¶The .xxix. Chapter.
1 Iacob commeth to Laban. 4 The vnknowen he calleth brethren. 9 Rachel feedeth sheepe. 11 Iacob kysseth Rachel in the Lorde. 13 Laban clyppeth Iacob, and kysseth hym. 17 Lea is bleare eyed. 18 Iacob becommeth bonde for Rachel seuen yeres. 22 Laban kepeth the mariage. 23 Lea is geuen for Rachel. 32 Lea conceaueth Ruben. 33 Simeon. 34 Leui. 35 Iuda.
[unspec A] 1 THen (a) 1.1 Iacob “ 1.2 went on his iourney, & came into the lande of the “ 1.3people of the east.
2 And [as] he loked a∣bout, beholde, there was a wel in the field, and loe, three flockes of sheepe lay there by, for at that well were the flockes wa∣tered: and there was a great stone vpon the well mouth.
3 And thyther were all the flockes brought, and they roulled the stone frō the welles mouth, & watred the sheepe, & put the stone agayne vpon the welles mouth vnto his place.
4 And Iacob saide vnto them: My bre∣thren, whence be ye? And they sayde: of Haran are we.
5 And he sayde vnto them: Knowe ye Laban the (b) 1.4 sonne of Nachor? They sayde: we knowe hym.
6 And he sayde vnto them: is “ 1.5 he in good health? And they sayde: he is in good health, and beholde his daughter Rachel commeth with the sheepe.
7 And he sayde: loe [it is] yet a great “ 1.6whyle to nyght, neither is it tyme that [unspec B] the cattell should be gathered together: water ye the sheepe, (c) 1.7 and go and feede [them.]
8 And they sayde: we may not vntyll all the flockes be brought together, and tyl they roule the stone from the welles mouth, and so we water our sheepe.
9 Whyle he yet talked with them, (d) 1.8 Ra∣chel came with her fathers sheepe: for she kept them.
10 Assoone as Iacob sawe Rachel the daughter of Laban his mothers bro∣ther, & the sheepe of Laban his mothers brother, Iacob went & rouled the stone from the welles mouth, & watered the flocke of Laban his mothers brother.
11 And Iacob kyssed Rachel, and lift vp his voyce and wept.
12 And Iacob tolde Rachel that he was her fathers (e) 1.9 brother, and that he was Rebeccaes sonne: Therefore ranne she and tolde her father.
13 And when Laban hearde certaynely [unspec C] tell of Iacob his sisters sonne, he ranne to meete hym, and imbraced hym, and kyssed hym, and brought hym to his house: And he tolde Laban (f) 1.10 all these thynges.
14 To whom Laban sayde: Well, thou art my bone & my fleshe. And he abode with hym the space of a moneth.
15 And Laban said vnto Iacob: Though thou be my brother, shouldest thou ther∣fore (g) 1.11 serue me for naught? Tell me what shall thy wages be?
16 Laban had two daughters, the elder called Lea, and the younger Rachel.
17 Lea was tender eyed: but Rachel was beautifull and well fauoured.
18 And Iacob loued Rachel, and sayde: I wyll serue thee seuen yere for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 Laban aunswered: (h) 1.12 It is better that I geue her [vnto] thee, then that I shoulde geue her to another man: abide with me.
20 And Iacob serued seuen yere for Ra∣chel: and they seemed vnto hym but a fewe dayes, for the loue he hadde to her.