Genesis 29
1 Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
Therfor Jacob passide forth, and cam in to the eest lond;
2 There he [was surprised to] see a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep were lying near the well. It was the well from which shepherds habitually got water for their sheep. There was a large stone covering 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 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would work together to roll the stone away from the top of the well and get water for the sheep. When they finished doing that, they would put the stone back in its place over the top of the well.
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 [On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
And Jacob seide to the scheepherdis, Brithren, of whennus ben ye? Whiche answeriden, Of Aran.
5 He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
And he axide hem and seide, Wher ye knowen Laban, the sone of Nachor? Thei seiden, We knowen.
6 Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
Jacob seide, Is he hool? Thei seiden, He is in good staat; and lo! Rachel, his douytir, cometh with his flok.
7 Jacob said, “Hey! The sun is still high in the sky. It is not time for the flocks to be gathered for nighttime. Give the sheep some water and then take them back to (graze/eat grass) in the pastures!”
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 They replied, “No, we cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered here and the stone is removed from the top of the well. After that, we will give water to the sheep.”
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 came with her father’s sheep. She was the one who took care of her father’s sheep.
Yit thei spaken, and lo! Rachel cam with the scheep of hir fadir.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, who was his mother’s brother, [Jacob was so excited that] he went over and [by himself] rolled away the stone that covered the top of the well, and he got water for his uncle’s sheep.
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 [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
and whanne the flok was watrid, he kisside hir, and he wepte with `vois reisid.
12 Jacob told Rachel that he was one of her father’s relatives, the son of her aunt Rebekah. So she ran and told that to her father.
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 that Jacob, his sister’s son, was there, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him [on the cheek]. Then he brought him to his home, and Jacob told him all that had happened to him.
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 Then Laban said to him, “Truly, you are part of my family!” After Jacob had stayed there and worked for 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 Laban said to him “(You should not work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine!/Why should you work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine?) [RHQ] Tell me how much you want me to pay you.”
`Whethir for thou art my brothir, thou schalt serue me frely? seie thou what mede thou schalt take.
16 Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
Forsothe Laban hadde twei douytris, the name of the more was Lya, sotheli the lesse was clepid Rachel;
17 Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
but Lya was blere iyed, Rachel was of fair face, and semeli in siyt.
18 Jacob (was in love with/wanted very much to be married to) Rachel, and he said, “I will work for you for seven years. That will be my payment for your letting me marry your younger daughter, Rachel.”
And Jacob louede Rachel, and seide, Y schal serue thee seuene yeer for Rachel thi lesse douytir.
19 Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
Laban answeride, It is betere that Y yyue hir to thee than to anothir man; dwelle thou at me.
20 So Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to get Rachel, but to him it seemed like it was only a few days, because he loved her so much.
Therfor Jacob seruyde seuene yeer for Rachel; and the daies semyden fewe to hym for the greetnesse of loue.
21 After the seven years were ended, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me marry Rachel now, because the time we agreed upon for me to work for you is ended, and I want to marry her. [EUP]”
And he seide to Laban, Yyue thou my wijf to me, for the tyme is fillid that Y entre to hir.
22 So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
And whanne many cumpenyes of freendis weren clepid to the feeste, he made weddyngis,
23 But that evening, instead of taking Rachel to Jacob, Laban took his older daughter, Leah, to him. But because it was already dark, he could not see that it was Leah and not Rachel, and he had sex [EUP] with her.
and in the euentid Laban brouyte in to hym Lya his douytir,
24 (Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
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 The next morning, Jacob was shocked to see that it was Leah who was with him! So he went to Laban [and told him] very angrily, “(What you have done to me is disgusting!/What is this that you have done to me?) [RHQ] I worked for you to get Rachel, did I not? So why did you deceive 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 Laban replied, “In this land, it is not our custom to give a younger daughter to be married before we let someone marry our firstborn daughter.
Laban answerde, It is not custom in oure place that we yyue first the `lesse douytris to weddyngis;
27 After we finish this week of celebration, we will let you marry the younger one also. But in return, you must pay for Rachel by working for me for another seven years.”
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 So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
Jacob assentide to the couenaunt, and whanne the wouke was passid,
29 Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
he weddide Rachel, to whom the fadir hadde youe Bala seruauntesse.
30 Jacob had sex [EUP] with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.
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 When Yahweh saw that Jacob did not love Leah [very much], he enabled her to become pregnant. But Rachel was not able to become pregnant.
Forsothe the Lord seiy that he dispiside Lya, and openyde hir wombe while the sistir dwellide bareyn.
32 Leah gave birth to a son, whom she named Reuben, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘Look, a son]!’ She said, “Yahweh has seen that I was miserable, and because of that he has given me a son. Now, surely my husband will love me for giving birth to a son for him.”
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 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Because Yahweh has heard that my husband doesn’t love me, he has given me this son, too.” So she named him Simeon, [which means ‘someone who hears’].
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 Later she became pregnant again, and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now, finally, my husband will hold me close to him.” So she named him Levi, [which means ‘hold close’].
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 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “(This time/Now) I will praise Yahweh.” So she called his name Judah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘praise’]. After that, she did not give birth to any more children [for several years].
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.
