Genesis A, lines 2628–2759

þa se þeoden his þegnas sende,
heht hie bringan to him selfum.
þa wæs ellþeodig oðre siðe
wif Abrahames from were læded
on fremdes fæðm. Him þær fylste þa
ece drihten, swa he oft dyde,
nergend usser. Com nihtes self,
þær se waldend læg wine druncen.
Ongan þa soðcyning þurh swefn sprecan
to þam æðelinge and him yrre hweop:
"þu Abrahames idese gename,
bryde æt beorne. þe abregdan sceal
for þære dæde deað of breostum
sawle þine." Him symbelwerig
sinces brytta þurh slæp oncwæð:
"Hwæt, þu æfre, engla þeoden,
þurh þin yrre wilt aldre lætan,
heah beheowan, þæne þe her leofað
rihtum þeawum, bið on ræde fæst,
modgeþance, and him miltse
to þe seceð? Me sægde ær
þæt wif hire wordum selfa
unfricgendum, þæt heo Abrahames
sweostor wære. Næbbe ic synne wið hie,
facna ænig gefremed gena."
Him þa ædre eft ece drihten,
soðfæst metod, þurh þæt swefn oncwæð:
"Agif Abrahame idese sine,
wif to gewealde, gif þu on worulde leng,
æðelinga helm, aldres recce.
He is god and gleaw, mæg self wið god sprecan,
geseon sweglcyning. þu sweltan scealt
mid feo and mid feorme, gif ðu þam frumgaran
bryde wyrnest. He abiddan mæg,
gif he ofstum me ærendu wile
þeawfæst and geþyldig þin abeodan,
þæt ic þe lissa lifigendum giet
on dagum læte duguþa brucan
sinces gesundne." þa slæpe tobrægd
forht folces weard. Heht him fetigean to
gesprecan sine, spedum sægde
eorlum Abimeleh, egesan geðread,
waldendes word. Weras him ondredon
for þære dæde drihtnes handa
sweng æfter swefne. Heht sylf cyning
him þa Abraham to ofstum miclum.
þa reordode rice þeoden:
"Mago Ebrea, þæs þu me wylle
wordum secgean, hu geworhte ic þæt,
siððan þu usic under, Abraham, þine
on þas eðelturf æhta læddest,
þæt þu me þus swiðe searo renodest?
þu ellþeodig usic woldest
on þisse folcsceare facne besyrwan,
synnum besmitan, sægdest wordum
þæt Sarra þin sweostor wære,
lices mæge, woldest laðlice
þurh þæt wif on me wrohte alecgean,
ormæte yfel. We þe arlice
gefeormedon, and þe freondlice
on þisse werþeode wic getæhton,
land to lissum. þu us leanast nu,
unfreondlice fremena þancast!"
Abraham þa andswarode:
"Ne dyde ic for facne ne for feondscipe
ne for wihte þæs ic þe wean uðe.
Ac ic me, gumena baldor, guðbordes sweng
leodmagum feor lare gebearh,
siððan me se halga of hyrde frean,
mines fæder fyrn alædde.
Ic fela siððan folca gesohte,
wina uncuðra, and þis wif mid me,
freonda feasceaft. Ic þæs færes a
on wenum sæt hwonne me wraðra sum
ellþeodigne aldre beheowe,
se ðe him þas idese eft agan wolde.
Forðon ic wigsmiðum wordum sægde
þæt Sarra min sweostor wære
æghwær eorðan þær wit earda leas
mid wealandum winnan sceoldon.
Ic þæt ilce dreah on þisse eðyltyrf,
siððan ic þina, þeoden mæra,
mundbyrde geceas. Ne wæs me on mode cuð,
hwæðer on þyssum folce frean ælmihtiges
egesa wære, þa ic her ærest com.
Forþon ic þegnum þinum dyrnde
and sylfum þe swiðost micle
soðan spræce, þæt me Sarra
bryde laste beddreste gestah."
þa ongan Abimæleh Abraham swiðan
woruldgestreonum and him his wif ageaf.
Sealde him to bote, þæs þe he his bryd genam,
gangende feoh and glæd seolfor
and weorcþeos. Spræc þa wordum eac
to Abrahame æðelinga helm:
"wuna mid usic and þe wic geceos
on þissum lande þær þe leofost sie,
eðelstowe, þe ic agan sceal.
Wes us fæle freond, we ðe feoh syllað!"
Cwæð þa eft raðe oðre worde
to Sarran sinces brytta:
"Ne þearf ðe on edwit Abraham settan,
ðin freadrihten, þæt þu flettpaðas,
mæg ælfscieno, mine træde,
ac him hygeteonan hwitan seolfre
deope bete. Ne ceara incit duguða
of ðisse eðyltyrf ellor secan,
winas uncuðe, ac wuniað her."
Abraham fremede swa hine his aldor heht,
onfeng freondscipe be frean hæse,
lufum and lissum. He wæs leof gode.
Forðon he sibbe gesælig dreah
and his scippende under sceade gefor,
hleowfeðrum þeaht, her þenden lifde.
þa gien wæs yrre god Abimelehe
for þære synne þe he wið Sarrai
and wið Abrahame ær gefremede,
þa he gedælde him deore twa,
wif and wæpned. He þæs weorc gehleat,
frecne wite. Ne meahton freo ne þeowe
heora bregoweardas bearnum ecan
monrim mægeð, ac him þæt metod forstod,
oðþæt se halga his hlaforde
Abraham ongan arna biddan
ecne drihten. Him engla helm
getigðode, tuddorsped onleac
folccyninge freora and þeowra,
wera and wifa; let weaxan eft
heora rimgetel rodora waldend,
ead and æhta. ælmihtig wearð
milde on mode, moncynnes weard,
Abimeleche, swa hine Abraham bæd.