The Story of Abraham and Isaac

Male voice:
Female voice:

1. God wolde þa fandian Abrahames gehiersumnesse, and clipode his naman,

2. and cwæð him þus to: 'Nim þinne ancennedan sunu Isaac, þe þu lufast, and far to þam lande Visionis hraðe, and geoffra hine þær uppan anre dune.'

3. Abraham þa aras on þære ilcan nihte, and ferde mid twam cnapum to þam fierlenan lande, and Isaac samod, on assum ridende.

4. þa on þam þriddan dæge, þa hie þa dune gesawon þær þær hie to scoldon to ofsleanne Isaac,

5. þa cwæð Abraham to þam twam cnapum þus: 'Anbidiað eow her mid þam assum sume hwile. Ic and þæt cild gað unc to gebiddenne, and we siððan cumað sona eft to eow.'

6. Abraham þa het Isaac beran þone wudu to þære stowe, and he self bær his sweord and fyr.

7. Isaac þa ascode Abraham his fæder: 'Fæder min, ic ascie hwær seo offrung sie; her is wudu and fyr.'

8. Him andwyrde se fæder, 'God foresceawað, mine sunu, him self þa offrunge.'

9. Hie comon þa to þære stowe þe him gesweotolode God, and he þær weofod arærde on þa ealdan wisan, and þone wudu gelogode swa swa he hit wolde habban to his suna bærnette siððan he ofslægen wurde.

10. He geband þa his sunu, and his sweord ateah, þæt he hine geoffrode on þa ealdan wisan.

11. Mid þam þe he wolde þæt weorc beginnan, þa clipode Godes engel arodlice of heofonum, 'Abraham!' He andwyrde sona.

12. Se engel him cwæð þa to: 'Ne acwele þu þæt cild, ne þine hand ne astrece ofer his sweoran! Nu ic oncneow soðlice þæt þu swiðe ondrætst God, nu þu þinne ancennedan sunu ofslean woldest for him.'

13. þa beseah Abraham sona underbæc and geseah þær anne ramm betweox þam bremelum be þam hornum gehæft, and he ahefde þone ramm to þære offrunge and hine þær ofsnað Gode to lace for his sunu Isaac.

14. He het þa þa stowe Dominus videt, þæt is 'God gesiehð', and giet is gesægd swa, In monte Dominus videbit, þæt is 'God gesiehð on dune.'

15. Eft clipode se engel Abraham and cwæð,

16. 'Ic swerie þurh me selfne, sægde se ælmihtiga, nu þu noldest arian þinum ancennedan suna, ac þe wæs min ege mare þonne his lif,

17. ic þe nu bletsie and þinne ofspring gemanigfealde swa swa steorran on heofonum and swa swa sandceosol on sæ. þin ofspring sceal agan hira feonda gatu,

18. and on þinum sæde beoð ealle þeoda gebletsode for þam þe þu gehiersumodest minre hæse þus.'

19. Abraham þa gecierde sona to his cnapum and ferdon him ham swa mid heofonlicre bletsunge.

Abraham (proper noun, masculine, nominative or accusative, singular): Abraham
Abrahames (proper noun, masculine, genitive, singular): of Abraham; Abraham's

ac (conjunction): but

acwele - (verb, imperative singular): kill - from acwellan

se Ælmihitiga (noun, masculine, nominative, singular): the Almighty (God)

agan (verb, infinitive): possess, own

ahefde (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): lifted up (from ahebban)

anbidiað (verb, imperative, plural) wait (from anbidian)

ancennedan (adjective, masculine accusative or dative singular): only begotten

and (conjunction): and

andwyrde (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): answered (from andwyrdan)

anne (adjective, masculine accusative singular): a; one
anre (adjective, feminine dative singular): a; one

arærde (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): erected (from aræran)

aras (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): arose (from arisan)

arian (verb, infinitive): to spare

arodlice (adverb): quickly

ascie (verb, present indicative 1st person singular): ask (from ascian
ascode (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): asked (from ascian)

assum (noun masculine dative plural): asses; donkeys

astrece (verb, imperative singular): stretch out (from astreccan)

ateah (verb, preterite 3rd person singular): took up; drew (from ateon)

baernette (noun neuter dative singular): burning

geband (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): bound (from bindan)

be (preposition): by

beginnan (verb, infinitive): to begin

beoð (verb, presesnt indicative 3rd person plural): [will] be (from beon)
is (verb, present indicative 3rd person singular): is (from beon)
sie (verb, present subjunctive 3rd person singular): is; may be (from beon)
wæs (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): was (from beon)

beran (verb, infinitive): to bring;
bær (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): brought (from beran)

beseah (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): looked (from beseon)

betweox (preposition): among; between

to gebiddene (verb, inflected infinitive): to pray (from biddan)

bletsie (verb, present indicative 1st person singular): bless (from bletsian)
gebletsode (verb, past participle): blessed (from bletsian)

bletsunge (noun, feminine dative singular): blessing

bremelum (noun, masculine dative plural): brambles; briers

gecierde (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): returned (from cierran)

cild (noun, neuter nominative or accusative singular): child

clipode (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): called; cried out; summoned (from clipian)

cnapum (noun, masculine dative plural): servants

comon (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person plural): came (from cumon)
cumað (verb, present indicative 1st person plural): [will] come (from cuman)

cwæð (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): said (from cweðan)

dæge (noun, masculine dative singular): day

Dominus videt: Latin for "The Lord sees"

dune (noun, feminine dative or accusative singular): mountain

ealdan (adjective, feminine accusative singular): old, ancient

ealle (adjective, feminine nominative plural): all

eft (adverb): again

ege (noun, masculine nominative singular): fear

engel (noun, masculine nominative singular): angel

eow (2nd person pronoun, dative or accusative plural): you

fandian (verb, infinitive): to test

far (verb, imperative singular): go; travel (from faran)

fæder (noun, masculine nominative singular): father

feonda (noun, masculine genitive plural): of enemies; enemies'

ferde (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): went; travelled (from feran)
ferdon (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person plural): went; travelled (from feran)

fierlenan (adjective, neuter dative singular): distant; far off

for (preposition): for; instead of

for þam þe (preposition): because

foresceawað (verb, present indicative 3rd person singular): [will] provide; [will] decree (from foresceawian

fyr (noun, neuter accusative singular): fire

gatu (noun, neuter accusative plural): gates

gað (verb, present indicative 1st person plural): [will] go; walk (from gan)

giet (adverb): yet, still

God (noun, masculine nominative or accusative singular): God
Gode (noun, masculine dative singular): (to, for) God
Godes (noun, masculine genitive singular): of God; God's

habban (verb, infinitive): to have

ham (adverb): home; homewards

hand (noun, feminine accusative singular): hand

hæse (noun, feminine genitive singular): command

gehæft (verb, past participle): caught

he (3rd person pronoun, masculine nominative singular): he
hine (3rd person pronoun, masculine accusative singular): him
his (3rd person pronoun, masculine genitive singular): his
him (3rd person pronoun, masculine dative singular): to him; him

heofonlicre (adjective, feminine dative singular): heavenly

heofonum (noun, masculine dative plural): the heavens

her (adverb): here

het (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): named; ordered (from hatan)

hie (3rd person pronoun, nominative plural): they
hira (3rd person pronoun, genitive plural): their
him (3rd person pronoun, dative plural--reflexive): them

gehiersumnesse (noun, feminine accusative singular): obedience

gehiersumodest (verb, preterite indicative 2nd person singular): obeyed (from (ge)hiersumian)

him self (reflexive pronoun): (for) himself

hit (3rd person pronoun, neuter accusative singular): it

hornum (noun, masculine dative plural): horns

hraðe (adverb): quickly

hwær (adverb): where

hwile (noun, feminine accusative singular): time; while

ic (1st person pronoun, nominative singular): I
me (1st person pronoun, accusative singular): me
min (1st person pronoun, genitive singular): my

ilcan (adjective, feminine dative singular): same

In monte Dominus videbit: Latin for "on the mountain the Lord will see"

Isaac - (proper noun, masculine nominative or accusative singular): Isaac

lace (noun, neuter dative singular): sacrifice; offering (Gode to lace: as a sacrifice to God)

lande (noun, neuter dative singular): land

lif (noun, neuter accusative singular): life

gelogode (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): arranged; put (from (ge)logian)

lufast (verb, present indicative 2nd person singular): love (from lufian)

gemanigfealde (verb, present indicative 1st person singular): multiply; increase

mare (adjective, masculine nominative singular): more; greater

mid (preposition): with

mid þam þe (adverb): (just) when

mine (possessive adjective, 1st person masculine nominative singular): my
minre (possessive adjective, 1st person feminine genitive singular): my

naman (noun, masculine accusative singular): name

ne (adverb or conjunction): not; nor

nihte (noun, feminine dative singulary): night

nim (verb, imperative singular): take (from niman)

nu (adverb or conjunction): now; now that

of (preposition): from

ofer (preposition): over

geoffra (verb, imperative singular): sacrifice; offer up (from geoffrian)
geoffrode (verb, preterite subjunctive 3rd person singular): might offer up; sacrifice (þæt he hine geoffrode: in order to sacrifice him)

offrung (noun, feminine nominative singular): offering; sacrifice
offrunge (noun, feminine accusative or dative singular): offering; sacrifice

ofslean (verb, infinitive): to slay
to ofsleanne (vb, inflected infinitive): to slay
ofslægen (past participle): slayed

ofsnað (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): slaughtered (from ofsniðan)

ofspring (noun, masculine nominative or accusative singular): offspring

on (preposition): in; on

oncneow (verb, preterite indicative 1st person singular): have recognized; have acknowledged (from oncnawan)

ondrætst (verb, present indicative 2nd person singular): fear

ramm (noun, masculine accusative singular): ram

ridende (verb, present participle): riding (from ridan)

samod (adverb): together; too; at the same time

sandceosol (noun, masculine accusative singular): grains of sand

gesawon (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person plural): saw (from (ge)seon)
gesiehð (verb, present indicative 3rd person singular): sees (from (ge)seon)
geseah (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): saw (from geseon)

sæ (noun, masculine dative singular): sea

sæde (noun, neuter dative singular): seed; offspring

sægde (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): said; told (from secgan)
gesægd (past participle): said (from secgan

sceal (verb, present indicative 3rd person singular): shall, will (from sculan)
scoldon (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person plural): must; had to [go] (from sculan)

se (demonstrative pronoun, masculine nominative singular): the
þone (demonstrative pronoun, masculine accusative singular): the
þam (demonstrative pronoun, masculine dative singular): the; that

self (reflexive pronoun, masculine nominative singular): himself
selfne (reflexive pronoun, masculine accusative singular): self

seo (demonstrative pronoun, feminine nominative singular): the; that
þa (demonstrative pronoun, feminine accusative singular): the; that
þaere (demonstrative pronoun, feminine dative singular): the; that

siððan (conjunction and adverb): after; afterwards

sona (adverb): immediately

soðlice (adverb): truly

steorran (noun, masculine accusative plural): stars

stowe (noun, feminine dative or accusative singular): place

sume (adjective, feminine accusative singular): some; a certain

sunu (noun, masculine nominative or accusative singular): son
suna (noun, masculine dative singular): son
suna (noun, masculine genitive singular): son's

swa (adverb): so; thus
swa swa (adverb): just as

sweoran (noun, masculine accusative singular): neck

sweord (noun, neuter accusative singular): sword

gesweotolode (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): revealed (from (ge)sweotolian)

swerie (verb, present indicative 1st person singular): swear (from swerian)

swiðe (adverb): very much; exceedingly

to (preposition): to; for

twam (ordinal numeral, masculine dative): two

þa (adverb): then; when

þær (adverb): there
þaer þaer (adverb): where; there where

þaet (conjunction): that; so that

þaet (demonstrative pronoun, neuter nominative or accusative singular): the; that
þam (demonstrative pronoun, neuter dative singular): the; that

þam (demonstrative pronoun, dative plural): the; those

þe (indeclinable relative particle): whom; that; which

þeoda (noun, feminine nominative plural): people; nations

þin (possessive adjective, 2nd person masculine nominative singular): thine; your
þine (possessive adjective, 2nd person feminine accusative singular): thy; your
þinne (possessive adjective, 2nd person masculine accusative singular): thine; your
þinum (possessive adjective, 2nd person masculine or neuter dative singular): thine; your

þonne (conjunction): than

þriddan (cardinal numeral, masculine dative singular): third

þu (2nd person pronoun, nominative singular): thou; you
þe (2nd person pronoun, accusative or dative singular) you, to you

þurh (preposition): through; by means of

þus (adverb): thus, in this way

unc (1st person dual pronoun, dative): we two (reflexive)

underbæc (adverb): behind; backwards

uppan (preposition, with dative): upon

Visionis (Latin): of vision; of the Vision (from the Hebrew Moriah, meaning "vision")

we (1st person pronoun, nominative plural): we

weofod (noun, neuter accusative singular): altar

weorc (noun, neuter accusative singular): deed; task

wisan (noun, feminine accusative singular): manner; way

woldest (verb, preterite indicative 2nd person singular): would; wanted to (from willan)
noldest (verb, preterite indicative 2nd person singular): would not (from ne + willan)
wolde (verb, preterite indicative 3rd person singular): wanted; desired (from willan)

wudu (noun, masculine nominative or accusative singular): wood

wurde (verb, present subjunctive 3rd person singular): should become; happen (from weorðan)