Genesis A, B

cniht of cyððe! Ic his cynn gedo

brad and bresne bearna tudre,

wæstmum spedig, swa ic þe wordum gehet."

þa se wer hyrde his waldende,

draf of wicum dreorigmod tu,

idese of earde and his agen bearn.

"Sweotol is and gesene þæt þe soð metod

on gesiððe is, swegles aldor,

se ðe sigor seleð snytru mihtum

and þin mod trymeð,

godcundum gifum. Forðon ðe giena speow,

þæs þu wið freond oððe feond fremman ongunne

wordum oððe dædum. Waldend scufeð,

frea on forðwegas folmum sinum

willan þinne. þæt is wide cuð

burhsittendum. Ic þe bidde nu,

wine Ebrea, wordum minum,

þæt þu tilmodig treowa selle,

wæra þina, þæt þu wille me

wesan fæle freond fremena to leane,

þara þe ic to duguðum ðe gedon hæbbe,

siððan ðu feasceaft feorran come

on þas werþeode wræccan laste.

Gyld me mid hyldo, þæt ic þe hneaw ne wæs

landes and lissa. Wes þissum leodum nu

and mægburge minre arfæst,

gif þe alwalda, ure drihten,

scirian wille, se ðe gesceapu healdeð,

þæt þu randwigum rumor mote

on ðisse folcsceare frætwa dælan,

modigra gestreon, mearce settan."

ða Abraham Abimelehe

wære sealde þæt he wolde swa.

Siððan wæs se eadega eafora þares

in Filistea folce eardfæst,

leod Ebrea lange þrage,

feasceaft mid fremdum. Him frea engla

wic getæhte þæt weras hatað

burhsittende Bersabea lond.

ðær se halga heahsteap reced,

burh timbrede and bearo sette,

weobedd worhte, and his waldende

on þam glædstede gild onsægde,

lac geneahe, þam þe lif forgeaf,

gesæliglic swegle under.

þa þæs rinces se rica ongan

cyning costigan, cunnode georne

hwilc þæs æðelinges ellen wære,

stiðum wordum spræc him stefne to:

"Gewit þu ofestlice, Abraham, feran,

lastas lecgan and þe læde mid

þin agen bearn. þu scealt Isaac me

onsecgan, sunu ðinne, sylf to tibre.

Siððan þu gestigest steape dune,

hrincg þæs hean landes, þe ic þe heonon getæce,

up þinum agnum fotum, þær þu scealt ad gegærwan,

bælfyr bearne þinum, and blotan sylf

sunu mid sweordes ecge, and þonne sweartan lige

leofes lic forbærnan and me lac bebeodan."

Ne forsæt he þy siðe, ac sona ongann

fysan to fore. Him wæs frean engla

word ondrysne and his waldend leof.

þa se eadga Abraham sine

nihtreste ofgeaf. Nalles nergendes

hæse wiðhogode, ac hine se halga wer

gyrde grægan sweorde, cyðde þæt him gasta weardes

egesa on breostum wunode. Ongan þa his esolas bætan

gamolferhð goldes brytta, heht hine geonge twegen

men mid siðian. Mæg wæs his agen þridda

and he feorða sylf. þa he fus gewat

from his agenum hofe Isaac lædan,

bearn unweaxen, swa him bebead metod.

Efste þa swiðe and onette

forð foldwege, swa him frea tæhte

wegas ofer westen, oðþæt wuldortorht,

dæges þriddan up ofer deop wæter

ord aræmde. þa se eadega wer

geseah hlifigan hea dune

swa him sægde ær swegles aldor.

ða Abraham spræc to his ombihtum:

"Rincas mine, restað incit

her on þissum wicum. Wit eft cumað,

siððan wit ærende uncer twega

gastcyninge agifen habbað."

Gewat him þa se æðeling and his agen sunu

to þæs gemearces þe him metod tæhte,

wadan ofer wealdas. Wudu bær sunu,

fæder fyr and sweord. ða þæs fricgean ongann

wer wintrum geong wordum Abraham:

"Wit her fyr and sweord, frea min, habbað;

hwær is þæt tiber, þæt þu torht gode

to þam brynegielde bringan þencest?"

Abraham maðelode (hæfde on an gehogod

þæt he gedæde swa hine drihten het):

"Him þæt soðcyning sylfa findeð,

moncynnes weard, swa him gemet þinceð."

Gestah þa stiðhydig steape dune

up mid his eaforan, swa him se eca bebead,

þæt he on hrofe gestod hean landes

on þære stowe þe him se stranga to,