Abraham Dwells in Gerar
| To-ward ſodome he ſag ðe roke 1164 And ðe brinfires ſtinken ſmoke, | and saw that the city had been destroyed. |
| And wente a-wei fro mambre dale, So ſore him reu of ðat bale. | For sorrow he left Mamre’s dale |
| Suðen he wente & wunede in geraris, 1168 bi-twen cade and vr, y-wis; | and went and abode in Gerar. |
| ðor he ſeide eft, for luue of lif, ðat ſiſter wore ſarra his wif. Quilum of er pharraon hire toc, 1172 Nu takeð abimalech hire oc; | There he said Sarah was his sister. |
| Sene it was ðat ghe waſ fair wif, Quan ghe waſ luued in ſo long lif. Abimalech wurð ſek on-on, | [Fol. 23b.] Abimelech took her to wife. |
| 1176 And oðer wreche iſ folc cam on; Nogt wif-kinnes non birðe ne nam, ðor quiles he ðor wið-helð ſaram. On dreme him cam tiding for-quat | Sickness fell on him and on his folk. |
| 1180 He ðrowede and ðolede un-timing ðat; Al it waſ for abraham-iſ wif, ðat he hire held ðor wið ſtrif; ðo bi-ðhogte him ful wel, 1184 And ſente after abraham ðat ilc ſel, | The cause of this evil was made known to him in a dream. |
| And bi-tagte him hiſ wif a-non, And hiſ yuel ſort148 waſ ouer-gon. | He sent back Sarah, |
| His wif and oðere birðe beren, 1188 ða ðe ſwinacie gan him nunmor deren. Abimalech gaf abraham Gold, and ſiluer, and lond for-ðan; | his wife and others bore children, and the quinsy no more troubled him. |
| A ðhuſant plates of ſiluer god 1192 Gaf he ſarra ðat faire blod, Bad hire ðor hir wið149 heuod ben hid, for ſwilc timing was hire bi-tid. Ðo wulde god bi-ſewen ſo 1196 of olde abraham and o ſarra ſo. Ghe wurd wið child, on elde wac, | Plates of silver he gave to Sarah. |
| And trimede and cleped it yſaac. | The birth of Isaac. |
for ſtinkende
read aſ?
MS. w
Notes
148 fort in MS.
149 read ðor wið hir