Genesis · Chapter 24

[ edit] Forſoþe Abraham was oold, and of manye daies, and þe Lord in alle þingis had bliſſid to hym. And he ſeide to þe elder ſeruaunt of his hows, þat was bifore in rulyng to alle þingis þat he had, Put þin hoond vndir myn hip, þat I adiure þee bi þe Lord God of heuene and of erþe, þat þow take not wijf to my ſone of þe dowȝtris of Chananeys, among þe whiche I duelle; but go to þe loond and to my cognacioun, and fro þens take a wijf to my ſone Yſaac. Þe ſeruaunt anſweride, If þe womman wole not com wiþ me into þis loond, wheþer I ſhal lede aȝen þi ſone to þe place, of þe which þow were goon out?

Abraham ſeide, Be war, leſt ony tyme þow lede aȝen þider my ſone; þe Lord God of heuene þat toke me fro þe hows of my fadir, and fro þe loond of my birþ, þe which haþ ſpokun to me, and ſwore, ſeiynge, To þi ſeed I ſhal ȝyue þis loond, he ſhal ſend his aungel bifore þee, and fro þens þow ſhalt taak a wijf to my ſone; and if þe woman wole not folow þee, þow ſhalt not be holden to þe oþ; neuerþelater my ſone ne lede þow aȝen þidir. Þanne þe ſeruaunt putte his hoond vndir þe hip of Abraham, his lord, and ſwore to hym vpon þis word. And he tok ten camelis of þe flok of his lord, and ȝede, berynge wiþ hym of alle þe goodis of hym; and goon he ȝede to Meſopotany, to þe citee of Nachor.

And whan he had maad þe camelis reſten out of þe wallid town, biſydis a pit of watre, at euen, þat tyme þat womman ben wont to goon out to draw water, ſeide, Lord God of my lord Abraham, Y preye, to day aȝen-com to me, and do mercy wiþ my lord Abraham. Loo! I ſtoond nyȝ þe welle of water, and þe dowȝtres of þe dwellers of þis citee ſhal goon out to draw watyr; þanne þe mayden child, to whom I ſhal ſeye, Bouwe down þi water pot þat I drynke, and ſhe ſhal anſwere, Drynke, but and to þi camels I ſhal ȝyue drynk, ſhe is whom þow haſt bifore ordeyned to þi ſeruaunt Yſaac; and bi þis I ſhal vndurſtond þat þow ſhalt do mercy wiþ my lord Abraham.

Ne ȝit fully wiþ ynne hym ſilf he had fulfillid þe wordis, and loo! Rabecca ȝede out, þe dowȝter of Batuel, ſone of Melche, wijf of Nachor, broþer of Abraham, hauynge a water pot in hir ſhulder; a ful ſembly damyſel, and mooſt fayr mayden, and vnknowun to man. She deſcendide forſoþe to þe welle, and had fulfild hir water pot, and was turned aȝen. And þe ſeruaunt ȝede aȝens hir, and ſeide, Ȝyue to me a litle of water to drynk of þi water pot. Þe which anſweride, Drynk, my lord. And anoon ſhe putte down þe water pot vpon hir arm, and ȝaue drynk to hym. And whanne he had drunkun, ſhe addide to, But and to þi camelis I ſhal draw water, to þe tyme þei han drunkun.

And ſhe, heldynge out þe water pot into þe water trowis, and rennede aȝen to þe pit, for to draw water, and drawun ſhe ȝaue to alle þe camelis. He forſoþe biheelde her ſtilli, wilnyng to wite wheþer þe Lord had maad his weye welſom, or noon. Þanne after þat þe camelis hadden drunkun, þe man brouȝte forþ goldun eer ryngis, peiſynge two ſicles, and as feel arm ſerclis, peiys of ten ſiclys. And he ſeide to hir, Whos dowȝter art þow? ſhewe þow to me, is þere in þe hows of þi fadir place to dwelle? Þe which anſweryde, Þe dowȝter of Batuel Y am, ſone of Nachor, whom Melcha bar to hym. And ſhe addide, ſeiynge, Of chaf forſoþe and of hey myche þere is at vs, and a large place to dwelle.

Þe man bowide hym ſilf, and onouryde þe Lord, ſeiynge, Bliſſid be þe Lord God of my lord Abraham, þe which haþ not takun awey mercy and his ſoþefaſtnes fro my lord, and in riȝt wei haþ fulli lad me into þe hows of þe broþir of my lord. And ſo þe damyſel rennede, and tolde in þe hows of hir modir alle þingis þat ſhe hadde herd. Rabecca forſoþe hadde a broþir, Laban bi name, þe which hiynge ȝede out to þe man, where he was wiþ outen.

And whan he had ſeen þe eer ryngis and þe arm ſerclis in þe hondis of his ſiſter, and he hadde herd alle þe wordis of hir tellynge, þes þingis þe man ſpak to me, he com to þe man, þat ſtode biſidis þe camelis, and nyȝ þe welle of water, and ſeide to hym, Go ynne, þow bliſſid of þe Lord; whi ſtondiſt þow wiþ oute? Y haue greiþid þe hows, and þe place to þi camelis. And he ladde hym into þe hows of herbergrye, and unſadelynge diſchargide þe camelis, and ȝaue to hem chaf, and hey, and water for þe camelis fete to be wayſhun, and mennys whiche comen wiþ hym. And þere was ſett brede in his ſiȝt, þe which ſeiþ, Y ſhal not eet, to þe tyme Y ſpeke my wordis. He anſweride to hym, Spek.

And he, Þe ſeruaunt, he ſeiþ, Y am of Abraham, and þe Lord haþ bliſſid to my lord ful myche, and he is magnyfied; and he haþ ȝouun to hym ſheep, and oxen, ſiluer, and gold, ſeruauntis, and hand maydens, camelis, and aſſis. And Sara, þe wijf of my lord, haþ born a ſone to my lord in his eeld, and he haþ ȝyuun to hym al þat he had. And my lord haþ adiurid me, ſeiynge, Þow ſhalt not take to my ſone a wijf of þe dowȝtres of Chananeis, in whos loond Y dwel, but þow ſhalt go to þe hows of my fadir, and of my cognacyoun þow ſhalt take a wijf to my ſone. I forſoþe anſweride to my lord, What if þe womman wole not go wiþ me?

Þe Lord, he ſeiþ, in whos ſiȝt Y goo, ſhal ſende his aungel wiþ þee, and ſhal make redi þi weye; and þow ſhalt take a wijf to my ſone of my kynredun, and of þe hows of my fadir. Þow ſhalt be ynnocent fro my curſe, whan þow ſhalt com to my nyȝ kyn, and þei ȝyue not to þee. I com þanne to day to þe welle of water, and ſeyde, Þe Lord God of my lord Abraham, if þow haſt maad redy my weye, in þe which now Y go, loo!

I ſtonde byſides þe welle of þe water, and þe maydyn þat ſhal goon out to draw watre here of me, ȝyue to me a lytil of water to drynke of þi watre pot, and ſhe ſeye to me, And þow drynke, and Y ſhal draw water to þi camelis, ſhe is þe womman þat þe Lord haþ maad redi to þe ſone of my lord. While þes þingis Y turnede ſtilly wiþ my ſilf, Rebecca aperide, comynge wiþ þe water pot þat ſhe bare in hir ſhuldir; and ſhe deſcendide to þe welle, and drowe water. And Y ſeide to hir, Ȝyf to me a litil to drynk; þe which hiynge dide down hir water pot fro hir ſhulder, and ſeide to me, And þow drynk, and to þi camelis Y ſhal ȝyue drink; and I drank, and ſhe wateryde þe camelis.

And I aſkide hir, and ſeide, Whos dowȝter art þow? Þe which anſweryde, Þe dowȝter of Batuel Y am, ſone of Nachor, whom bare to hym Melcha. And ſo I hengide eer ryngis to honoure þe face of hir, and arm ſerclis I putte in þe hondis of hir, and bowid I honowride þe Lord, bliſſynge to þe Lord God of my lord Abraham, þe which haþ ful lad me þe ryȝt weye, þat I ſhulde take þe dowȝter of þe broþer of my lord to þe ſone of hym. Wherfor if ȝe doon mercy and ſoþenes wiþ my lord, ſhewiþ to me; if forſoþe oþer þing pleſiþ, and þat ſeie ȝee, þat Y go to þe ryȝt or to þe left. Laban and Batuel anſweryden, Fro þe Lord þe word is goon out; we mown not out of þe pleſyng of hym ony þing oþir ſpeke wiþ þee.

Loo! Rebecca is bifore þee; taak hir, and go, and be ſhe þe wijf of þe ſone of þi lord, as þe Lord haþ ſpokun. Þe which whan þe child of Abraham hadde herd, fallynge down in þe erþe honowrede þe Lord. And veſſelys of ſiluer, and of gold, and cloþis brouȝt forþ, ȝaue hem to Rebecca for ȝifte, and to þe briþeren of hir and to þe modir he offride ȝiftis. And þe feeſt bigun, þei etynge to gideris and drynkynge dwelliden þere. Þe child forſoþe ryſynge eerly, ſpak, Lat me, þat Y go to my lord. Þe briþeren of hir and þe modir anſweryden, Þe mayde child at þe leeſt dwelle ten dayes anentis vs, and aftirward ſche ſhal go.

Wiln ȝe not, he ſeiþ, me aȝen-holde, for þe Lord haþ maad redi my weie; late ȝe me, þat Y go to my lord. And þei ſeiden, Clepe we þe maydyn child, and aſke we þe wil of hir. And whan ſhe clepid was comun, þei aſkiden, Wolt þow wiþ þis man go? She ſeide, I ſhal go. Þanne þei leten hir, and Delbora, hir noryſhe, and þe ſeruaunt of Abraham, and þe wiþfolweris of hyr, inwardli preyinge weelſom þingis of her ſiſtyr, and ſeiynge, Oure ſiſtir þou art, growe þow into þowſand þowſandis, and welden þi ſeed þe ȝatis of þin enemyes. Þanne Rebecca and þe damyſels of hir, þe camelis ſteied vp, foleweden þe man, þe which hyinge turnede aȝen to his lord.

Þat tyme Yſaac ȝede bi þe weye þat lediþ to þe pit, whos name is of hym lyuynge and ſeiynge; forſoþe he dwellide in þe ſowþ loond. And he was goon out to biþenk in þe feeld, þe day now goon doun; and whan he had houun vp þe eyen, he ſawȝ camelis comynge afer. And Rebecca, Yſaac biholdyd, deſcendide of þe camel, and ſeiþ to þe child, Who is þis man þat comeþ bi þe feeld in aȝen comyng to vs? And he ſeide to hir, He is my lord. And ſhe anoon, takynge a mantel, coueride hir.

And þe ſeruaunt alle þingis þat he had doon tolde to his lord Yſaac; þe which led hir wiþ ynne into þe tabernacle of Sara, his modir, and toke hir to wijf; and in ſo mych he louede hir, þat þe ſorowe þat of þe deþ of þe moder felle it ſwagid.