| Iacob abraid, & ſeide frigtilike:— "God in ðis ſtede iſ wittirlike, Her, dredful ſtede, her, godeſ hus, 1620 Her, heuenegate amonguſ[[175]] us; | Jacob awoke. "Surely," he said, "here is God's house. |
| Louerd, if ic mote a-gen cumen, Of ðis ſtede ic ſal in herte munen;" (Sette he up ðat ſton for muniging, 1624 And get on olige for tok-ning) | If I may come again to my father's house, |
| "He ſal euere min louerd ben, ðat dede me her ðis ſigt[e] ſen, | the lord shall be my God, |
| Her ic ſal offrendes here don 1628 And tigðes wel gelden her-up-on; And wel ſal luz wurðed ben, for ic gan her ðis ſigðhe ſen." | here I shall brake offerings, and yield tithes." |
| Iacob calde ðat ſtede betel; 1632 Quor-fore he it dede, he wiſte wel. Longe weie he ſiðen ouer-cam, | Jacob called the place Bethel. |
| And longe time or he ſag tharam. Quane he cam ner, fond he ðor-on | Jacob pursues his journey. |
|
1636
A welle wel helid under a ſton, And ðre flockes of ſep dor-bi,[[176]] | He finds a well at Haran; three flocks of sheep were lying by it. |
| ðat ðor abiden al for-ði; ðor waſ nogt wune on & on, 1640 ðat orf ðor to water gon, | The cattle did not go to water one by one, but were all collected together at one time. |
| Oc at ſet time he ſulden ſamen, ðor hem-ſelf & here orf framen. | [Fol. 32b.] |
| Iacob ðes hirdes freinen gan, 1644 Hu fer iſt heðen to laban; Wel he ſeiden and ſwiðe wel, | Jacob asks the herdsmen the way to Laban's house. |
| "loc! her hiſ dogter rachel." Sep he driuen ðiſ welle ner, 1648 for ghe hem wulde wattre ðer. | They answered, "Here is Rachel his daughter." She came to bring the sheep to the well. |
| Iacob wið hire wente ðat ſton, And let hire ſep to water gon; | Jacob rolled the stone from the well's mouth. |
| And kidde he was hire mouies ſune, 1652 And kiſte hire aftre kindes wune; | He made known his relationship to Rachel. |
So in MS.
read ðor-bi
JACOB COVENANTS FOR RACHEL.
| Rachel was bliðe and forð ghe nam, And kiddit to hire fader laban. | |
| Laban fagnede him in frendes wune, 1656 feren ſwunken yſaaces ſunen. Iacob tolde him for quat he ſwanc So fer, and laban herte ranc; He cuðe him ðer-of wel gret ðhanc, | Laban welcomes his nephew and brings him to his house. |
|
1660
And dede him eten and to him dranc, And ſeide to him, "bi min blod, ðin come iſ me leflike and good." | He entertains him well. |
| Laban bi-tagte him, ſiðen to ſen, 1664 Hiſ hirdeneſſe ðat it wel ben. | Jacob abode with Laban for one month, |
| And quanne a moneð was ouer-meten, "Iacob," wað he, "quat wiltu bi-geten? | after which time Laban said to him, |
| Quat-ſo [[177]][ðu]
wilt for hire crauen, 1668 Aſke it wið ſkil and ðu ſalt hauen." | [Fol. 33.] "Tell me what shall thy wages be." |
| Quat iacob, "ic ſal, for rachel, Seruen ðe ſeuene winter wel." Luue wel michil it agte a wold, 1672 Swilc ſeruiſe and ſo longe told. | Jacob covenanted for Rachel. |
| forð geden ſeuene ger bi tale, And laban made him hiſ bridale; | Seven years passed away and Laban made a feast. |
| Iacob wurð drunken, and euen cam, 1676 Laban bi nigt tog him liam; And a maiden waſ hire bi-tagt, Zelfa bi name, ðat ilke nagt. Iacob gan hire under-fon, | When even came Jacob was deceived with Leah. |
|
1680
O morgen ðugte it him miſ-don. Quat laban, "long wune iſ her driuen, firmeſt on elde, firſt ben giuen: And loð me waſ ſenden rachel 1684 So fer, for ic luuede her wel; | Laban says that it was not the custom to marry the younger before the first-born. |
| Oc ſerf me ſeuene oðer ger, If ðu ſalt rachel ſeruen her; | Jacob agrees to serve other seven years for Rachel. |
At bottom of Fol. 32b is the catchword—"quat ſo ðu wilt."