The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXX.

[verse 1] Seynge forsothe Rachel that she was withouten fruyt of wombe, enuyede to the sistir, and seide to the husboond, Ȝyf to me free childryn, ellis Y shal dye. [verse 2] To whom wrooth Jacob answeride, Whether for a God Y am, the which haue priuede [verse 3] thee the fruyt of thi wombe? And she, I haue, she seide, a seruaunt, Balam, goo yn to hir, that she bere vpon my kneen, and I haue of hir sones. [verse 4] And she ȝaue [verse 5] to hym Balam into maryage; the which, the man goon yn to hir, conseyuede, and bare a sone. [verse 6] And Rachel seide, The Lord hath shewid me, and he hath herd my vois, ȝyuynge to me a sone; and therfor she clepide the name of hym Dan. [verse 7] And eftsones Bala conseiuinge, bare another, [verse 8] for the which seide Rachel, The Lord hath comparisownd me with my sister, and I haue recouered; and she clepide hym Neptalym. [verse 9] Lya felynge that she had laft for to bere children, she took to the husboond Zelpha, hir handmayden.

[verse 10] The which aftir conseyuynge [conceyued E pr. m.] bryngynge [verse 11] forth a child, seide, Gracyously; and ther|for she clepide the name of hym Gad. [verse 12] And Zelpha bare anothir, and Lya seide, [verse 13] That for my blisfulnes; forsothe alle wymmen shulen sey me blisful; therfor she clepide hym Aser. [verse 14] And Ruben goon out in tyme of wheet heruest into the feeld, fonde mandraggis, that he brouȝte to Lya, the moder. And Rachel seide, Ȝyue me parte of the mandraggis of thi sone. [verse 15] She answeride, Ne semith it to thee a litil, that thow hast bifore takun the husbond to me, but also the man|draggis of my sone thow taak? And she, Slep he with thee this nyȝt for the mandraggis of thi sone. [verse 16] And to Jacob comynge aȝen at euen fro the feeld Lya was goon out into the aȝencomyng of hym, and seith, To me, she seith, thow shalt come yn, for thurȝ mede I haue hyryde thee for the mandraggis of my sone. [verse 17] He slepte with hir that nyȝt; and God herde the preiers of hir, and she [verse 18] conseyuede, and bare the fift sone; and seith, God hath ȝeuun mede to me, for I haue ȝouun myn handemaiden to my man; and she clepide the name of hym Ysachar. [verse 19] Eftsonys Lya conseyuynge bare [verse 20] the sixte sone, and seith, The Lord hath enrychide me with a good dower; also this while with me shal be myn hus|boond, therthurȝ that Y haue getun to hym sixe sones; and therfor she clepide the name of hym Zabulon. [verse 21] After whom she bare a dowȝter, Dyne [Didyn A.] bi name. [verse 22] And the Lord, recordid of Rachel, herde hir, and openyde the wombe of hir. [verse 23] Which con|seyuede, and bare a sone, seiynge, God [verse 24] hath doon awey my reprofe; and she clepide the name of hym Joseph, seiynge, The Lord adde to me another sone. [verse 25] Jo|seph forsothe born, Jacob seide to his wyues fader, Lat me that Y go aȝen into my cuntre, and to my loond. [verse 26] Ȝyue to me

wyues, and my free children, for the whiche I haue seruede thee, that I goo; thow forsothe hast knowe the seruyse that I haue seruyde to thee. [verse 27] Laban seide to him, Shal I fynde grace in thi siȝt, thurȝ experyens Y haue lernyd for God [verse 28] hath blissid to me for thee; ordeyn thi mede that Y ȝyue to thee. [verse 29] And he an|sweryde, Thou hast knowe what maner Y haue seruede to thee, and thi pos|sessioun how myche was in myn hondis; [verse 30] a litil thow haddist bifore that I com to thee, and now thow art maad ryche, and God hath blissid to thee at myn yncom|yng; thanne it is riȝtful that sumtyme also Y puruey to myn hows. [verse 31] And Laban seide, What shal Y ȝyue to thee? And he seith, Y wole nothing, but if thow dost [dist BDEFH.] that I aske, eft I shal feede and kepe thi beestis. [verse 32] Turne abowt alle thi flockis, and seuer [serue A.] alle thi speckid sheep, and with speckyd flese, and what euere ȝolow, and speckid, and dyuerse colourid were, as wel in sheep as in geyt, shal be my mede. [verse 33] And my riȝtwisnes shal an|swere to morwe, whan tyme of plesaunce shal come bifore thee; and alle that weren not dyuerse, and speckid [specky E. specke F pr. m.] , and ȝalow, as wel in sheep as in geyt, of theft thou shalt vndirnym me. [verse 34] And La|ban seide, Agreede Y haue that thow askist. [verse 35] And he seuerde [seruede A.] that day the she geyt, and the sheep, and the hyeȝ geyt, and the wetheres, dyuerse and spotti [splotty E.] . And al the flok of o colour, that is, of whyet or [and BDEFH.] of blak flese, he toke in [verse 36] the hoond of his sones; and putte a space of thre daies weye bitwix hem and his [hir AF.] dowȝtir husboond, the whiche fedden the tother flockis of hym. [verse 37] Thanne Jacob takynge green popil ȝerdis, and of alman|ders, and of planes, a parti vnryendide

hem; and riendis [the ryndis BDEFH.] drawun awey; in thilke that weren pilde semede whytnes, thilke forsothe that weren hool dwelten stil green, and so in this maner was maad of [a BDEFH.] dyuerse colour. [verse 38] And he putte hem in the water trowes, where the wa|tyr was held out, that whanne the flockis weren comen to drynke, bifore the eyen thei shulden han the ȝerdis, and in the siȝt of hem thei shulden conseyue. [verse 39] And so it was doon that in that heet of goynge togidere the sheep shulden biholde the ȝerdis, and beere spotty, and speckid, and spreyned with dyuers colour. [verse 40] And Jacob dyuydide the flok, and putte the ȝerdis in the watyr trowis, bifore the eyen of the rammys; forsothe alle the whyte and the blak weren of Laban, the tothere forsothe of Jacob, seueryd bitwix hem silf the flockis. [verse 41] Thanne whanne the first tyme the sheep weren steyed vp, Jacob putte the ȝerdis in the trowis of watrys, biforn the eyen of rammys and of sheep, that in the siȝt of hem thei shulden conseyue. [verse 42] Whanne forsothe the laat comyng togidere of beestis weren, and the last conceyuyng tyme, he putte not hem. And thilke that weren of the [Om. E.] later tyme ben maad of Laban, and thilke of the fyrst tyme of Jacob. [verse 43] And the man is maad ryche wonder myche, and he hadde manye flockis, handmayd|enys, and seruauntis, camels, and assis.