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/ God 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/ ãd thou shalt not come ouer this heape ãd this marke/ to do any harme. The God of Abraham/ the God of Nahor and the God 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 thẽ and departed and wẽt unto his place agayne. But Iacob went forth on his iourney. And the angells of God came & mett him. And when Iacob sawe them/ he sayde: this is godes hoost: and called the name of that same place/ Mahanaim.

¶ The .xxxij. Chapter.

IAcob sente meessengers before him to Esau his brother/ vnto the londe of Seir and the felde of Edom. And he cõmaunded them saynge: se that ye speake after this maner to my lorde Esau: thy seruaunte Iacob sayth thus. I haue sogerned ãd bene a straunger with Laban vnto this tyme: & haue gotten oxen/ asses 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 hĩ. 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.

* Prayer is to cleave vnto the promyses of god with a strõge fayth and to besech god with a fervent desyre that he will fulfyll them for his mercye & truth onlye. As Iacob here doth.

* And Iacob sayde: O god of my father Abraham/ and God of my father Isaac: LORde which saydest vnto me/ returne vnto thy cuntre 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 multitude.

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

Whẽ Esau my brother meteth the ãd axeth the saynge: whose seruaũte art thou & whither goost thou/ & whose ar these that goo before ye: 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 cõmaunded he the seconde/ ãd euen so the thirde/ and lykewyse all that folowed the drooues sainge/ of this maner se that ye speake vnto Esau whẽ ye mete him/ ãd saye more ouer. Beholde thy seruaunte Iacob cometh after vs/ for he sayde. I will pease his wrath with the present yt goth before me and afterward I will see him myself/ so peradventure he will receaue me to grace.

So went the presẽt before him ãd he taried all that nyghte in the tente/ ãd rose vp the same nyghte ãd toke his .ij. wyves and his .ij. maydens & his .xi. sonnes/ & went ouer the foorde Iabok. And he toke them ãd sent thẽ ouer the ryuer/ ãd sent ouer that he had ãd taried behinde him selfe alone.