Genesis 29

Great(i) 1 Then Iacob lyfte vp hys fete, & came into the east countrey. 2 And as he loked aboute, beholde there was a well in the felde, and .iij. flockes of shepe laye therby (for at that well were the flockes watered) and there was a great stone vpon the well mouth. 3 And thyther were all the flockes brought, and they rolled the stone from the welles mouth, and watred the shepe, & put the stone agayne vpon the welles mouth vnto hys place. 4 And Iacob sayd vnto them: brethren whence be ye? And they sayde: of Haran are we. 5 And he sayd vnto them: knowe ye Laban the sonne of Nahor? They sayd: we knowe hym. 6 And he sayde vnto them, is he in good health? And they sayde, he his in good health, and beholde, hys daughter Rahel commeth with the shepe. 7 And he sayde, lo, it is yet but hye daye, nether is it tyme that the catell shulde be gathered together, water ye the shepe and go and fede them. 8 And they sayde, we maye not, vntyll all the flockes he brought to gether, and tyll they roll the stone from the welles mouth, and so we water oure shepe. 9 Whyle he yet talked wyth them, Rahel came wyth hyr fathers shepe, for she kepte them. 10 As soone as Iacob sawe Rahel, the daughter of Laban his mothers brother, and the shepe of Laban hys mothers brother, he went and rowled the stone from the wells mouth, and watered the flocke of Laban his mothers brother. 11 And Iacob kyssed Rahel, and lyfte vp hys voyce and wepte: 12 and Iacob tolde Rahel, that he was hyr fathers brother & Rebeccas sonne. Therfore ranne she and tolde hyr father. 13 And it happened when Laban hearde tell of Iacob his systers sonne, he ranne to mete him, & embraced him & kissed him, & brought him to his house. And he tolde Laban all the matter. 14 To whom Laban sayde: well, thou art my bone & my fleshe. And he abode wyth him the space of a moneth. 15 And Laban sayde vnto Iacob: Though thou be my brother, shuldest thou therfore serue me for naught? tell me, what shall thy wages be? 16 Laban had .ij. daughters, the eldest called Lea & the yongest Rahel. 17 Lea was tender eyed, but Rahel was bewtyfull & well fauored. 18 And Iacob loued Rahel, and sayde: I wyll serue the .vij. yeare for Rahel thy yongest daughter. 19 Laban answered: it is better that I geue her the, than to another man: byde wyth me. 20 And Iacob serued .vij. yeares for Rahel and they semed vnto him but a fewe dayes, for the loue he had to her. 21 And Iacob sayde vnto Laban: geue me my wyfe, that I maye lye with hir. For my dayes are fulfilled: 22 Than Laban gathered together all the men of that place, & made a feast. 23 And when euen was come he toke Lea hys daughter & brought her to hym: and he went in vnto hyr. 24 And Laban gaue vnto hys daughter Lea, Zilpha hys mayde, to be hyr seruaunte. 25 And when the mornynge was come, beholde it was Lea. Than sayde he to Laban wherfore hast thou played thus wt me? dyd not I serue the for Rahel? wherfore than hast thou begyled me? 26 Laban answered: it is not the maner of thys place, to marye the yongest before the eldest. 27 Passe out thys weke, and than shall thys also be geuen the for the seruyce whych thou shalt serue me yet .vij. yeres more. 28 And Iacob dyd euen so, and passed out that weke, and than he gaue him Rahel hys daughter to wyfe also. 29 And Laban gaue to Rahel hys daughter, Bilha hys handmayde to be hyr seruaunte. 30 So laye he by Rahel also, and loued Rahel more than Lea and serued hym yet .vij. yeares more. 31 When the Lorde sawe that Lea was despised, he made her frutefull. And Rahel remayned baren. 32 And Lea conceaued and bare a sonne, and called hys name Ruben, for she sayde: the Lorde hath loked vpon my tribulacyon. Nowe therfore my husband wyll loue me. 33 And she conceaued agayne and bare a sonne, and sayde: the Lorde hath herde that I am despysed, and hath therfore geuen me thys sonne also, and she called hys name Simeon. 34 And she conceaued yet, & bare a sonne, and sayde: nowe thys once wyll my husbande kepe me company, because I haue borne hym .iii. sonnes: and therfore was hys name called Leui. 35 And she conceaued yet agayne, and bare a sonne, sayinge: nowe wyll I prayse the Lorde: therfore she called hys name Iuda, and left bearynge.