The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

and Y schal make thee to wexe ful greetli, and Y schal sette thee in folkis, and kyngis schulen go out of thee;

and Y schal make my couenaunt bitwixe me and thee, and bitwixe thi seed after thee, in her generaciouns, bi euerlastynge bond of pees, that Y be thi God, and of thi seed after thee;

and Y schal yyue to thee and to thi seed after thee the lond of thi pilgrymage, al the lond of Chanaan, in to euerlastynge possessioun, and Y schal be the God of hem.

God seide eft to Abraham, And therfor thou schalt kepe my couenaunt, and thi seed after thee, in her generaciouns.

This is my couenaunt, which ye schulen kepe bitwixe me and you, and thi seed after thee; ech male kynde of you schal be circumcidid,

and ye schulen circumside the fleisch of youre mannes yeerd, that it be in to a signe of boond of pees bytwixe me and you.

A yong child of eiyte daies schal be circumsidid in you, al male kynde in youre generaciouns, as wel a borun seruaunt as a seruaunt bouyt schal be circumsidid, and who euere is of youre kynrede he schal be circumsidid;

and my couenaunt schal be in youre fleisch in to euerlastynge boond of pees.

A man whos fleisch of his yerde schal not be circumsidid, thilke man schal be doon a wei fro his puple; for he made voide my couenaunt.

Also God seide to Abraham, Thou schalt not clepe Saray, thi wijf, Sarai, but Sara;

and Y schal blesse hir, and of hir I schal yyue to thee a sone, whom I schal blesse, and he schal be in to naciouns, and kyngis of puplis schulen be borun of hym.

Abraham felde doun on his face, and leiyede in his hert, and seide, Gessist thou, whethir a sone schal be borun to a man of an hundrid yeer, and Sara of nynti yeer schal bere child?

And he seide to the Lord, Y wolde that Ismael lyue bifore thee.

And the Lord seide to Abraham, Sara, thi wijf, schal bere a sone to thee, and thou schalt clepe his name Ysaac, and Y schal make my couenaunt to hym in to euerlastynge boond of pees, and to his seed aftir hym;

also on Ysmael Y haue herd thee, lo! Y schal blesse him, and Y schal encreesse, and Y schal multiplie him greetli; he schal gendre twelue dukis, and Y schal make hym in to a greet folk.

Forsothe Y schal make my couenaunt to Ysaac, whom Sare schal childe to thee in this tyme in the tother yeer.

And whanne the word of the spekere with hym was endid, God stiede fro Abraham.

Forsothe Abraham took Ismael, his sone, and alle the borun seruauntis of his hous, and alle which he hadde bouyte, alle the malis of alle men of his hous, and circumsidide the fleisch of her yerde, anoon in that dai, as the Lord comaundide him.

Abraham was of nynti yeer and nyne whanne he circumsidide the fleisch of his yeerd,

and Ismael, his sone, hadde fillid threttene yeer in the tyme of his circumsicioun.

Abraham was circumsidid in the same day, and Ismael his sone,

and alle men of his hows, as wel borun seruauntis as bouyt and aliens, weren circumcidid togidre.

Forsothe in the valei of Mambre the Lord apperide to Abraham, sittynge in the dore of his tabernacle, in thilke heete of the dai.

And whanne he hadde reisid his iyen, thre men apperiden to hym, and stoden nyy hym. And whanne he hadde seyn hem, he ran fro the dore of his tabernacle in to the meting of hem, and he worschipide on erthe,

and seide, Lord, if Y haue founde grace in thin iyen, passe thou not thi seruaunt,

but I schal brynge a litil watir, and youre feet be waischid, and reste ye vndur the tre;

and Y schal sette a mussel of breed, and youre herte be coumfortid; aftirward ye schulen passe; for herfor ye bowiden to youre seruaunt. Whiche seiden, Do thou as thou hast spoke.

Abraham hastide in to the tabernacle, to Sare, and seide to hir, Hast thou, meddle thou thre half buschelis of clene flour; and make thou looues bakun vndur aischis.

Forsothe he ran to the droue of beestis, and took therof a calf moost tendre and best, and yaf to a child, which hastide, and sethede the calfe;

and he took botere, and mylk, and the calf which he hadde sode, and settide bifore hem; forsothe Abraham stood bisidis hem vndur the tre.

And whanne thei hadden ete, thei seiden to hym, Where is Sare thi wijf? He answerde, Lo! sche is in the tabernacle.

To whom the Lord seide, Y schal turne ayen, and Y schal come to thee in this tyme, if Y lyue; and Sare, thi wijf, schal haue a sone. Whanne this was herd, Sare leiyede bihynde the dore of the tabernacle.

Forsothe bothe weren olde, and of greet age, and wommans termes ceessiden to be maad to Sare.

And she leiyede, seiynge pryueli, after that Y wexede eld, and my lord is eld, schal Y yyue diligence to lust?

Forsothe the Lord seide to Abraham, Whi leiyeth Sare, thi wijf, seiynge, whether Y an eld womman schal bere child verili?

whether ony thing is hard to God? Bi the biheeste Y schal turne ayen to thee in this same tyme, if Y lyue; and Sara schal haue a sone.

Sare was aferd for drede, and denyede, seiynge, Y leiyede not. Forsothe the Lord seide, It is not so, but thou leiyedist.

Therfor whanne the men hadden risen fro thennus, thei dressiden the iyen ayens Sodom; and Abraham yede to gidre, ledynge hem forth.

And the Lord seide, Wher Y mowe hele fro Abraham what thingis Y schal do,

sithen he schal be in to a greet folk and moost strong, and alle naciouns of erthe schulen be blessid in hym?

For Y woot that Abraham schal comaunde hise children, and his hows after hym, that thei kepe the weie of the Lord, and that thei do riytfulnesse and dom, that the Lord bringe for Abraham alle thingis whiche he spak to Abraham.

And so the Lord seide, The cry of men of Sodom and of men of Gomorre is multiplied, and her synne is agreggid greetli; Y schal come doun,

and schal se whether thei han fillid in werk the cry that cam to me, that Y wite whether it is not so.

And thei turneden han fro thennus, and yeden to Sodom. Abraham sotheli stood yit bifore the Lord,

and neiyede, and seide, Whether thou schalt leese a iust man with the wickid man?

if fifti iust men ben in the citee, schulen thei perische togidere, and schalt thou not spare that place for fifti iust men, if thei ben ther ynne?

Fer be it fro thee that thou do this thing, and sle a iust man with a wickid man, and that a iust man be maad as a wickid man; this is not thin that demest al erthe; thou schalt not make this doom.

And the Lord seide to him, If Y schal fynde in Sodom fifti iust men in the myddis of the citee, Y schal foryyue to al the place for hem.

Abraham answerde and seide, For Y bigan onys, Y schal speke to my Lord, sithen Y am dust and aische;

what if lesse than fifti iust men bi fyue ben, schalt thou do a wey al the cite for fyue and fourti? And the Lord seide, Y schal not do a wei, if I schal fynde fyue and fourti there.

And eft Abraham seide to hym, But if fourti ben there, what schalt thou do? The Lord seide, Y schal not smyte for fourti.

Abraham seide, Lord, Y biseche, take thou not to indignacioun, if Y speke; what if thretti be foundun there? The Lord answerde, Y schal not do, if Y schal fynde thretti there.

Abraham seide, For Y bigan onys, Y schal speke to my Lord; what if twenti be foundun there? The Lord seide, Y schal not sle for twenti.

Abraham seide, Lord, Y biseche, be thou not wrooth, if Y speke yit onys; what if ten be founden there? The Lord seide, Y schal not do a wey for ten.

The Lord yede forth, after that he ceesside to speke to Abraham, and Abraham turnede ayen in to his place.

And tweyne aungels camen to Sodom in the euentide, while Loth sat in the yatis of the citee. And whanne he hadde seyn hem, he roos, and yede ayens hem, and worschipide lowe to erthe,

and seide, My lordis, Y biseche, bowe ye in to the hous of youre child, and dwelle ye there; waische ye youre feet, and in the morewtid ye schulen go in to youre weie. Whiche seiden, Nay, but we schulen dwelle in the street.

He constreynede hem greetli, that thei schulden turne to hym. And whanne thei weren entrid in to his hous, he made a feeste, he bakide therf breed, and thei eten.

Forsothe bifore that thei yeden to sleepe, men of the citee compassiden his hows, fro a child `til to an eld man, al the puple togidre;

and thei clepiden Loth, and seiden to him, Where ben the men that entriden to thee to nyyt? brynge hem out hidur, that we `knowe hem.

And Loth yede out to hem `bihynde the bak, and closide the dore,

and seide, Y biseche, nyle ye, my britheren, nyle ye do this yuel.

Y haue twey douytris, that knewen not yit man; Y schal lede out hem to you, and mys vse ye hem as it plesith you, so that ye doon noon yuel to these men, for thei entriden vndur the schadewe of my roof.

And thei seiden, Go thou fro hennus. And eft thei seiden, Thou entridist as a comelyng; wher that thou deme? therfor we schulen turment thee more than these. And thei diden violentli to Loth ful greetli. Thanne it was nyy that thei wolden breke the doris; and lo!

the men puttiden hoond, and ledden in Loth to hem, and thei closiden the dore.

And thei smyten with blyndenesse hem that weren withoutforth, fro the leest til to the moost; so that thei myyten not fynde the dore.

Forsothe thei seiden to Loth, Hast thou here ony man of thine, hosebonde of thi douyter, ethir sones, ethir douytris; lede thou out of this citee alle men that ben thine,

for we schulen do a wey this place, for the cry of hem encreesside bifor the Lord, which sente vs that we leese hem.

And so Loth yede out, and spak to the hosebondys of his douytris, that schulden take hise douytris, and seide, Rise ye, and go ye out of this place; for the Lord schal do awey this citee. And he was seyn to hem to speke as pleiynge.

And whanne the morewtid was, the aungels constreyneden hym, and seiden, Rise thou, and take thi wijf, and thi twey douytris whiche thou hast, lest also thou perische to gidere in the synne of the citee.

While he dissymelide, thei token his hond, and the hond of his wijf, and of his twey doutris; for the Lord sparide hym.

And thei ledden out hym, and settiden with out the citee. There thei spaken to him, and seiden, Saue thou thi lijf; nyle thou biholde bihynde thi bac, nether stond thou in al the cuntre aboute, but make thee saaf in the hil; lest also thou perische togidere.

And Loth seide to hem, My lord, Y biseche,

for thi seruaunt hath founde grace bifore thee, and thou hast magnyfied thi grace and mercy, which thou hast do with me, that thou schuldist saue my lijf; Y may not be saued in the hil, lest perauenture yuel take me, and Y die;

a litil citee is here bisidis, to which Y may fle, and Y schal be saued ther ynne; where it is not a litil citee? and my soule schal lyue ther ynne.

And he seide to Loth, Lo! also in this Y haue resseyued thi preieris, that Y distrye not the citee, for which thou hast spoke;

haste thou, and be thou saued there, for Y may not do ony thing til thou entre thidur. Therfor the name of that citee was clepid Segor.

The sunne roos on erthe, and Loth entride in to Segor.

Therfor the Lord reynede on Sodom and Gomorre brynston and fier, fro the Lord fro heuene,

and distriede these citees, and al the cuntrey aboute; he destriede alle enhabiters of citees, and all grene thingis of erthe.

And his wijf lokide abac, and was turned in to an ymage of salt.

Forsothe Abraham risynge eerly, where he stood bifore with the Lord, bihelde Sodom and Gomorre,

and al the lond of that cuntrey; and he seiy a deed sparcle stiynge fro erthe, as the smoke of a furneis.

For whanne God distriede the citees of that cuntrey, he hadde mynde of Abraham, and delyuerede Loth fro destriynge of the citees in whiche he dwellide.

And Loth stiede fro Segor, and dwellide in the hil, and hise twey douytris with him, for he dredde to dwelle in Segor; and he dwellide in a denne, he and his twey douytris with hym.

And the more douytre seide to the lasse, Oure fadre is eld, and no man is left in erthe, that may entre to vs, bi the custom of al erthe;

come thou, make we him drunkun of wyn, and slepe we with him, that we moun kepe seed of oure fadir.

And so thei yauen to her fadir to drynke wyn in that nyyt, and the more douyter entrede, and slepte with hir fadir; and he feelide not, nethir whanne the douytir lay doun, nether whanne sche roos.

And in the tothir dai the more douytir seide to the lasse, Lo! Y slepte yistirdai with my fadir, yyue we to hym to drynk wyn also in this nyyt; and thou schalt slepe with hym, that we saue seed of oure fadir.

And thei yauen to her fadir also in that nyyt to drynke wyn, and the lesse douytir entride, and slepte with him; and sotheli he feelide not thanne whanne sche lay doun, nether whanne sche roos.

Therfor the twei douytris of Loth conseyuede of hir fadir.

And the more douytre childide a sone, and clepide his name Moab; he is the fadir of men of Moab `til in to present dai.

And the lesse douyter childide a sone, and clepide his name Amon, that is, the sone of my puple; he is the fadir of men of Amon til to day.

Abraham yede forth fro thennus in to the lond of the south, and dwellide bitwixe Cades and Sur, and was a pilgrym in Geraris;

and he seide of Sare, his wijf, Sche is my sistir. Therfor Abymalec, kyng of Gerare, sente, and took hir.

Sotheli God cam to Abymalec bi a sweuene in the nyyt, and seide to hym, Lo! thou schalt die, for the wooman which thou hast take, for sche hath an hosebond.

Forsothe Abymalech touchide not hir; and he seide, Lord, whether thou schalt sle folc vnkunnynge and iust?

Whether he seide not to me, Sche is my sistir, and sche seide, He is my brother? In the symplenesse of myn herte, and in the clennesse of myn hondis Y dide this.

And the Lord seide to hym, And Y woot that thou didist bi symple herte, and therfor Y kepte thee, lest thou didist synne ayens me, and I suffride not that thou touchidist hir;

now therfor yelde thou the wijf to hir hosebonde, for he is a profete; and he schal preye for thee, and thou schalt lyue; sotheli if thou nylte yelde, wite thou that thou schalt die bi deeth, thou and alle thingis that ben thine.