Chapter 4

The lord visited Sara as he had said and did unto her according as he had spoken. {promised} And Sara was with child and bare Abraham a son in his old age even the same season which the Lorde {|God|} had appointed. And Abraham called his son's name that was born unto him which Sara bare him Isaac: and Abraham circumcised Isaac his son when he was eight days old, as God commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred year old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sara said: God hath made me a laughing stock: for all that hear, will laugh at me. She said also: who would have said unto Abraham, that Sara should have given children suck, or that I should have borne him a son in his old age: The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast, the same day that Isaac was weaned. Sara saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian which she had borne unto Abraham, a mocking. Then she said unto Abraham: put away this bondmaid and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac: But the word seemed very grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his son. Then the Lorde {|God|} said unto Abraham: let it not be grievous unto thee, because of the lad and of thy bondmaid: But in all that Sara hath said unto thee, hear her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Moreover of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle with water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulders with the lad also, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered up and down in the wilderness of Berseba. When the water was spent that was in the bottle, she cast the lad under a bush and went and sat her out of sight a great way, as it were a bowshot off: For she said: I will not see the lad die. And she sat down out of sight, and lift up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the child. And the angel of God called Hagar out of heaven and said unto her: What aileth thee Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the child where he lieth. Arise and lift up the lad, and take him in thy hand, for I will make of him a great people. And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink. And God was with the lad, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan. And his mother got him a wife out of thee, land of Egypt. And it chanced the same season, that Abimelech and Phicol his chief captain spake unto Abraham saying: God is with thee in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto me even here by God, that thou wilt not hurt me nor my children, nor my children's children. But that thou shalt deal with me and the country where thou art a stranger, according unto the kindness that I have shewed thee. Then said Abraham: I will swear. And Abraham rebuked Abimelech for a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had taken away. And Abimelech answered I wist not who did it: Also thou toldest me not, neither heard I of it, but this day. And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech. And they made both of them a bond together. And Abraham set seven lambs by them selves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham: what mean these seven lambs which thou hast set by them selves. And he answered: seven lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well: Wherefore the place is called Berseba, because they sware both of them. Thus made they a bond together at Berseba. Then Abimelech and Phicol his chief Captain rose up and turned again unto the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a wood in Berseba, and called there, on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God: and dwelt in the Philistine land a long season.

Chapter .xxij.

After these deeds, God did prove Abraham and said unto him: Abraham. And he answered: here am I. And he said: take thy only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee unto the land of Moria, and sacrifice him there for a sacrifice upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee. Then Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass, and took two of his meiny with him, and Isaac his sonne: and clove wood for the sacrifice, and rose up and got him to the place which God had appointed him. The third day Abraham lift up his eyes and saw the place afar off, and said unto his young men: bide here with the ass. I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again unto you. And Abraham took the wood of the sacrifice and laid it upon Isaac his son, and took fire in his hand and a knife. And they went both of them together. Then spake Isaac unto Abraham his father and said: My father? And he answered here am I my son. And he said: See here is fire and wood, but where is the sheep for sacrifice? And Abraham said: my son, God will provide him a sheep for sacrifice. So went they both together. And when they came unto the place which God shewed him, Abraham made an altar there and dressed the wood, and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, above upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to have killed his son. Then the angel of the LORD called unto him from heaven saying: Abraham, Abraham?. And he answered: here am I. And he said: lay not thy hands upon the child, neither do anything at all unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, in that thou hast not kept thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked about: and behold, there was a ram caught by the horns in a thicket. And he went and took the ram and offered him up for a sacrifice in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, the LORD will see: wherefore it is a common saying this day: in the mount will the LORD be seen. And the angel of the LORD cried unto Abraham from heaven the second time saying: by myself have I sworn (saith the LORD) because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thy only son, that I will bless thee and multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand upon the sea side. And thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. So turned Abraham again unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Berseba. And Abraham dwelt at Berseba. And it chanced after these things, that one told Abraham saying: Behold, Milcha she hath also born children unto thy brother Nachor: Hus his eldest son and Bus his brother, and Kemuel the father of the Sirians, and Cesed, and Haso, and Pildas, and Iedlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat Rebecca. These eight did Milcha bear to Nachor Abraham's brother. And his concubine called Rheuma she bare also Tebah, Gaham, Thaas and Maacha.

Chapter .xxiij.

Sara was an hundred and twenty seven years old (for so long lived she) and then died in a head city called Hebron in the land of Canaan. Then Abraham came to mourn Sara and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from the corpse, and talked with the sons of Heth saying: I am a stranger and a foreigner among yow, give me a possession to bury in with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. And the children of Heth answered Abraham saying unto him: Hear us lord, thou art a prince of God among us. In the chiefest of our sepulchers bury thy dead: None of us shall forbid thee his sepulchre, that thou shouldest not bury thy dead therein. Abraham stood up and bowed himself before the people of the land the children of Heth. And he communed {comoned} with them saying: If it be your minds that I shall bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and speak for me to Ephron the son of Zoar: and let him give me the double cave which he hath in the end of his field, for as much money as it is worth, let him give it me in the presence of you, for a possession to bury in. For Ephron dwelled among the children of Heth. Then Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of his city, saying: Not so, my lord, but hear me: The field give I thee, and the cave that therein is, give I thee also. And even in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee to bury thy dead in. Then Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land, and spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the country saying: I pray thee hear me, I will give silver for the field, take it of me, and so will I bury my dead there. Ephron answered Abraham saying unto him: My lord, hearken unto me. The land is worth four hundredth sicles of silver: But what is that betwixt thee and me? bury thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and weighed him the silver which he had said in the audience of the sons of Heth. Even four hundred silver sicles of current money among merchants. Thus was the field of Ephron wherein the double cave is before Mamre: even the field and the cave that is therein and all the trees of the field which grow in all the borders round about, made sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of the city. And then Abraham buried Sara his wife in the double cave of the field that lieth before Mamre, otherwise called Ebron in the land of Canaan. And so both the field and the cave that is therein, was made unto Abraham, a sure possession to bury in, of the sons of Heth.

Chapter .xxiiij.

Abraham was old and stricken in days, and the LORD had blessed him in all things. And he said unto his eldest servant of his house which had the rule over all that he had: Put thy hand under my thigh that I may make thee swear by the LORD that is God of heaven and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son, of the daughters of the Cananites, among which I dwell. But shalt go unto my country and to my kindred, and there take a wife unto my son Isaac. Then said the servant unto him: what and if the woman will not agree to come with me unto this land, shall I bring thy son again unto the land which thou camest out of? And Abraham said unto him: beware of that, that thou bring not my son thither. The LORD God of heaven which took me from my father's house and from the land where I was born, and which spake unto me and sware unto me saying: unto thy seed will I give this land, he shall send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife unto my son from thence. Nevertheless if the woman will not agree to come with thee then shalt thou be without danger of this oath. But above all things bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham and sware to him as concerning that matter. And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master and departed, and had of all manner goods of his master with him, and stood up and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And made his camels to lie down without the city by a well's side of water, at even: about the time that women come out to draw water, and he said: LORD God of my master Abraham, send me good speed this day, and shew mercy unto my master Abraham. Lo I stond here by the well of water and the daughters of the men of this city will come out to draw water: Now the damsel to whom I say, stoop down thy pitcher, and let me drink. If she say: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, the same is she that thou hast ordained for thy servant Isaac: yea and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed mercy on my master. And it came to pass yer he had left speaking, that Rebecca came out, the daughter of Bethuel, son to Milkah the wife of Nahor Abraham's brother, and her pitcher upon her shoulder: The damsel was very fair to look upon, and yet a maid and unknown of man. And she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up again. Then the servant ran unto her and said: let me sip a little water of thy pitcher. And she said: drink my lord. And she hasted and let down her pitcher upon her arm and gave him drink. And when she had given him drink, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have drunk enough. And she poured out her pitcher into the trough hastily, and ran again unto the well, to fetch water: and drew for all his camels. And the fellow wondered at her. But held his peace, to wete whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. And as the camels had left drinking, he took an earing of half a sicle weight, and two bracelets for her hands, of ten sicles weight of gold, and said unto her: Whose daughter art thou? tell me: is there room in thy father's house, for us to lodge in? And she said unto him: I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milkah which she bare unto Nahor: and said moreover unto him: we have litter and provender enough and also room to lodge in. And the man bowed himself and worshipped the LORD, and said: blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham which ceaseth not to deal mercifully and truly with my master. And {|For the LORDe|} hath brought me the way to my master's brother's house. And the damsel ran and told them of her mother's house these things. And Rebecca had a brother called Laban. And Laban ran out unto the man, to the well: for as soon as he had seen the earings and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and heard the words of Rebecca his sister saying thus said the man unto me, then he went out unto the man. And lo, he stood yet with the camels by the well side. And Laban said: come in thou blessed of the LORD. Wherefore stondest thou without? I have dressed the house and made room for the camels. And then the man came in to the house: and he unbridled the camels: and brought litter and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and their feet that were with him, and there was meat set before him to eat. But he said: I will not eat, until I have said mine errand: And he said: say on; And he said: I am Abraham's servant, and the LORD hath blessed my master out of measure that he is become great and hath given him sheep, oxen, silver and gold, menservants, maidservants, camels and asses. And Sara my master's wife bare him a son, when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. And my master made me swear saying: Thou shalt not take a wife to my son, among the daughters of the Cananites in whose land I dwell. But thou shalt go unto my father's house and to my kindred, and there take a wife unto my son. And I said unto my master: What if the wife will not follow me? And he said unto me: The LORD before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy journey that thou shalt take a wife for my son, of my kindred and of my father's house. But and if (when thou comest unto my kindred) they will not give thee one, then shalt thou bear no peril of mine oath. And I came this day unto the well and said: O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if it be so that thou makest my journey which I go, prosperous: behold, I stond by this well of water, and when a virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her: give me a little water of thy pitcher to drink, and she say again to me: drink thou, and I will also draw water for thy camels: that same is the wife, whom the LORD hath prepared for my master's son. And before I had made an end of speaking in mine heart: behold Rebecca came forth, and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down unto the well and drew. And I said unto her give me drink. And she made haste, and took down her pitcher from off her, and said: drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. And I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. And I asked her saying: whose daughter art thou? And she answered: the daughter of Bathuel Nahor's son, whom Milkah bare unto him. And I put the earing upon her face and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed myself, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham which had brought me the right way, to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. Now therefore if ye will deal mercifully and truly with my master, tell me: And if not, tell me also: that I may turn me to the right hand or to the left. Then answered Laban and Bathuel saying: The thing is proceeded even out of the LORD, {lorde} we can not therefore say unto thee, either good or bad: Behold Rebecca before thy face, take her and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, even as the LORD hath said. And when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself unto the LORD, flat upon the earth. And the servant took forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment, and gave them to Rebecca: But unto her brother and to her mother, he gave spices. And then they ate and drank, both he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night and rose up in the morning. And he said: let me depart unto my master. But her brother and her mother said: let the damsel abide with us a while, and it be but even ten days, and then go thy ways. And he said unto them, hinder me not: for the LORD {lorde} hath prospered my journey. Send me away that I may go unto my master. And they said: let us call the damsel, and wit what she saith to the matter. And they called forth Rebecca and said unto her: wilt thou go with this man? And she said: Yea. Then they brought Rebecca their sister on the way and her nurse and Abraham's servant, and the men that were with him. And they blessed Rebecca and said unto her: Thou art our sister, grow into thousand thousands, and thy seed possess the gates of their enemies. And Rebecca arose and her damsels, and sat them up upon the camels and went their way after the man. And the servant took Rebecca and went his way. And Isaac was a coming from the well of the living and seeing, for he dwelt in the south country, and was gone out to walk in his meditations before the even tide. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and behold the camels were coming. And Rebecca lift up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel, and said unto the servant: what man is this that cometh against us in the field? And the servant said: it is my master. And then she took her mantle, and put it about her. And the servant told Isaac all that he had done. Then Isaac brought her in to his mother Sara's tent, and took Rebecca and she became his wife, and he loved her: and so was Isaac comforted over his mother.

Chapter .xxv.

Abraham took him another wife called Ketura, which bare him Simran, Iacksan, Medan, Midian, Iesback and Suah. And Iacksan begat Seba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Assurim, Letusim and Leumim. And the sons of Midian were Epha, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Elda. All these were the children of Bethura. {Ketura} But Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. And unto the sons of his concubines he gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son (while he yet lived) eastward, unto the east country. These are the days of the life of Abraham which he lived: an hundred and seventy five year and then fell sick and died, in a lusty age (when he had lived enough) and was put unto his people. And his sons Isaac and Ismael buried him in the double cave in the field of Ephron son, of Zoar the Hethite before Mamre. Which field Abraham bought of the sons of Heth: There was Abraham buried and Sara his wife. And after the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac his son, which dwelt by the well of the living and seeing. These are the generations of Ismael Abraham's son, which Hagar the Egyptian Sara's handmaid bare unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ismael, with their names in their kindreds. The eldest son of Ismael, Nevatoth, then Redar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Misma, Duma, Masa, Hadar, Thema, Ietur, Naphis and Kedma. These are the sons of Ismael, and these are their names, in their towns and castles twelve princes of nations. And these are the years of the life of Ismael: an hundred and thirty seven years, and then he fell sick and died, and was laid unto his people. And he dwelt from Evila unto Sur that is before Egypt, as men go toward the Assyrians. And he died in the presence of all his brethren. And these are the generations of Isaac Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca to wife the daughter of Bethuel the Sirian of Mesopotamia and sister to Laban the Sirian. And Isaac made intercession unto the LORD for his wife: because she was barren: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife conceived: and the children strove together within her. Then she said: if it should go so to pass, what helpeth it that I am with child? And she went and asked the LORD. And the LORD said unto her there are two manner of people in thy womb, and two nations shall spring out of thy bowels, and the one nation shall be mightier than the other and the eldest shall be servant unto the younger. And when her time was come to be delivered: behold there were two twins in her womb. And he that came out first, was red and rough over all as it were an hide: and they called his name Esau. And afterward his brother came out and his hand holding Esau by the heel. Wherefore his name was called Iacob. And Isaac was forty years old when she bare them: and the boys grew, and Esau became a cunning hunter and a tillman. But Iacob was a simple man and dwelled in the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison, but Rebecca loved Iacob. Iacob sod pottage, and Esau came from the field and was fainty, and said to Iacob: let me sip of that red pottage, for I am fainty. And therefore was his name called Edom. And Iacob said: sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau answered: Lo I am at the point to die, and what profit shall this birthright do me? And Iacob said, swear to me then this day. And he swore to him and sold his birthright unto Iacob. Then Iacob gave Esau bread and pottage of red rice. And he ate and drank and rose up and went his way. And so Esau regarded not his birthright.

Chapter .xxvi.