The First Boke of Moses called Genesis Part 8

-- The .x.x.x. Chapter

When Rahel sawe that she bare Iacob no childern/ she enuied hir sister & sayde vnto Iacob: geue me childern/ or ells I am but deed. Than was Iacob wrooth with Rahel saynge: Am I in G.o.des steade which kepeth fr the the frute of thi wbe? Th? she sayde: here is my mayde Bilha: go in vnto her/ that she maye beare vp my lappe/ that I maye be encreased by her. And she gaue him Bilha hir hdmayde to wife. And Iacob w?t in vnto her/ And Bilha conceaued and bare Iacob a sonne.

Than sayde Rahel. G.o.d hath geuen sent?ce on my syde/ and hath also herde my voyce/ and hath geuen me a sonne. Therfore called she him Dan. And Bilha Rahels mayde cceaued agayne and bare Iacob a nother sonne. And Rahel sayde. G.o.d is turned/ and I haue made a chaunge with my sister/ & haue got? y^e vpper hde. And she called his name Nepthali

Wh? Lea sawe that she had left bearinge/ she toke Silpha hir mayde and gaue her Iacob to wiffe. And Silpha Leas mayde bare Iacob a sonne.

Than sayde Lea: good lucke: and called his name Gad. And Silpha Leas mayde bare Iacob an other sonne. Th sayd Lea: happy am I/ for the doughters will call me blessed. And called his name a.s.ser.

And Rub? w?t out in the wheat haruest & foude mandragoras in the feldes/ and brought th? vnto his mother Lea. Than sayde Rahel to Lea geue me of thy sonnes mdragoras. And Lea answered: is it not ynough/ y^t thou hast tak? awaye my housbde/ but woldest take awaye my sonnes mandragoras also? Than sayde Rahel well/ let him slepe with the this nyghte/ for thy sonnes mandragoras. And wh? Iacob came from the feldes at euen/ Lea went out to mete him/ & sayde: come in to me/ for I haue bought the with my sonnes mandragoras.

And he slepte with her that nyghte. And G.o.d herde Lea/ y^t she cceaved and bare vnto Iacob y^e .v. sonne. Than sayde Lea. G.o.d hath geu? me my rewarde/ because I gaue my mayd? to my housbd/ and she called him Isachar. And Lea cceaued yet agayne and bare Iacob the s.e.xte sonne. Than sayde she: G.o.d hath endowed me with a good dowry.

Now will my housbond dwell with me/ because I haue borne him .vi.

sonnes: and called his name Zabul. After that she bare a daughter and called her Dina.

And G.o.d rem?bred Rahel/ herde her/ and made her frutefull: so that she cceaued and bare a sonne and sayde G.o.d hath tak? awaye my rebuke. And she called his name Ioseph saynge The lorde geue me yet another sonne.

As soone as Rahel had borne Ioseph/ Iacob sayde to Laban: S?de me awaye y^t I maye goo vnto myne awne place and cutre/ geue me my wives and my childern for whome I haue serued the/ and let me goo: for thou knowest what seruyce I haue done the. Than sayde Laban vnto hi: If I haue fownde fauoure in thy syghte (for I suppose y^t the LORde hath blessed me for thy sake) appoynte what thy rewarde shalbe/ and I will geue it y^e. But he sayde vnto hym/ thou knowest what seruyce I haue done y^e/ & in what takynge thy catell haue bene vnder me: for it was but litle that thou haddest before I came/ and now it is encreased in to a mult.i.tude/ and the LORDE hath blessed the for my sake. But now when shall I make provysion for myne awne house also? And he sayde: what shall I geue the? And Iacob answerd: thou shalt geue me nothinge at all/ yf thou wilt do this one thinge for me: And then will I turne agayne & fede thy shepe and kepe them.

I will go aboute all thy shepe this daye/ and separate fr th? all the shepe that are spotted and of dyverse coloures/ and all blacke shepe amonge the lambes and the partie and spotted amonge the kyddes: And then such shalbe my rewarde. So shall my rightwesnes answere for me: when the tyme commeth that I shall receaue my rewarde of the: So that what soeuer is not speckeld and partie amonge the gootes and blacke amonge the lambes/ let that be theft with me.

Than sayde Laban: loo/ I am cont?te/ that it be acordinge as thou hast sayde. And he toke out that same daye the he gootes that were partie & of dyuerse coloures/ & all the she gootes that were spotted and partie coloured/ & all that had whyte in th?/ & all the blacke amonge the lambes: d put th? in the kepinge of his sonnes/ & sett thre dayes iourney betwixte hiselfe & Iacob. And so Iacob kepte y^e rest of Labs shepe.

Iacob toke roddes of grene popular/ hasell/ & of chestnottrees/ & pilled whyte strakes in th? & made the white apere in the staues: And he put the staues which he had pilled/ eu? before y^e shepe/ in the gutters & watrynge troughes/ wh? the shepe came to drynke: y^t they shulde cceaue wh? they came to drynke. And the shepe cceaued before the staues & brought forth straked/ spotted & partie. Th? Iacob parted the lbes/ & turned the faces of the shepe toward spotted thinges/ & toward allmaner of blacke thinges thorow out the flockes of Lab. And he made him flockes of his owne by th? selfe/ which he put not vnto the flockes of Lab. And allwaye in the first buckinge tyme of the shepe/ Iacob put the staues before the shepe in the gutters/ y^t they myghte conceaue before the staues/ But in the latter buckynge tyme/ he put them not there: so the last brode was Labs and the first Iacobs.

And the man became excedynge ryche & had many shepe/ maydeseruauntes/ menseruauntes/ camels & a.s.ses.

-- The .x.x.xi. Chapter.

And Iacob herde the wordes of Labs sonnes how they sayde: Iacob hath tak? awaye all that was oure fathers/ and of oure fathers goodes/ hath he got? all this honoure. And Iacob behelde the countenauce of Laban/ that it was not toward him as it was in tymes past.

And the LORde sayde vnto Iacob: turne agayne in to the lde of thy fathers & to thy kynred/ & I wilbe with y^e. Th Iacob sent & called Rahel & Lea to the felde vnto his shepe/ & sayde vnto th?: I se youre fathers countenauce y^t it is not toward me as in tymes past. Morouer y^e G.o.d of my father hath bene with me. And ye knowe how that I haue serued youre father with all my myghte. And youre father hath disceaued me & chaunged my wages .x. tymes: But G.o.d suffred him not to hurte me. When he sayde the spotted shalbe thy wages/ th all the shepe bare spotted. Yf he sayde the straked shalbe thi rewarde/ th bare all the shepe straked: thus hath G.o.d tak? awaye youre fathers catell & geu? th? me. For in buckynge tyme/ I lifted vp myne eyes and sawe in a dreame: and beholde/ the rammes that bucked the shepe were straked/ spotted and partie. And the angell of G.o.d spake vnto me in a dreame saynge: Iacob. And I answered: here am I. And he sayde: lyfte vp thyne eyes d see/ how all the rmes that leape vpon the shepe are straked/ spotted and partie: for I haue sene all that Laban doth vnto y^e. I am y^e G.o.d of Beth.e.l.l where thou anoynteddest the stone d where thou vowdest a vowe vnto me. Now aryse and gett the out of this countre/ d returne vnto the lde/ where thou wast borne. Than answered Rahel & Lea & sayde vnto him: we haue no parte nor enheritaunce in oure fathers house he cownteth us eu? as straungers/ for he hath solde vs/ and hath euen eaten vp the price of vs. Moreouer all the riches which G.o.d hath tak? from oure father/ that is oures and oure childerns. Now therfore what soeuer G.o.d hath sayde vnto the/ that doo. Th Iacob rose vp & sett his snes and wiues vp vpon camels/ and caried away all his catell & all his substce which he had gott? in Mesopotamia/ for to goo to Isaac his father vnto the lde of Canaan.

Lab was gone to shere his shepe/ & Rahel had stoll? hir fathers ymages. And Iacob went awaye vnknowynge to Laban the Siri?/ & tolde him not y^t he fled. So fled he & all y^t he had/ & made him self redy/ & pa.s.sed ouer the ryuers/ and sett his face streyght towarde the mounte Gilead.

Ap the thirde day after/ was it tolde Lab y^t Iacob was fled. Th he toke his brethr? with him and folowed after him .vij. dayes iourney and ouer toke him at the mounte Gilead. And G.o.d came to Lab the Siri in a dreame by nighte/ and sayde vnto him: take hede to thi selfe/ that thou speake not to Iacob oughte save good. And Lab ouer toke Iacob: and Iacob had pitched his t?te in y^t mounte. And Laban with his brethern pitched their t?te also apon the mounte Gilead. Than sayde Lab to Iacob: why hast thou this done vnknowynge to me/ and hast caried awaye my doughters as though they had bene tak? captyue with swerde? Wherfore wentest thou awaye secretly vnknowne to me & didest not tell me/ y^t I myghte haue broughte y^e on the waye with myrth/ syngynge/ tymrells and harppes/ and hast not suffred me to kysse my childern & my doughters. Thou wast a fole to do it/ for I am able to do you evell. But the G.o.d of youre father spake vnto me yesterdaye saynge take hede tha thou speake not to Iacob oughte saue goode. And now though thou w?test thi waye because thou lgest after thi fathers house/ yet wherfore hast thou stollen my G.o.ddes?

Iacob answerd & sayde to Lab: because I was afrayed/ & thought that thou woldest haue tak? awaye thy doughters fro me. But with whome soeuer thou fyndest thy G.o.ddes/ let him dye here before oure brethr?.

Seke that thine is by me/ & take it to the: for Iacob wist not that Rahel had stoll? th?. Th w?t Lab in to Iacobs t?te/ & in to Leas t?te/ & in to .ij. maydens tentes: but fownde th? not. Th w?t he out of Leas t?te/ & entred in to Rahels t?te. And Rahel toke the ymages/ & put them in the camels strawe & sate doune ap th?. And Lab serched all the t?te: but fownde th? not. Th sayde she to hir father: my lorde/ be not angrye y^t I c not ryse vp before the/ for the disease of wem? is come apon me. So searched he/ but foude th? not.

Iacob was wrooth & chode with Lab: Iacob also answered and sayde to him: what haue I tres.p.a.ced or what haue I offended/ that thou foloweddest after me? Thou hast searched all my stuffe/ and what hast thou founde of all thy housholde stuffe? put it here before thi brethern & myne/ & let th? iudge betwyxte vs both. This xx. yere y^t I haue bene wyth the/ thy shepe and thy gootes haue not bene baren/ and the rammes of thi flocke haue I not eat?. What soeuer was torne of beastes I broughte it not vnto y^e/ but made it good my silf: of my hde dydest thou requyre it/ whether it was stollen by daye or nyghte Moreouer by daye the hete consumed me/ and the colde by nyghte/ and my slepe departed fro myne eyes.

Thus haue I bene .xx. yere in thi house/ and serued the .xiiij. yeres for thy .ij. doughters/ and vi. yere for thi shepe/ and thou hast changed my rewarde .x. tymes. And excepte the G.o.d of my father/ the G.o.d of Abrah and the G.o.d whome Isaac feareth/ had bene with me: surely thou haddest sent me awaye now all emptie. But G.o.d behelde my tribulation/ and the laboure of my handes: and rebuked the yester daye.

Laban answered d sayde vnto Iacob: the doughters are my doughters/ and the childern ar my childern/ and the shepe are my shepe/ d all that thou seist is myne. And what can I do this daye vnto these my doughters/ or vnto their childern which they haue borne? Now therfore come on/ let us make a bonde/ I and thou together/ and let it be a wytnesse betwene the & me. Than toke Iacob a stone and sett it vp an ende/ d sayde vnto his brethern/ gather stoones And they toke stoones d made an heape/ and they ate there/ vp the heape. And Lab called it Iegar Sahadutha/ but Iacob called it Gylead.

Than sayde Laban: this heape be witnesse betwene the and me this daye (therfore is it called Gilead) and this totehill which the lorde seeth (sayde he) be wytnesse betwene me and the when we are departed one from a nother: that thou shalt not vexe my doughters nether shalt take other wyves vnto them. Here is no man with vs: beholde/ G.o.d is wytnesse betwixte the and me. And Laban sayde moreouer to Iacob: beholde/ this heape & this marke which I haue sett here/ betwyxte me and the: this heape be wytnesse and also this marcke/ that I will not come ouer this heape to the/ d thou shalt not come ouer this heape d this marke/ to do any harme. The G.o.d of Abraham/ the G.o.d of Nahor and the G.o.d of theyr fathers/ be iudge betwixte vs.

And Iacob sware by him that his father Isaac feared. Then Iacob dyd sacrifyce vpon the mounte/ and called his brethern to eate breed. And they ate breed and taried all nyghte in the hyll. And early in the mornynge Laban rose vp and kyssed his childern and his doughters/ and blessed th? and departed and w?t unto his place agayne. But Iacob went forth on his iourney. And the angells of G.o.d came & mett him. And when Iacob sawe them/ he sayde: this is G.o.des hoost: and called the name of that same place/ Mahanaim.

-- The .x.x.xij. Chapter.

Iacob sente meessengers before him to Esau his brother/ vnto the londe of Seir and the felde of Edom. And he cmaunded them saynge: se that ye speake after this maner to my lorde Esau: thy seruaunte Iacob sayth thus. I haue sogerned d bene a straunger with Laban vnto this tyme: & haue gotten oxen/ a.s.ses and shepe/ menservauntes & wemanseruauntes/ & haue sent to shewe it mi lorde/ that I may fynde grace in thy syghte. And the messengers came agayne to Iacob sainge: we came vnto thi brother Esau/ and he cometh ageynst the and .iiij.

hundred men with hi. Than was Iacob greatlye afrayde/ and wist not which waye to turne him selfe/ and devyded the people that was with him & the shepe/ oxen and camels/ in to .ij. companies/ and sayde: Yf Esau come to the one parte and smyte it/ the other may saue it selfe.

[Sidenote: * Prayer is to cleave vnto the promyses of G.o.d with a strge fayth and to besech G.o.d with a fervent desyre that he will fulfyll them for his mercye & truth onlye. As Iacob here doth.]

* And Iacob sayde: O G.o.d of my father Abraham/ and G.o.d of my father Isaac: LORde which saydest vnto me/ returne vnto thy c.u.n.tre and to thy kynrede/ and I will deall wel with the. I am not worthy of the leaste of all the mercyes and treuth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruaunte. For with my staf came I over this Iordane/ and now haue I goten .ij. droves Delyver me from the handes of my brother Esau/ for I feare him: lest he will come and smyte the mother with the childern.

Thou saydest that thou woldest surely do me good/ and woldest make mi seed as the sonde of the see which can not be nombred for mult.i.tude.

And he taried there that same nyghte/ & toke of that which came to hande/ a preasent/ vnto Esau his brother: ij hundred she gootes d xx he gootes: ij hundred shepe and xx rammes: thyrtye mylch camels with their coltes: xl kyne d x bulles: xx she a.s.ses d x foles and delyuered them vnto his seruauntes/ euery drooue by them selues/ d sayde vnto them: goo forth before me and put a s.p.a.ce betwyxte euery drooue. And he cmaunded the formest saynge

Wh? Esau my brother meteth the d axeth the saynge: whose seruaute art thou & whither goost thou/ & whose ar these that goo before y^e: thou shalt say/ they be thy seruaunte Iacobs/ & are a present sent vnto my lorde Esau/ and beholde/ he him selfe cometh after vs. And so cmaunded he the seconde/ d euen so the thirde/ and lykewyse all that folowed the drooues sainge/ of this maner se that ye speake vnto Esau wh? ye mete him/ d saye more ouer. Beholde thy seruaunte Iacob cometh after vs/ for he sayde. I will pease his wrath with the present y^t goth before me and afterward I will see him myself/ so peradventure he will receaue me to grace.

So went the pres?t before him d he taried all that nyghte in the tente/ d rose vp the same nyghte d toke his .ij. wyves and his .ij.

maydens & his .xi. sonnes/ & went ouer the foorde Iabok. And he toke them d sent th? ouer the ryuer/ d sent ouer that he had d taried behinde him selfe alone.

And there wrastled a man with him vnto the breakynge of the daye. And when he sawe that he coude not prevayle agaynst him/ he smote hi vnder the thye/ and the senowe of Iacobs thy shranke as he wrastled with him. And he sayde: let me goo/ for the daye breaketh. And he sayde: I will not lett the goo/ excepte thou blesse me. And he sayde vnto him: what is thy name? He answered: Iacob. And he sayde: thou shalt be called Iacob nomore/ but Israell. For thou hast wrastled with G.o.d and with men d hast preuayled.

And Iacob asked him sainge/ tell me thi name. And he sayde/ wherfore dost thou aske after my name? and he blessed him there. And Iacob called the name of the place Peniel/ for I haue sene G.o.d face to face/ and yet is my lyfe reserved. And as he went ouer Peniel/ the sonne rose vpon him/ and he halted vpon his thye: wherfore the childern of Israell eate not of the senow that shrancke vnder the thye/ vnto this daye: because that he smote Iacob vnder the thye in the senow that shroncke.

The .x.x.xiij. Chapter.

Iacob lyfte vp his eyes and sawe hys brother Esau come/ & with him .iiij. hundred men. And he deuyded the childern vnto Lea and vnto Rahel and vnto y^e ij. maydens. And he put the maydens d their childern formest/ d Lea and hir childern after/ and Rahel d Ioseph hindermost. And he went before them and fell on the grownde .vij.

tymes/ vntill he came vnto his brother.

Esau ranne agaynst him and enbraced hym and fell on his necke and kyssed him/ and they wepte. And he lifte vp his eyes and sawe the wyves and their childern/ and sayde: what are these which thou there hast? And he sayde: they are the childern which G.o.d hath geuen thy seruaunte. Than came the maydens forth/ d dyd their obaysaunce. Lea also and hir childern came and dyd their obaysaunce. And last of all came Ioseph and Rahel and dyd their obaysaunce.

And he sayde: what meanyst thou with all y^e drooues which I mett. And he answered: to fynde grace in the syghte of my lorde. And Esau sayde: I haue ynough my brother/ kepe that thou hast vnto thy silf. Iacob answered: oh nay but yf I haue founde grace in thy syghte/ receaue my preas?t of my hde: for I haue sene thy face as though I had sene y^e face of G.o.d: wherfore receaue me to grace and take my blessynge that I haue brought the/ for G.o.d hath geuen it me frely. And I haue ynough of all thynges. And so he compelled him to take it.

And he sayde: let vs take oure iourney and goo/ and I will goo in thy cpany. And he sayde vnto him: my lorde knoweth that I haue tendre childern/ ewes and kyne with yonge vnder myne hande/ which yf men shulde ouerdryue but euen one daye/ the hole flocke wolde dye. Let my lorde therfore goo before his servaunte and I will dryue fayre and softly/ accordynge as the catell that goth before me and the childern/ be able to endure: vntill I come to mi lorde vnto Seir.

And Esau sayde: let me yet leaue some of my folke with the. And he sayde: what neadeth it? let me fynde grace in the syghte of my lorde So Esau went his waye agayne y^e the same daye vnto Seir. And Iacob toke his iourney toward Sucoth/ and bylt him an house/ and made boothes for his catell: wherof the name of the place is called Sucoth.

And Iacob went to Salem to y^e cytie of Sichem in the lande of Cana/ after that he was come from Mesopotamia/ and pitched before the cyte/ and bought a parcell of ground where he pitched his tent/ of the childern of Hemor Sichems father/ for an hundred lambes. And he made there an aulter/ and there called vpon the myghtie G.o.d of Israell.