shall be multiplied by means of her; And Abram heard the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian (after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan) and gave her to her husband Abram, to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived her mistress was despised in her sight. Then said Sarai unto Abram: Thou dost me unright, for I have given my maid into thy bosom: and now because she seeth that she hath conceived, I am despised in her sight: the LORD judge between thee and me. Then said Abram to Sarai: behold, thy maid is in thy hand, do with her as it pleaseth thee. And because Sarai fared foul with her, she fled from her. And the Angel of the LORD found her beside a fountain of water in the wilderness: even by a well in the way to Sur. And he said: Hagar Sarai's maid, whence comest thou and whither wilt thou go? And she answered: I flee from my mistress Sarai. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her: return to thy mistress again, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the LORD said unto her: I will so increase thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the LORD's angel said further unto her: see, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ismael: because the LORD hath heard thy tribulation. He will be a wild man, and his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. And yet shall he dwell fast by all his brethren. And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her: thou art the God that lookest on me, for she said: I have of a surety seen here the back parts of him that seeth me. Wherefore she called the well, the well of the living that seeth me which well is between Cades and Bared. And Hagar bare Abram a son, and Abram called his son's name which Hagar bare Ismael. And Abram was eighty six years old, when Hagar bare him Ismael.

Chapter .xvij.

When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to him saying: I am the almighty God: walk before me and be uncorrupt. And I will make my bond between thee and me, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face. And God talked moreover with him saying: I am, behold my testament is with thee, that thou shalt be a father of many nations. Therefore shalt thou no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham: for a father of many nations have I made thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly, and will make nations of thee: yea and kings shall spring out of thee. Moreover I will make my bond between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their times to be an everlasting testament, so that I will be God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger: even all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and will be their God. And God said unto Abraham: See thou keep my testament, both thou and thy seed after thee in their times: This is my testament which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee, that ye circumcise all your men children. Ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh, and it shall be a token of the bond betwixt me and you. And every manchild when it is eight days old, shall be circumcised among you in your generations, and all servants also born at home or bought with money though they be strangers and not of thy seed. The servant born in thy house, and he also that is bought with money, must needs be circumcised, that my testament may be in your flesh, for an everlasting bond. If there be any uncircumcised manchild, that hath not the foreskin of his flesh cut off, his soul shall perish from his people: because he hath broken my testament. And God said unto Abraham. Sarai thy wife shall no more be called Sarai: but Sara shall her name be. For I will bless her and give thee a son of her and will bless her: so that people, yea and kings of people shall spring of her. And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart: shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred year old, and shall Sara that is ninety years old, bear: And Abraham said unto God. O that Ismael might live in thy sight. Then said God: nay, Sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac. And I will make my bond with him, that it shall be an everlasting bond unto his seed after him. And as concerning Ismael also, I have heard thy request: lo, I will bless him and increase him, and multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he {be} beget, and I will make a great nation of him. But my bond will I make with Isaac, which Sara shall bear unto thee: even this time twelve month. And God left off talking with him, and departed up from Abraham. And Abraham took Ismael his son and all the servants born in his house and all that was bought with money as many as were men children among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the foreskin of their flesh, even the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. Abraham was ninety years old and nine when he cut off the foreskin of his flesh. And Ismael his son was thirteen year old, when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised. The self same day was Abraham circumcised and Ismael his son. And all the men in his house, whether they were born in his house or bought with money (though they were strangers) were circumcised with him.

Chapter .xviij.

And the LORD appeared unto him in the oak grove of Mamre as he sat in his tent door in the heat of the day. And he lift up his eyes and looked: and lo, three men stood not far from him. And when he saw them, he ran against {to meet} them from the tent door, and fell to the ground and said: Lord {LORde} if I have found favour in thy sight, go not by thy servant. Let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest your selves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, to comfort your hearts withal. And then go your ways, for even therefore are ye come to your servant. And they answered: Do even so as thou hast said. And Abraham went a pace into his tent unto Sara and said: make ready at once three pecks of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes. And Abraham ran unto his beasts and fetched a calf that was tender and good, and gave it unto a young man which made it ready at once. And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them, and stood himself by them under the tree: and they ate. And they said unto him: Where is Sara thy wife? And he said: in the tent. And he said: I will come again unto thee as soon as the fruit can live. And lo: Sara thy wife shall have a son. That heard Sara, out of the tent door which was behind his back. Abraham and Sara were both old and well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sara after the manner as it is with wives. And Sara laughed in her self saying: Now I am waxed old, shall I give my self to lust, and my lord old also? Then said the LORD unto Abraha: wherefore doth Sara laugh saying: shall I of a surety bear a child, now when I am old? is the thing too hard for the LORD to do? In the time appointed will I return unto thee, as soon as the fruit can have life. And Sara shall have a son. Then Sara denied it saying: I laughed not, for she was afraid. But he said: yes thou laughtest. Then the men stood up from thence and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said: Can I hide from Abraham that thing which I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall be a great and a mighty people, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do after right and conscience, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that he hath promised him. And the LORD said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorra is great, and their sin is exceeding grievous. I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to that cry which is come unto me or not, that I may know. And the men departed thence and went to Sodomward. But Abraham stood yet before the LORD, and drew near and said Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? If there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou destroy it and not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee, that thou shouldest do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked: that be far from thee. Should not the Iudge of all the world do according to right? And the LORD said: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said: behold I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, {LORde} and yet am but dust and ashes. What though there lack five of fifty righteous, wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said: If I find there forty and five I will not destroy them. And he spake unto him yet again and said: what if there be forty found there: And he said: I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said: O let not my Lord {LORde} be angry, that I speak. What if there be found thirty there? And he said: I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said: Oh, see, I have begun to speak unto my Lord, {LORde} what if there be twenty found there? And he said: I will not destroy them for twenty's sake. And he said: O let not my Lord {LORde} be angry, that I speak yet, but even once more only. What if ten be found there? And he said: I will not destroy them for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham. And Abraham returned unto his place.

Chapter .xix.

And there came two angels to Sodom at even. And Lot sat at the gate of the city. And Lot saw them, and rose up against {to meet} them, and he bowed himself to the ground with his face. And he said: See lords, turn in I pray you in to your servant's house and tarry all night and wash your feet, and rise up early and go on your ways. And they said: nay, but we will bide in the streets all night. And he compelled them exceedingly. And they turned in unto him and entered into his house, and he made them a feast and did bake sweet cakes, and they ate. But before they went to rest, the men of the city of Sodom compassed the house round about both old and young, all the people from all quarters. And they called unto Lot and said unto him: where are the men which came into thy house to night? bring them out unto us that we may do our lust with them. And Lot went out at doors unto them and shut the door after him and said: nay for god's {goddes} sake brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold I have two daughters which have known no man, them will I bring out unto you: do with them as it seemeth you good: Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said: come hither. And they said: camest thou not in to sojourn, and wilt thou be now a judge? we will surely deal worse with thee than with them. And as they preased sore upon Lot and began to break up the door, the men put forth their hands and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut to the door. And the men that were at the door of the house, they smote with blindness both small and great: so that they could not find the door. And the men said moreover unto Lot: If thou have yet here any son-in-law or sons or daughters or whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring it out of this place: for we must destroy this place, because the cry of them is great before the LORD. Wherefore he hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out and spake unto his sons-in-law which should have married his daughters, and said: stond up and get yow out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city. But he seemed as though he had mocked, unto his sons-in-law. And as the morning arose the angels caused Lot to speed him saying. Stond up, take thy wife and thy two daughters and that that is at hand, lest thou perish in the sin of the city. And as he prolonged the time, the men caught both him, his wife and his two daughters by the hands, because the LORD was merciful unto him, and they brought him forth and set him without the city. When they had brought them out, they said: Save thy life and look not behind thee neither tarry thou in any place of the country, but save thyself in the mountain, lest thou perish. Then said Lot unto them: Oh nay my Lord: {lorde} behold, inasmuch as thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, now make thy mercy great which thou shewest unto me in saving my life. For I can not save myself in the mountains, lest some misfortune fall upon me and I die. Behold, here is a city by, to flee unto, and it is a little one, let me save myself therein: is it not a little one, that my soul may live? And he said to him: see I have received thy request as concerning this thing, that I will not overthrow this city for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, and save thyself there, for I can do nothing till thou be come in thither. And therefore the name of the city is called Zoar. And the sun was upon the earth when Lot was entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorra, brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and overthrew those cities and all the region, and all that dwelled in the cities, and that that grew upon the earth. And Lot's wife looked behind her, and was turned in to a pillar of salt. Abraham rose up early and got him to the place where he stood before the LORD, and looked toward Sodom and Gomorra and toward all the land of that country. And as he looked: behold, the smoke of the country arose as it had been the smoke of a furnace. But yet when God destroyed the cities of the region, he thought upon Abraha: and sent Lot out from the danger of the overthrowing, when he overthrew the cities where Lot dwelled. And Lot departed out of Zoar and dwelled in the mountains and his two daughters with him for he feared to tarry in Zoar: he dwelt therefore in a cave, both he and his two daughters also. Then said the elder unto the younger our father is old, and there are no more men in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the world. Come therefore, let us give our father wine to drink, and let us lie with him that we may save seed of our father. And they gave their father wine to drink that same night. And the elder daughter went and lay with her father. And he perceived it not, neither when she lay down, neither when she rose up. And on the morrow the elder said unto the younger: behold, yesternight lay I with my father. Let us give him wine to drink this night also, and go thou and lie with him, and let us save seed of our father. And they gave their father wine to drink that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him. And he perceived it not: neither when she lay down, neither when she rose up. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the elder bare a son and called him Moab, which is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger bare a son and called him Ben Ammi, which is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

Chapter .xx.

And Abraham departed thence toward the south country and dwelled between Cades and Sur and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sara his wife, that she was his sister. Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent and fetched Sara away. And God came to Abimelech by night in a dream and said to him: See, thou art but a dead man for the woman's sake which thou hast taken away, for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had not yet come nye her, and therefore said: Lord {lorde} wilt thou slay righteous people? said not he unto me, that she was his sister? yea and said not she herself that he was her brother? with a pure heart and innocent hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream. I wot it well that thou didst it in the pureness of thy heart: And therefore I kept thee that thou shouldest not sin against me, neither suffered I thee to come nigh her. Now therefore deliver the man his wife again, for he is a prophet. And let him pray for thee that thou mayst live. But and if thou deliver her not again, be sure that thou shalt die the death, with all that thou hast. Then Abimelech rose up be times in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears, and the men were sore afraid. And Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him: What hast thou done unto us, and what have I offended thee, that thou shouldest bring on me and on my kingdom so great a sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said moreover unto Abraham: What sawest thou that moved thee to do this thing? And Abraham answered. I thought that peradventure the fear of God was not in this place, and that they should slay me for my wife's sake: yet in very deed she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not of my mother: and became my wife. And after God caused me to wander out of my father's house, I said unto her: This kindness shalt thou shew unto me in all places where we come, that thou say of me, how that I am thy brother. Then took Abimelech sheep and oxen, menservants and womenservants and gave them unto Abraham, and delivered him Sara his wife again. And Abimelech said: behold the land lieth before thee, dwell where it pleaseth thee best. And unto Sara he said: See I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, behold he {this thing} shall be a covering to thine eyes unto all that are with thee and unto all men and an excuse. And so Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidens, so that they bare. For the LORD had closed to, all the matrices of the house of Abimelech, because of Sara Abraham's wife.

Chapter .xxj.