Genesis 29
1 Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
Therfor Jacob passide forth, and cam in to the eest lond;
2 As he looked around he saw a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying down beside it, waiting to be given water. A large stone covered the top of the well.
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.
3 The usual practice was that once all the flocks had arrived, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the well and give their sheep water. Then they would put the stone back again.
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.
4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
And Jacob seide to the scheepherdis, Brithren, of whennus ben ye? Whiche answeriden, Of Aran.
5 “Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
And he axide hem and seide, Wher ye knowen Laban, the sone of Nachor? Thei seiden, We knowen.
6 “How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
Jacob seide, Is he hool? Thei seiden, He is in good staat; and lo! Rachel, his douytir, cometh with his flok.
7 “Look, there's still plenty of daylight left,” said Jacob. “It's too early to round up the sheep yet. Why not let them drink so they can go back to grazing?”
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.
8 “We can't do that until all the flocks have arrived,” they told him. “Then we roll away the stone from the well and let the sheep drink.”
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.
9 While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
Yit thei spaken, and lo! Rachel cam with the scheep of hir fadir.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, he went over and rolled away the stone from the well so Laban's sheep could drink.
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;
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
and whanne the flok was watrid, he kisside hir, and he wepte with `vois reisid.
12 (He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
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.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob he ran out to meet him. He hugged him and kissed him, and took him home. After Jacob had explained everything to Laban,
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,
14 Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
Laban answeride, Thou art my boon and my fleisch. And aftir that the daies of o moneth weren fillid, Laban seide to him,
15 One day Laban said to him, “You're my relative so you shouldn't be working for me for nothing! Tell me, what should I pay you?”
`Whethir for thou art my brothir, thou schalt serue me frely? seie thou what mede thou schalt take.
16 Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
Forsothe Laban hadde twei douytris, the name of the more was Lya, sotheli the lesse was clepid Rachel;
17 Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
but Lya was blere iyed, Rachel was of fair face, and semeli in siyt.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
And Jacob louede Rachel, and seide, Y schal serue thee seuene yeer for Rachel thi lesse douytir.
19 “Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
Laban answeride, It is betere that Y yyue hir to thee than to anothir man; dwelle thou at me.
20 Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
Therfor Jacob seruyde seuene yeer for Rachel; and the daies semyden fewe to hym for the greetnesse of loue.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
And he seide to Laban, Yyue thou my wijf to me, for the tyme is fillid that Y entre to hir.
22 So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
And whanne many cumpenyes of freendis weren clepid to the feeste, he made weddyngis,
23 But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
and in the euentid Laban brouyte in to hym Lya his douytir,
24 (Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
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,
25 When morning came, he saw it was Leah! He went to Laban and asked angrily, “What have you done to me? It was for Rachel that I worked for you! Why have you deceived me?”
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?
26 “Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
Laban answerde, It is not custom in oure place that we yyue first the `lesse douytris to weddyngis;
27 “Finish this week of wedding celebrations and then I'll give you the other daughter as well, as long as you work another seven years for me.”
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.
28 Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
Jacob assentide to the couenaunt, and whanne the wouke was passid,
29 (Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
he weddide Rachel, to whom the fadir hadde youe Bala seruauntesse.
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
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.
31 The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
Forsothe the Lord seiy that he dispiside Lya, and openyde hir wombe while the sistir dwellide bareyn.
32 Leah became pregnant, and had a son she named Reuben, for she said, “The Lord saw how much I was suffering and now my husband will love me!”
And Lia childide a sone conseyued, and clepide his name Ruben, and seide, The Lord seiy my mekenesse; now myn hosebonde schal loue me.
33 Then Leah became pregnant again, and had another son. She said, “The Lord has heard that I'm not loved so he gave me this son.” So she named him Simeon.
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.
34 Leah became pregnant for the third time, and had another son. She said, “Finally my husband will be attached to me because now I've given him three sons.” That's why he was named Levi.
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.
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and had another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I can really praise the Lord!” After that she had no more children.
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.
