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| [1]Therfor Jacob passide forth, and cam in to the eest lond; |
[1]Then Iacob went on his iourney, & came into the lande of the people of the east |
| [2]and seiy a pit in the feeld, and thre flockis of scheep restynge bisidis it, for whi scheep weren watrid therof, and the mouth therof was closid with a greet stoon. |
[2]And [as] he loked about, beholde, there was a wel in the field, and loe, three flockes of sheepe lay there by, for at that well were the flockes watered: and there was a great stone vpon the well mouth |
| [3]And the custom was that whanne alle scheep weren gaderid togidere, thei schulden turne awei the stoon, and whanne the flockis weren fillid thei schulden put it eft on the mouth of the pit. |
[3]And thyther were all the flockes brought, and they roulled the stone fro the welles mouth, & watred the sheepe, & put the stone agayne vpon the welles mouth vnto his place |
| [4]And Jacob seide to the scheepherdis, Brithren, of whennus ben ye? Whiche answeriden, Of Aran. |
[4]And Iacob saide vnto them: My brethren, whence be ye? And they sayde: of Haran are we |
| [5]And he axide hem and seide, Wher ye knowen Laban, the sone of Nachor? Thei seiden, We knowen. |
[5]And he sayde vnto them: Knowe ye Laban the sonne of Nachor? They sayde: we knowe hym |
| [6]Jacob seide, Is he hool? Thei seiden, He is in good staat; and lo! Rachel, his douytir, cometh with his flok. |
[6]And he sayde vnto them: is he in good health? And they sayde: he is in good health, and beholde his daughter Rachel commeth with the sheepe |
| [7]And Jacob seide, Yit myche of the dai is to come, and it is not tyme that the flockis be led ayen to the fooldis; sotheli yyue ye drynk to the scheep, and so lede ye hem ayen to mete. |
[7]And he sayde: loe [it is] yet a great whyle to nyght, neither is it tyme that the cattell should be gathered together: water ye the sheepe, and go and feede [them. |
| [8]Whiche answeriden, We moun not til alle scheep be gederid to gidere, and til we remouen the stoon fro the mouth of the pit to watir the flockis. |
[8]And they sayde: we may not vntyll all the flockes be brought together, and tyl they roule the stone from the welles mouth, and so we water our sheepe |
| [9]Yit thei spaken, and lo! Rachel cam with the scheep of hir fadir. |
[9]Whyle he yet talked with them, Rachel came with her fathers sheepe: for she kept them |
| [10]And whanne Jacob seiy hir, and knewe the douytir of his modris brothir, and the scheep of Laban his vncle, he remeuyde the stoon with which the pit was closid; |
[10]Assoone as Iacob sawe Rachel the daughter of Laban his mothers brother, & the sheepe of Laban his mothers brother, Iacob went & rouled the stone from the welles mouth, & watered the flocke of Laban his mothers brother |
| [11]and whanne the flok was watrid, he kisside hir, and he wepte with `vois reisid. |
[11]And Iacob kyssed Rachel, and lift vp his voyce and wept |
| [12]And he schewide to hir that he was the brothir of hir fadir, and the sone of Rebecca; and sche hastide, and telde to hir fadir. |
[12]And Iacob tolde Rachel that he was her fathers brother, and that he was Rebeccaes sonne: Therefore ranne she and tolde her father |
| [13]And whanne he hadde herd, that Jacob, the sone of his sistir, cam, he ran ayens hym, and he biclippide Jacob and kisside hym, and ledde in to his hows. Forsothe whanne the causis of the iurney weren herd, |
[13]And when Laban hearde certaynely tell of Iacob his sisters sonne, he ranne to meete hym, and imbraced hym, and kyssed hym, and brought hym to his house: And he tolde Laban all these thynges |
| [14]Laban answeride, Thou art my boon and my fleisch. And aftir that the daies of o moneth weren fillid, Laban seide to him, |
[14]To whom Laban sayde: Well, thou art my bone & my fleshe. And he abode with hym the space of a moneth |
| [15]`Whethir for thou art my brothir, thou schalt serue me frely? seie thou what mede thou schalt take. |
[15]And Laban said vnto Iacob: Though thou be my brother, shouldest thou therfore serue me for naught? Tell me what shall thy wages be |
| [16]Forsothe Laban hadde twei douytris, the name of the more was Lya, sotheli the lesse was clepid Rachel; |
[16]Laban had two daughters, the elder called Lea, and the younger Rachel |
| [17]but Lya was blere iyed, Rachel was of fair face, and semeli in siyt. |
[17]Lea was tender eyed: but Rachel was beautifull and well fauoured |
| [18]And Jacob louede Rachel, and seide, Y schal serue thee seuene yeer for Rachel thi lesse douytir. |
[18]And Iacob loued Rachel, and sayde: I wyll serue thee seuen yere for Rachel thy younger daughter |
| [19]Laban answeride, It is betere that Y yyue hir to thee than to anothir man; dwelle thou at me. |
[19]Laban aunswered: It is better that I geue her [vnto] thee, then that I shoulde geue her to another man: abide with me |
| [20]Therfor Jacob seruyde seuene yeer for Rachel; and the daies semyden fewe to hym for the greetnesse of loue. |
[20]And Iacob serued seuen yere for Rachel: and they seemed vnto hym but a fewe dayes, for the loue he hadde to her |
| [21]And he seide to Laban, Yyue thou my wijf to me, for the tyme is fillid that Y entre to hir. |
[21]And Iacob said vnto Laban: geue [me] my wife that I may lye with her, for my dayes are fulfylled |
| [22]And whanne many cumpenyes of freendis weren clepid to the feeste, he made weddyngis, |
[22]Then Laban gathered together all the men of that place, and made a feast |
| [23]and in the euentid Laban brouyte in to hym Lya his douytir, |
[23]And when euen was come, he toke Lea his daughter, and brought her to hym, and he went in to her |
| [24]and yaf an handmaide, Selfa bi name, to the douyter. And whanne Jacob hadde entrid to hir bi custom, whanne the morewtid was maad, he seiy Lya, |
[24]And Laban gaue vnto his daughter Lea Zilpha his mayde [to be] her seruaunt |
| [25]and seide to his wyues fadir, What is it that thou woldist do? wher Y seruede not thee for Rachel? whi hast thou disseyued me? |
[25]And when the mornyng was come, beholde it was Lea. Then sayde he to Laban: Wherefore hast thou played thus with me? dyd not I serue thee for Rachel? wherfore then hast thou begyled me |
| [26]Laban answerde, It is not custom in oure place that we yyue first the `lesse douytris to weddyngis; |
[26]Laban aunswered: It is not the maner of this place, to marry ye younger before the first borne |
| [27]fille thou the wouke of daies of this couplyng, and Y schal yyue to thee also this Rachel, for the werk in which thou schalt serue me bi othere seuene yeer. |
[27]Passe out this weeke, & then we wyll geue thee this also for the seruice whiche thou shalt serue me yet seuen yeres more |
| [28]Jacob assentide to the couenaunt, and whanne the wouke was passid, |
[28]And Iacob dyd euen so, and passed out the weeke: and then he gaue hym Rachel his daughter to wyfe also |
| [29]he weddide Rachel, to whom the fadir hadde youe Bala seruauntesse. |
[29]And Laban gaue to Rachel his daughter Bilha his handmayde, to be her seruaunt |
| [30]And at the laste he vside the weddyngis desirid, and settide the loue of the `wijf suynge bifore the former; and he seruede at Laban seuene othere yeer. |
[30]So lay he by Rachel also, and loued Rachel more then Lea, and serued hym yet seuen yeres more |
| [31]Forsothe the Lord seiy that he dispiside Lya, and openyde hir wombe while the sistir dwellide bareyn. |
[31]When the Lorde sawe that Lea was despised, he made her fruitfull, and Rachel remayned baren |
| [32]And Lia childide a sone conseyued, and clepide his name Ruben, and seide, The Lord seiy my mekenesse; now myn hosebonde schal loue me. |
[32]And Lea conceaued and bare a sonne, and she called his name Ruben: for she sayde, the Lord hath loked vpon my tribulation: nowe therfore my husband wyll loue me |
| [33]And eft sche conseyuede, `and childide a sone, and seide, For the Lord seiy that Y was dispisid, he yaf also this sone to me; and sche clepide his name Symeon. |
[33]And she conceaued agayne, and bare a sonne, & sayde: The Lorde hath hearde that I am despised, and hath therefore geuen me this [sonne] also: and she called his name Simeon |
| [34]And sche conseyuede the thridde tyme, and childide anothir sone, and she seide also, Now myn hosebonde schal be couplid to me, for Y childide thre sones to him; and therfor sche clepide his name Leuy. |
[34]And she conceaued yet, & bare a sonne, and sayde: Nowe this once wyll my husbande kepe me company, because I haue borne him three sonnes: and therfore was his name called Leui |
| [35]The fourthe tyme sche conseyuede, and childide a sone, and seide, Now I schal knouleche to the Lord; and herfor she clepide his name Judas; and ceesside to childe. |
[35]And she conceaued yet agayne, and bare hym a sonne, saying: Nowe wyll I prayse the Lorde. Therefore she called his name Iuda, & left bearyng |