1. IAᴄᴏʙ therfore going on his iourney, came into the East countrie.
2. And he sawe a wel in the field, and three flockes of sheepe lying beside it: for of
it the beasts were watered, and the mouth therof was closed with a great stone.
3. And the maner was when al the sheepe were geathered togeather they did rowle of the
stone, and after the sheepe were refreshed they put it on the mouth of the wel againe.
4. And he said to the sheperds: Brethren, Whence are you? Who answered: Of Haran.
5. And he asked them, saying: Know you Laban the sonne of Nachor? They said: We do
knowe him.
6. Is he in health? quoth he: He is in health, say they: And behold Rachel his daughter
cometh with his flocke.
7. And Iacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the
flockes into the foulds againe: first geue the sheep drinke, and so bring them backe to feede.
8. Who answered: We can not, til al the cattel be gethered together: and we remoue the
stone from the wels mouth, that we may water the flocks.
9. They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her fathers sheepe: for she fed
the flocke.
10. whom when Iacob had seene, and knew her to be his cosen germaine, and that they were
the sheepe of Laban his vncle: he remoued the stone, wherwith the wel was closed.
11. And hauing watered the flocke, he kissed her: and lifting vp his voice wept,
12. and he told her that he was her fathers brother, and the sonne of Rebecca: but she
in hast went and told her father.
13. Who when he heard that Iacob his sisters sonne was come, he ranne forth to mete him:
and embracing him, and hartely kissing him, brought him into his house. And when he had heard
the causes of his iourney,
14. he answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the dayes of one moneth were
expired,
15. he said to him: because thou art my brother, shalt thou serue me gratis? Tel
me what wages wilt thou take.
16. He had in dede two daughters, the name of the elder was Lia: and the younger was
called Rachel.
17. But Lia was bleare eyed: Rachel wel fauored, and of a bewtiful countenance.
18. Whom Iacob louing, said: I wil serue thee for Rachel thy younger daughter, seauen
yeares.
19. Laban answered: It is better that I geue her to thee then to an other man, tary
with me.
20. Iacob therfore serued for Rachel seuen yeares: and they semed a few dayes because
of the greatnes of his loue.
21. And he said to Laban: geue me my wife: because now the time is complete, that I may
companie with her.
22. Who hauing bid a great number of his freinds to the feast, made the mariage.
23. And at night he brought in Lia his daughter to him,
24. geuing his daughter a handmaid, named Zelpha. With whom when Iacob had compained
after the maner, when morning was come he saw Lia:
25. and he said to his father in lawe: What is it that thou didest meane to doe? did not
I serue thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceiued me?
26. Laban answered: It is not the custome in this place, that we bestowe the younger in
mariage first.
27. Make vp the weeke of dayes of this match: and I wil geue the this same also,
for the worke that thou shalt serue me other seauen yeares.
28. He yelded to his pleasure: and after the weeke was past, he maried Rachel to wife:
29. to whom her father had deliuered Bala for to be her seruant.
30. And hauing at length obteined the mariage that he wished, he preferred the loue of the
later before the former, seruing with him other seauen yeares.
31. And our Lord seing that he despised Lia, opned her wombe, her sister remaining barren.
32. Who conceaued and bare a sonne, and called his name Ruben, saying: Our Lord saw mine
affliction: now my husband wil loue me.
33. And againe she conceaued and bare a sonne, and said: For because our Lord heard that
I was contemned, he hath geuen this also to me: and she called his name Simeon.
34. And she conceaued the third time, and bare an other sonne: and said: Now also my
husband wil be ioyned to me, for because I haue borne him three sonnes: and therfore she called
his name, Leui.
35. The fourth time she conceaued and bare a sonne, and said: Now wil I conffesse to our
Lord. And for this she called him Iuda: And she left bearing.