Genesis · Chapter 35

[ edit] The mene tyme þe Lord ſpak to Jacob, Aryſe, and ſtey to Beþel, and dwel þere, and mak an autere to þe Lord, þat aperide to þee whanne þou flowȝ Eſau, þi broþer. Jacob forſoþe, al his hows clepid togidere, ſeiþ, Doþ awey alyen goddis, þat ben in þe mydil of ȝow, and be ȝe clenſid, and chaunge ȝe ȝoure cloþis; riſe ȝe, and ſteye we vp in to Beþel, þat we maken þere an autere to þe Lord, þe which haþ herd me in þe day of my tribulacioun, and was felaw of my weye. Þanne þei ȝyuen to hym alle alyen goddis þat þei hadden, and þe eer ryngis, þat weren in þe erys of hem; and he indeluede hem vndur an þeribynte, þat is bihynde þe cite of Sichem.

And whanne þei weren goon, feerde of God ȝede vpon alle þe cytees by enuyroun, and þei weren not hardi to purſue hem awey goynge. Þanne Jacob com to Luzam, þat is in þe loond of Chanaan, Beþel bi name, he and alle þe peple wiþ hym. And he bilde þere an auteer, and clepide þe name of þat place Þe hows of God; þere forſoþe aperyde God to hym, whanne he ſhulde flee his broþer. Þe ſame tyme was deed Delbora, þe noriſch of Rebecca, and was byried at þe rootis of Beþel, vndur an ook, and þe name of þe place is clepid Þe ook of weping.

God forſoþe aperyde eftſones to Jacob, after þat he was turnyd aȝen fro Meſopotany of Syrye, and com into Beþel, and bliſſid to hym, ſeiynge, Þow ſhalt no more be clepid Jacob, but Yrael ſhal be þi name. And he clepid hym Yrael, and ſeide to hym, Y God Almyȝti, grow, and be þow multiplied, folke of kynde and peplis of naciouns of þee ſhulen ben, kyngis of þi leendis ſhulen goon oute; þe loond þat Y haue ȝouun to Abraham and Yſaac, Y ſhal ȝyue to þee, and to þi ſeed after þee. And he ȝede a wey fro hym. He forſoþe areride a ſtonen ſigne of worſhip, in þe place þat God ſpeke to hym, ſacrifiynge vpon it ſacrifice of licowres, and heldynge oute oyle, and clepynge þe name of þat place Beþel.

And he goon out þens, com in veer tyme to þe loond þat lediþ to Effratam, in þe which whanne Rachel ſhulde bere childe, for þe hardnes of birþ ſhe biganne to periſhe; and þe meedwijf ſeide to hir, Wole þow not drede, for alſo and þis þow ſhalt haue a ſone. Þe ſoule forſoþe goynge oute for ſorwe, and now deeþ fallynge ynne, þe name of hir ſone ſhe clepide Benony, þat is, þe ſone of my ſorwe; þe fader forſoþe clepide hym Beniamyn, þat is, þe ſone of þe riȝt ſide. Þanne Rachel was deed, and was biryed in þe weye þat lediþ to Effratam, þat is Beþleem. And Jacob reyſide a ſigne of preyſing vpon þe ſepulcre of hir; þis is þe title of þe monument of Rachel vnto þe preſent day.

He goon out þens ficchide a tabernacle ouer þe towre of þe flok. And whanne he ſhulde dwelle in þat regioun, Ruben ȝede, and ſlepte wiþ Bala, þe ſecundarye wijf of his fader, þat to hym was not vnwiſt. Forſoþe þe ſones of Jacob weren twelue; þe ſones of Lia, þe firſt gotun Ruben, and Symyon, and Leuy, and Judas, and Yſachar, and Zabulon; þe ſones of Rachel, Joſeph, and Beniamyn; þe ſones of Bale, þe ſeruaunt of Rachel, Dan, and Neptalym; þe ſones of Zelphe, þe handmayden of Lye, Gad, and Aſer. Þes þe ſones of Jacob, which ben born to hym in Meſopotanye of Syrye. He cam alſo to Yſaac, his fadyr, into Mambre, þe cyte of Arbee, þis is Ebron, in þe which pilgrimagid Abraham and Yſaac.

And fulfillid ben þe dayes of Yſaac an hundryd and eiȝti of ȝeris; and endid þurȝ age is deed, and he is put to his peple, olde, and ful of dayes; and biryeden hym Eſau and Jacob his ſones.