"Broðer," quad he, "ðu and ðin trume
ben here in ðiſ place to me welcume;
Haue and bruc wel al ðin preſent,
1832 ðat ðu to me bringeſt and haueſt ſent."
Iacob was wo ðat he iſ for-ſoc,
Esau welcomes Jacob,
And ſcroð him ſo(.) ðat ſum he ðor tok.
Here luue ðo wurð hol and ſchir,
accepts his present,
1836 And eſau ferde forð ðeden[[189]] to ſeyr;
ðat newe burg waſ him to frame,
Mad and cald of iſ owen name.
and departs unto Seir.
Iacob fro ðeðen wente, ic wot,
1840 tgelt on a ſtede, and cald it[[190]] ſochot;
fro ſochot ſiðen to ſichem,
From thence Jacob went to Succoth,
And wune ðor-inne ſalem,
and afterwards to Shalem,
ðor him ſolde an lond kinge emor,
1844 And he drog ðider and wunede ðor;
wið newe alter wurðed he wel
ðe ſtrong god of yſrael.
where he bought a piece of land from Hamor.
Hiſ dowter dina ðor miſ-dede,
1848 ghe nam leueles fro ðat ſtede,
Here his daughter Dinah "mis-did."
To ſen de werld ðhugte hire god,
ðat made hire ſiðen ſeri-mod,
for-liſtede hire owen red;
[Fol. 36b.]
She went out to see the world.
1852 Sichem tok hire maiden-hed;
Emor his fader, ſiðen for-ði,
And hiſ burge-folc fellen in wi;
Shechem took her maidenhead.
Symeon and leui it bi-ſpeken,
1856 And hauen here ſiſter ðor i-wreken;
folc of ſalem ðor-fore waſ ſlagen,
wiwes, and childre, and agte up-dragen;
Oc iacob ne wiſte it nogt,
Simeon and Levi slew the Shechemites and spoiled the city.
1860 Til ðat wreche to bale was wrogt,
Oc michil he frigtede for-ði,
boðen ſymeon and leui.
Jacob reproved Simeon and Levi for their cruelty.
Henden ſichem ne durſten he wunen,
1864 ðat folkes kin god bad him ſunen,
They durst not dwell longer at Shechem, but went to Bethel.

[189]

ðeðen?

[190]

caldit MS.

BENJAMIN IS BORN. RACHEL DIES.

And ðeden[[191]] faren to betel,
And he folgede iſ red on ſel;
Agte unclene ne wulde he beren,
1868 for he dredde him it ſulde him deren;
Godes ðat rachel hadde ſtolen,
And ay til ðan wið him for-holen,
Their unclean goods they bore not with them.
And oðre ydeles brogt fro ſichem,
1872 Gol prenes and ringeſ wið hem,
Diep he iſ dalf under an ooc,
Made him non giſcing in herte wooc.
Their idols and gold rings they buried under an oak.
Longe it weren ðor for-hid;
1876 Men ſeið for-ði waſ ſo bi-tid,
for ſalamon findin iſ ſal,
And hiſ temple ſriðen wið-al.
Iacob wente fro ðeden[[192]] in ſped,
[Fol. 37.]
Long they remained buried, until Solomon found them and decked his temple with them.
1880 God ſente on ðat erdfolc ſwilc dred,
ðan[[193]] here non iacob ſcaðe ne dede;
Quane he wente a-wei fro ðat ſtede,
God sent a fear upon the folk round about, so they did no hurt to the sons of Jacob.
He made an alter at betel,
1884 Alſ he god bi-het, ðor he geld wel.
Jacob makes an altar at Bethel.
Siðen ðo beniamin was boren,
Benjamin is born.
Rachel adde ðe life for-loren;
Iacob dalf hire and merke dede,
1888 ðat iſ get ſene on ðat ſtede.
Rachel dies.
Ðor quiles he wunede at tur ader,
Ruben miſdede wid[[194]] bala ðer.
At Edar Reuben "misdid" and lay with his father's concubine.
Siðen cam iacob to ebron,
1892 And fond his moder of werlde gon;
Starf yſaac quan he waſ hold
Jacob arrives at Hebron, and finds his mother gone from this world.
.ix. ſcore ger and fiue told,
And was doluen on ðat ſtede,
1896 ðor man adam and eue dede.
So riche were growen hiſe ſunen,
ðat he ne migte to-gider wunen;
Isaac dies at the age of nine score years.
Oc eſau, ſeyr [and] edon
1900 Lond ydumeam wunede on;
Esau dwells in Edom,

[191]

ðeðen?

[192]