The Birth of Esau and Jacob

Get men seyn ðat abraham,
ſiðen calde agar ceturam,
Men say that Abraham called Hagar Keturah.

And ſge bar him ſiðen ſex ſunen;

1448

Abraham dede hem ſiðen ſundri wunen;
fer eſt fro cratonidé,
Weren he ſpred to ðe rede se.
Yſaac he let al hiſ god,

1452

for he waſ bi-geten of kinde blod.
She bore him seven sons.

An hundred ger hold and ſeuenti
And .v. he waſ leid ſarram bi.
boðen yſaac and yſmael

1456

Him bi-ſtoden wurlike and wel.
Abraham died at the age of 175.

On hundred ger and .xxxvij.
Liuede yſmael and waſ ðor bi.
Ishmael was 137 years old when he died.

Yſaac waſ hold .xl. ger

1460

Quanne rebecca cam him ner;
Longe it waſ or ghe him child bar,
[Fol. 29.]
Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife.

And he bad god, quanne he it wurð war,
ðat he ſulde fillen ðat quede

1464

ðat he abraham quilum dede.
ðo wurð rebecca childre bere,
Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, who was barren.

ðat ghe felte ful time in gere;
At on burdene ghe under-stod

1468

two ðe weren hire ſibbe blod;
Alſe ðhute hire day and nigt,
Rebekah conceived.

Alſe he wrogten and figt,
Queðer here ſulde birðen bi-foren.
The children struggled together within her.

1472

Oc eſau waſ firmeſt boren,
And iacob ſone after, ic wot,
for ðat he heldim bi ðe fot.
Esau was the first born, and Jacob was born soon after.

Sexti ger yſaac waſ old,

1476

Quan ðiſ tidi[n]g him waſ told;
Ghe was abraham liues her,
After ðiſ, fiftene ger.
Sixty years was Isaac at this time.

seyn is at the side in a later hand.

In a later hand at the side.

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