Abram Reaches Canaan. He Goes to Egypt

736

God ſeide wurd to abram:—

"Abram, ðu fare ut of lond and kin
To a lond ic ðe ſal bringen hin."
Sex ger and fiftene mo,

740

Adde Abram on iſ elde ðo.
God then commanded Abram to leave Haran.

Abram tok loth wið ſarray,
Hiſe agte, and erue he ledde him bi,
For in to lond cananeam,
He departed, taking with him Lot and Sarai.

744

And in-to ſichem, a burgt, he nam,
And ðeðen he nam to mirie dale;
fif burgeſ were ðor-inne bi tale,
First he came to Sichem,

ðer-fore it higte pentapolis,

748

Of weledeſ fulſum and of bliſ,
Nov iſt a water of loðlic ble,
and afterwards to Pentapolis (the five cities of the plain),

Men callið it ðe dede ſe;
Ilc ðing deieð ðor-inne iſ driuen;

752

Ne may no fiſ ðor-inne liuen;
where now stands the Dead Sea.

for mannes ſinne ðus it iſ went,
brent wið brimfir, ſunken and ſhent.
God quad to abram, "al ðiſ lond

756

ſal cumen in to iſ kinneſ hond."
The cities were destroyed for man's sin.

ðor god him taunede, made habram
An alter, and fro ðeðen he nam.
[Fol. 15b.]

An oðer alter abram ſeli

760

Made bi-twen betel and ai.
Abram raised an altar between Bethel and Ai.

At damaſke iſ ðe ðridde ſtede,
Quer abram iſ bigging dede,
And ðeden for he, for hunger bond,
Damascus was the third place where Abram dwelt.

764

feger ut in to egipte lond;
ðor he ſeide ðat ſarrai
Famine drove him to Egypt.

waſ hiſ ſiſter, al for-ði
for he dredde him to leten iſ lif

768

If he wiſten ghe wore iſ wif;
To save his life he said that Sarai was his sister.

for ghe waſ fai[ge]r witter-like,
And ðat folc luuede lecherlike.
Quan abram was to egipte cumen,
Sarai was fair and Egypt's folk were lecherous.

werldes?