Genesis · Chapter 28

[ edit] And ſo Yſaac clepide Jacob, and bliſſide hym, and comaundide hym, ſeiynge, Wole þow not taak a wijf of þe kynred of Chanaan; but go, and forþpaſſe into Meſopotany of Syry, to þe hows of Batuel, þe fader of þi moder, and taak to þee fro þens a wijf of þe dowȝtris of Laban, þin vnkle. God forſoþe Almyȝti bliſſe to þee, and make þee growe, and multiplie, þat þow be into þe cumpanyes of puplis; and ȝyue he to þee bliſſyngis of Abraham, and to þi ſeed aftir þee, þat þow haue þe loond of þi pilgrimage, þe which he haþ bihoot to þi graunſire. And whan Yſaac had laft hym, he forþpaſſid com into Meſopotanye of Syre, to Laban, þe ſone of Batuel Siry, þe broþer of Rebecca, his moder.

Seynge forſoþe Eſau þat his fader hadde bliſſid to Jacob, and hadde ſent hym into Meſopotany of Syry, þat fro þens he ſhulde taak hym a wijf, and þat aftir þe bliſſyng he hadde comaundid hym, ſeyynge, Þow ſhalt not taak a wijf of þe dowȝtrys of Canaan; and þat Jacob obeiſhynge to his fader and moder ſhulde go into Syrye; and prouynge þat his fader wolde not gladli biholde þe dowȝtris of Chanaan, ȝede to Yſmael, and took a wijf, wiþ out hem þat he hadde byfore, Melech, þe dowter of Yſmael, ſone of Abraham, þe ſiſter of Naboiot. Þanne Jacob, goon out to Berſabee, ȝede to Aran.

And whan he was comun to a maner place, and he wolde reſt in it after þe ſunne goyng down, took of þe ſtonys þat lyen, and vnderputting to his heed, ſlepte in þe ſame place. And he ſawȝ in his ſlepis a laddre ſtondynge vpon þe erþe, and þe heiȝt of it towchynge heuene, and aungels forſoþe of God ſteiynge vp and goynge down bi it, and þe Lord cleuynge to þe ladder, ſeiynge to hym, Y am þe Lord God of Abraham, þi fader, and God of Yſaac; þe loond in which þow ſlepiſt Y ſhal ȝyue to þee, and to þi ſeed. And þi ſeed ſhal be as þe powdre of þe erþe, þow ſhalt be ſprad a brode to þe eſt, and weſt, and norþ, and ſowþ; and alle lynagis of þe erþe ſhulen be bliſſid in þee and þi ſeed.

And Y ſhal be þi keper, whidir euer þow goſt; and Y ſhal brynge þe aȝeyn into þis loond, ne Y ſhal not leeue forto Y fulfille alle þe þingis þat Y ſeide. And whan Jacob was wakun of þe ſleep, ſeide, Forſoþe þe Lord is in þis place, and Y wiſte not. And dredynge ſeide, Howe feerful is þis place! Here is noþer but þe hows of God, and þe ȝaat of heuene. Aryſynge þanne eerly, took þe ſtoon, þe which he hadde vnderput to his heed, and areryde into a ſigne of worſhip, heeldynge oyle aboue. And he clepide þe name of þe cyte Beþel, þat bifornhoond was clepid Luza.

And he a vowide a vowe, ſeiynge, If God were wiþ me, and kepide me in þe weye bi which Y goo, and ȝyue me looues to etun, and clooþ to be cloþid, and ſhal be turned aȝen welſumly to þe hows of my fader, þe Lord ſhal be to me into God. And þis ſtoon, þat I haue areryde into a ſigne of worſhip, ſhal be clepid þe hows of God; and of alle þingis þat þow ſhalt ȝyue to me Y ſhal offer dymes to þee.