Genesis 29
1 Therfor Jacob passide forth, and cam in to the eest lond;
Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land 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.
He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
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.
When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4 And Jacob seide to the scheepherdis, Brithren, of whennus ben ye? Whiche answeriden, Of Aran.
“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
5 And he axide hem and seide, Wher ye knowen Laban, the sone of Nachor? Thei seiden, We knowen.
“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6 Jacob seide, Is he hool? Thei seiden, He is in good staat; and lo! Rachel, his douytir, cometh with his flok.
“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
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.
“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
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.
But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9 Yit thei spaken, and lo! Rachel cam with the scheep of hir fadir.
While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
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;
As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
11 and whanne the flok was watrid, he kisside hir, and he wepte with `vois reisid.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
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.
He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told 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,
When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.
14 Laban answeride, Thou art my boon and my fleisch. And aftir that the daies of o moneth weren fillid, Laban seide to him,
Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
15 `Whethir for thou art my brothir, thou schalt serue me frely? seie thou what mede thou schalt take.
Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Forsothe Laban hadde twei douytris, the name of the more was Lya, sotheli the lesse was clepid Rachel;
Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
17 but Lya was blere iyed, Rachel was of fair face, and semeli in siyt.
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
18 And Jacob louede Rachel, and seide, Y schal serue thee seuene yeer for Rachel thi lesse douytir.
Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban answeride, It is betere that Y yyue hir to thee than to anothir man; dwelle thou at me.
Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
20 Therfor Jacob seruyde seuene yeer for Rachel; and the daies semyden fewe to hym for the greetnesse of loue.
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
21 And he seide to Laban, Yyue thou my wijf to me, for the tyme is fillid that Y entre to hir.
Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”
22 And whanne many cumpenyes of freendis weren clepid to the feeste, he made weddyngis,
So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
23 and in the euentid Laban brouyte in to hym Lya his douytir,
But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with 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,
And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
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?
When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban answerde, It is not custom in oure place that we yyue first the `lesse douytris to weddyngis;
Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
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.
Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”
28 Jacob assentide to the couenaunt, and whanne the wouke was passid,
And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
29 he weddide Rachel, to whom the fadir hadde youe Bala seruauntesse.
Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
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.
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
31 Forsothe the Lord seiy that he dispiside Lya, and openyde hir wombe while the sistir dwellide bareyn.
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
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.
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
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.
Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him 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.
Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.
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.
And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
