“ God forsoþe haþ herd þe vois of þe child, fro þe place in which he is. Aryse, and take þe child, and holde þe honde of hym; for into a greet folk I shal make hym. And God openede þe eyen of hir, þe whiche seynge þe pit of water, ȝede, and fillide þe botel, and ȝaue þe child to drynk; and was wiþ hym, þe whiche wex, and dwellid in wildyrnes, and he was maad a ȝong sheter, and dwellid in þe desert of Pharan; and his modir toke to hym a wijf of þe lond of Egipt. Þe same tyme seide Abymalech, and Phicol, þe prince of his oost, to Abraham, God is wiþ þee in alle þingis þat þow dost ”

“ To Adam forsoþe was not foundun an helper like hym. Þanne send ynne þe Lord God slep into Adam, and whanne he was asleep, he toke oon of his ribbis, and fulfillide flehs for it. And þe Lord God edifiede þe rib, þe which he toke of Adam, into a woman, and brouȝte hir to Adam. And Adam seide, Þis now boon of my bonys, and flehs of my flehs; þis shal be clepid mannus dede, for she is takun of a man. Wherfor a man shal forsake his fadre and modre, and shal draw to hys wijf, and two shal be in o flehs. Eiþer forsoþe was nakid, Adam, þat is, and his wijf, and þei shameden noȝt. ”

“ Þe which forsakynge seiþ, I knowe, sone myne, Y knowe; and þis forsoþe shal be into puples, and shal be multiplied; but þe broþer of hym lasse more þan he shal be, and þe seed of hym shal growe into folk of kynde. And he blisside hem in þat tyme, seiynge, In þee Yrael shal be blissid, and shal be seide, God do to þee as to Effraym and Manasse; and he sette Effraym bifore Manasse. And he seiþ to Joseph, his sone, Loo! Y dye, and God shal be wiþ ȝow, and he shal brynge ȝow aȝen to þe loond of ȝoure fadris ”

“ To whom he answeride, Þow hast know þat Esau my broþer is a man ful of heer, and I soft; if my fader groop and fele, Y drede lest he wene me wiln to bigile hym, and brynge on me malysoun for benysoun. To whom þe moder, In me be, she seiþ, þis malisoun, my sone; oonli here my vois, and goynge forþ brynge to þat Y seide. He ȝede a wey, and brouȝte to, and ȝaue to his modir. She greiþide meetis, as she knewe þe fader of hym wiln, and wiþ þe cloþis of Esau ful good, þe whiche anentis hyr she hadde at hoom, she cloþid hym. ”

“ Sella forsoþe gate Tubalcaym, þat was an hamer smyþ, and a smyþ into alle werkis of bras and of yrun; þe sister forsoþe of Tubalcaym, Noema. And Lameþ seide to his wijfes Ade and Selle, Here ȝe my vois, wifes of Lameþ, herken ȝe my word; for I slowe a man into my wound, and a litle waxen man into my wannesse; veniaunce shal be ȝouun of Caym seuene fold, of Lameþ forsoþe seuenti siþes seuenfold. Forsoþe ȝit Adam knewe his wijf, and she bare a child, and callide þe name of hym Seþ, seiynge, God sette to me anoþer seed for Abel, whom Caym slowe. ”

“ Þe which whan Rebecca hadde herd, and he was goon a wey in to þe feeld, þat he fulfille þe heest of þe fader, she seide to hir sone Jacob, I herde þi fader spekynge wiþ Esau, þi broþer, and seiynge to hym, Brynge to me of þin huntyng, and maak metis, þat I ete, and Y shal blisse to þee bifore þe Lord or I dye. Now þanne assente to my counseyls, my sone, and goynge to þe flok, brynge to me two þe best kyddis, þat I make of hem meet to þi fader, þe which he eet gladly; þe whiche whan þow bryngist yn, and he etiþ, he blisse to þee or þan he die. ”

“ Þe which goon oute, þe toþer sones of Jacob fellen vpon þe slayn men, and þei distruyden þe cyte, in to vengeaunce of þe stupre, þe sheep of hem, droues, and asses, and alle þingis wastynge, þat in þe howsis and in þe feeldis weren; þe litil children forsoþe, and þe wyues of hem þei ladden cheytiues. Þe whiche þingis ful doon hardilich, Jacob seyde to Symyon and Leuy, Ȝe han disturbid me, and ȝe han maad me haatsum to Chananeis and Phareȝeis, þe dwellers of þis loond; we ben fewe, and þei gederyd to giderys shulen smyte me, and Y shall be doon awey and myn hows. ”

“ Þe counseil pleside to Pharao, and to alle þe mynystris of hym, and he spake to hem, We mowen not fynde such a man þe which be ful of þe spiryt of God. Þanne he seide to Joseph, For God haþ shewed to þee alle þingis þat þow hast spokun, wheþer a wiser or a liyk to þee fynde Y may? Þow shalt be vpon myn hows, and at þe maundement of þi mouþ al þe puple shal obeishe; in o þing oonli in dignyte of þe rewme þee Y shal go bifore. And eft Pharao seide to Joseph, Loo! Y haue ordeynyde þee vpon al þe loond of Egipte. ”

“ Wheþer as aliens haþ he not holdun vs, and soold, and haþ etun oure pryis? But God haþ takun þe richessis of oure fader, and ȝeuun hem to vs, and to oure sonys; wherfor alle þingis þat God comaundiþ to þee, do. Forsoþe Jacob aroos, and þe fre children and his wyues put vpon camels, ȝede awey; and took al his substaunce, flockis, and alle þingis þat he hadde purchasid in Mesopotany, goynge to Ysaac, his fader, in þe loond of Chanaan. Þat tyme Laban was goon to þe sheep þat shulden be clippid, and Rachel hadde stolne þe mawmetis of hir fadir. ”

“ Abraham lowtide bifore þe Lord, and þe puple of þe loond, and spake to Ephron, stondynge aboute þe folk of hym, I biseche, þat þow here me; I shal ȝyue money for þe feeld, take it, and so Y shal birye my deed in þe feeld. And Ephron answeryde, My lord, here me, þe erþe þat þow askist is worþ foure hundryd sicles of siluer, þis is þe pryis bitwix me and þee, but what is þat? ”

“ Joseph answeride, Þe sweuen of þe kyng is oon; þe þingis þat God is to do he shewede to Pharao. Seuen oxen fayr, and seuen eerys fulle, seuen ȝeris of plentiþ ben, and þe same strengþe of sweuen holdun; and þe seuen oxen þinne and leene, þe whiche steyden after hem, and seuen eeris þinne and smytun wiþ a brennynge wynde, seuen ȝeris ben of hungur to comen, þe whiche bi þis ordre shulen be fulfillid. Loo! seuen ȝeres shulen come of greet plente in al þe loond of Egipte, whom shulen folwe oþere seuen ȝeer of as greet bareynes, þat to forgetyng be takun al þe bihynd plenteþnes ”

“ Eftsones God seide to Abraham, And þow þanne shalt kepe my couenaunt, and þi seed aftir þee, in her kinredis. Þis is my couenaunt, þat ȝe shulen kepe bitwix me and ȝow, and þi seed after þee; ech maal of ȝow shal be circumcidid, and ȝe shulen circumside þe flehs of þe ferþermore parti of ȝoure ȝeerde, þat it be in tokne of bond of pees bitwix me and ȝow. A child of eiȝt dayes shal be circumsidid in ȝow, ech maal in ȝoure kinredis, as wel þe freman of ȝoure howshold as þe bowȝt man shal be circumsidid, and who so euer were of ȝoure lynage ”

“ And þe aungel of þe Lord seide to me in slepe, Jacob! and I answeride, Y am nyȝ. Þe which seiþ, Rere up þin eyen, and se alle þe malis steiyng up vpon þe femalis, varye, and sprynklid, and spottid; forsoþe Y haue seen alle þingis þat Laban haþ doon to þee; Y am God of Beþel, where þow anoyntidist þe stoon, and þow vowedist auowe to me. Now þanne aryse, and goo out fro þis loond, turnynge aȝen into þe loond of þi birþ. And Rachel and Lya answeryden, Wheþer han we eny þing of residewe in faculteis and erytage of þe hows of oure fader? ”

“ And þow seidist to þi seruauntis, Bryngiþ hym to me, and Y shal putte myn eyen vpon hym. We meueden to þee, my lord, þe child may not leeue his fader; if forsoþe he leeue hym, he shal dye. And þow seidist to þi seruauntis, But ȝoure leeste broþer come to vs, ȝe shulen no more se my face. Þanne whanne we hadden steyed vp to oure fader, þi seruaunt, we tolden hym alle þingis þat my lord spak; and oure fader seyde, Goþ aȝen, and biggiþ vs a litil of whete; to whom we seiden, We mowen not goon; if oure leeste broþer shul descende wiþ vs, we shulen go togideres ”

“ And Lya wiþ hir children com nerre; and whanne þe same maner þei hadden anowrned, þe laste Joseph and Rachel anowryden. And Esau seide, What forsoþe ben þes companyes þat Y mette? He answerde, Þat I shulde fynde grace bifore my lord. And he seiþ, Y haue many þingis, broþer myne, ben þi þingis to þee. Jacob seide, Nyl þow so, Y preye, but if Y haue foundun grace in þin eyen, taak a litil ȝift of myn hoondis; so forsoþe Y haue seyn þi face as Y se þe chere of God; be þow to me benygne, and taak þe blissyng þat Y haue brouȝt to þee, and þat God delyuerynge alle þingis haþ ȝouun to me. ”

“ Þe which answeryde, Þe dowȝter of Batuel Y am, sone of Nachor, whom Melcha bar to hym. And she addide, seiynge, Of chaf forsoþe and of hey myche þere is at vs, and a large place to dwelle. Þe man bowide hym silf, and onouryde þe Lord, seiynge, Blissid be þe Lord God of my lord Abraham, þe which haþ not takun awey mercy and his soþefastnes fro my lord, and in riȝt wei haþ fulli lad me into þe hows of þe broþir of my lord. And so þe damysel rennede, and tolde in þe hows of hir modir alle þingis þat she hadde herd. ”

“ Wherfore in þilke ȝatis goynge to, speken to þe dispensatour, Syre, we preyen þee, þat þow here vs; now bifore we descenden þat we biggen meetis; þe whiche bouȝt, whanne we comen to þe place of turnyng into reste, we opnyden oure sackis, and we fonden money in þe mouþ of þe sackis, þat now in þe same peyse we han brouȝt aȝen; but and oþer money we han brouȝt, þat we biggen þilke þingis, þat ben necessarye to vs; it ys not in oure conscience, who it putte in oure bagges. ”

“ God forsoþe seynge þat myche malice of men was in þe erþe, and al þouȝt of þe herte was ȝouun to yuel al tyme, it forþouȝt him þat he had made man in erþe; and bifore war in tyme to come, and towchid wiþ sorwe of herte wiþ ynforþ, I shal do awey, he seiþ, man, whom I made of nouȝt, fro þe face of þe erþe, fro man vnto þingis hauynge soule, fro crepynge beest vnto fowles of heuen; forsoþe it o þenkiþ me to haue maad hem. Noe forsoþe founde grace bifore þe Lord. Þes ben þe generaciouns of Noe. Noe a riȝtwis man and a perfit was in his generaciouns ”

“ And Zelpha bare anoþir, and Lya seide, Þat for my blisfulnes; forsoþe alle wymmen shulen sey me blisful; þerfor she clepide hym Aser. And Ruben goon out in tyme of wheet heruest into þe feeld, fonde mandraggis, þat he brouȝte to Lya, þe moder. And Rachel seide, Ȝyue me parte of þe mandraggis of þi sone. She answeride, Ne semiþ it to þee a litil, þat þow hast bifore takun þe husbond to me, but also þe mandraggis of my sone þow taak? And she, Slep he wiþ þee þis nyȝt for þe mandraggis of þi sone. ”

“ And whan Sara had seen þe sone of Agar Egipcian pleiynge wiþ Ysaac, hir sone, she seide to Abraham, Þrow out þis hand mayden, and þe sone of hir; þe sone of þe hand mayden shal not be eyre wiþ my sone Ysaac. Hard toke þat Abraham for his sone; to whom God seide, Sharp be it not seen to þee vpon þe child, and vpon þi hand mayden; alle þingis þat Sara shal seye to þee, here þe voys of hir, for in Ysaac shal be clepid seed to þee; but and þe sone of þe handmaydyn I shal make into a greet folk of kynde, for þi seed he is. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Þe sones of Jacob answeriden to Sichem and to þe fader of hym in trechory, waxynge cruel for þe stupre of þe sister, We mowen not doon þat ȝe asken, ne ȝyue oure sister to a man vncircumsidid, þe which is vnleful and wrongful anentis vs. But in þat we mowen ben togidere boundun, if ȝe wole be like vs, and al kynde of maal be circumsidid in ȝow, þanne we shulen ȝyue and take togidere oure dowȝtris and ȝouren; and we shulen dwelle wiþ ȝow, and we shulen be o peple. If forsoþe ȝe wolen not be circumsidid, we shulen take our dowȝtres, and goo awey. ”

“ And þei goon yn þe ȝate of þe cite, speken to þe puple, Þes men ben pesible, and wolen dwelle wiþ vs; chaffare þei in þe loond, and excersise þei it, þe which large and broode nediþ tyliers; þe dowȝtris of hem we shulen take wyues, and oure we shulen ȝyue to hem. O þing is þat puttiþ off so myche good; if we circumsiden oure males, folwynge þe ryte of þe folk, and þe substaunce of hem, and þe beestis, and al þat þei han shulen be ouren; oonli in þat assent we, þat dwellynge togidrys we maken o peple. And alle þei ben assentid, alle þe malis circumsidid. And loo! ”

“ Þe Lord forsoþe seide to Abraham, Whi lowȝ Sara, þi wijf, seiynge, wheþer I an oold woman am verreily to bere child? wheþer eny þing is to God hard? Aftir þe sawe bitwix vs I shal turne aȝen to þee þis same tyme, þe lijf leder; and Sara shal haue a sone. Sara denyede, seiynge, I lowȝ not, þurȝ drede afeerd. ”

“ And anoon of þe nyȝt rysynge, Abimalech clepide alle his seruauntis, and spake alle þes wordis in þe eeris of hem; and alle men dredden hem greetli. Abymalech forsoþe clepide also Abraham, and seide to hym, What hast þow don to vs? what han we synned in þee, for þow hast brouȝt ynne vpon me and vpon my rewme a greet synne? þingis þat þow shuldist not do þow hast don to vs. And eftsonys askynge seiþ, What hast þow seen þat þat þow shuldist don? Abraham answeryde, I þouȝte wiþ my silf, seiynge, perauenture þe drede of God is not in þis place, and þei shal sle me for my wijf ”

“ And he clepide þe name of þe first gotun Manasses, seiynge, God haþ maad me to forȝete alle my trauayls, and þe hows of my fader; and þe name of þe secounde he clepide Effraym, seiynge, God haþ maad me growe in þe loond of my pornes. ”