Genesis · Chapter 31

[ edit] After þat he herde þe wordis of þe ſonys of Laban, ſeiynge, Jacob haþ takun alle þat weren of oure fader, and of þe faculte of hym richid is maad noble. And he took hede to þe face of Laban, þat it was not towards hym as ȝiſtirday and þe þrid day hens, mooſt þe Lord ſeiynge to hym, Turne aȝen into þe loond of þi fadrys, and to þi kynred, and Y ſhal be wiþ þee. And he ſente, and clepide Rachel and Lya into þe feeld, where he fedde þe flockis, and he ſeide to hem, Y ſe þe face of ȝoure fader, þat it is not toward me as ȝiſtirday and þe þridde day hens; God forſoþe of my fader was wiþ me.

And ȝe han knowun þat wiþ alle my ſtrengþis Y haue ſeruyd to ȝoure fader; but and ȝoure fader haþ comen aboute me, and chaungide my mede ten ſiþis; and neuerþelater God haþ not letun hym þat he ſhulde anoye to me. If oþerwhile he ſeide, Þe dyuers colourid ſhulen be þi medis, alle þe ſheep beren conſeyuyng of dyuers colours; whanne forſoþe aȝenward he ſeiþ, Alle þe whyet þow ſhalt taak for þi mede, alle þe flockis beren whyet; and God haþ taak þe ſubſtaunce of ȝoure fader, and ȝeuen to me. Forſoþe bifore þat þe tyme of conſeyuyng of ſheep com, Y heuede vp myn eyen, and ſawȝ in ſleep þe malis ſteiyng up vpon femalis, varye, and ſpotti, and of dyuers colours.

And þe aungel of þe Lord ſeide to me in ſlepe, Jacob! and I anſweride, Y am nyȝ. Þe which ſeiþ, Rere up þin eyen, and ſe alle þe malis ſteiyng up vpon þe femalis, varye, and ſprynklid, and ſpottid; forſoþe Y haue ſeen alle þingis þat Laban haþ doon to þee; Y am God of Beþel, where þow anoyntidiſt þe ſtoon, and þow vowediſt auowe to me. Now þanne aryſe, and goo out fro þis loond, turnynge aȝen into þe loond of þi birþ. And Rachel and Lya anſweryden, Wheþer han we eny þing of reſidewe in faculteis and erytage of þe hows of oure fader? Wheþer as aliens haþ he not holdun vs, and ſoold, and haþ etun oure pryis?

But God haþ takun þe richeſſis of oure fader, and ȝeuun hem to vs, and to oure ſonys; wherfor alle þingis þat God comaundiþ to þee, do. Forſoþe Jacob aroos, and þe fre children and his wyues put vpon camels, ȝede awey; and took al his ſubſtaunce, flockis, and alle þingis þat he hadde purchaſid in Meſopotany, goynge to Yſaac, his fader, in þe loond of Chanaan. Þat tyme Laban was goon to þe ſheep þat ſhulden be clippid, and Rachel hadde ſtolne þe mawmetis of hir fadir.

And Jacob nolde knowleche to his wyues fader, þat he wolde flee; and whanne he was goon, boþe he and alle þingis þat weren of his riȝt, and þe flode paſſid ouer ſhulde go aȝens þe hil of Galaad, it was tolde to Laban, þe þridde day, þat Jacob fleeiȝ. Þe which, his briþeren takun wiþ hym, purſuede hym ſeuen dayes, and ouertook hym in þe hil of Galaad. And he ſawȝ in his ſleep þe Lord ſeiynge to hym, Be war leſt eny þing ſharply þow ſpeek aȝens Jacob.

And now Jacob hadde ſtrauȝte a tabernacle in þe hil; and whan he hadde takun hym wiþ his briþeren, in þe ſame hil of Galaad, he ficchide a tent; and he ſeide to Jacob, Whi didiſt þow þus, þat biſyde me þow dryue awey my dowȝtris as caytyues wiþ ſwerde? Whi vnwitynge me woldiſt þow fle, ne ſhewe to me, þat Y myȝte forþ folwe þee wiþ ioye, and ſongis, and tympans, and harpis? Þow ſuffrediſt not þat Y myȝte kiſſe my ſones and dowȝtris; folily þow haſt wrouȝt. And now forſoþe myn hoond may ȝeeld to þee yuel, but God of þi fader ȝiſtirday ſeide to me, Be war leſt þow ſpeek wiþ Jacob eny þing harder.

And if þow coueytidiſt to goo to þine, and þe hows of þi fadir was in deſiyr to þee, whi haſt þow ſtoln my goddis? Jacob anſweride, Þat þus fro þee I am goon forþ, Y dredde leſt violentli þow ſhuldiſt taak awey þi dowȝtris; þat forſoþe þow vndirnymiſt me of þefte, anentiſt whom euer þow fyndiſt þi goddis, be he ſlaw biforn our briþeren; and ſerch what euer of þi þing anentis me þow fyndiſt, and taak awey. Þes þingis ſeiynge, he knewe not þat Rachel hadde ſtoln þe mawmetis. And ſo Laban, goon into þe tabernacle of Jacob, and Lya, and of eiþer meyne, fonde nouȝt; and whan he was goon yn to þe tentis of Rachel, ſhe hiynge hidde þe mawmetis vndur þe literyng of a camele, and ſat aboue.

And to hym, aſerchynge al þe tent and no þing fyndynge, ſhe ſeiþ, Be not, my lord, wroþ þat Y may not aryſe bifore þee, for after þe vſage of wymmen now it is fallun to me; and ſo bigilid is þe biſynes of hym ſechinge. And Jacob ſwellynge, ſeiþ wiþ ſtriyf, For what my treſpas, and for what my ſynne, haſt þow þus fulbrent after me, and haſt enſerchid alle my neceſſaryes of hows? What haſt þow foundun of eny ſubſtawnce of þin hows? Putte þat bifore my briþeren and toforn þi breþeren, and deme þei bitwix me and þee. Þerfor twenti wynter haue I ben wiþ þee?

Þi ſhep and þi geit weren not barein, þe weþeris of þi flok Y ete not, ne takun of beeſt I ſhewide to þee; Y al þe harm ȝolde; al þing of þefte þat periſhide, of me þow aſkidiſt; day and nyȝt wiþ hoot and coolde Y was ſtreynyd, and ſleep fleiȝ fro myn eyen; ſo þurȝ out twenti ȝeer in þin hows Y ſeruede to þee, fourtene for þi dowȝtres, and ſixe for þi flockis; forſoþe þow chaungediſt my mede ten ſiþis. But þe God of my fader Abraham, and þe drede of Yſaac hadde ben to me, perauenture nakid now þou haddiſt laft me; myn affliccioun and þe traueil of myn hondis þe Lord bihelde, and vndernam þee ȝiſterday.

Laban anſweride to hym, My dowȝtres, and ſones, and þi flockis, and alle þat þow biholdiſt, ben myne, and what may Y do to my ſones, and to my neces? Com þanne, and goo we into couenaunt of pees, þat witneſſe be bitwixe me and þee. And ſo Jacob took a ſtoon, and areryde it into a title, and ſeide to his briþeren, Bryngiþ to ſtoons; þe whiche gederynge togidere, maden an hillok, and eten þer vpon. Þe which Laban clepyde an hillok of witnes, and Jacob an hipil of wytneſſyng; eiþer after þe proprete of his tunge. And Laban ſeide, Þis hillok ſhal be witnes bitwixe me and þee to day, and þerfor þe name of it is clepid Galaad, þat is, þe hillok of witnes.

And Laban leide to, Þe Lord biholde, and deme bitwixen vs, whanne we ſhulen goo from vs; if þow turmente my dowȝtres, if þow bryngiſt yn oþer wyues vpon hem, no man of oure word is witnes, ſaue God, þat preſent biholdiþ. And eft he ſeide to Jacob, Loo! þis hillok, and þe ſtoon þat I haue rerid bitwixe me and þee, witnes ſhal be; þis hilloc, and þe ſtoon ben into witneſſyng, if forſoþe I ſhall paſſe it goynge to þee, or þow ouerpaſſiſt yuel to me þenkynge. God of Abraham, and God of Nachor, deme bitwix vs, þe God of þe fader of hem.

Þanne Jacob ſwore by þe drede of his fader Yſaac; and, offrid ſlayn ſacrifice in þe hil, he clepide his briþeren þat þei ſhulden eete breed, þe whiche whanne þei hadden etun, dwelten þere. Laban forſoþe at nyȝt aryſynge, kiſſide þe ſones, and his douȝtris, and bliſſide to hem, turnynge aȝen into his place.