Jacob Meets Rachel

1Then Iacob went on his iourney, & came into the lande of the people of the east. 2And as he loked about, beholde, there was a wel in the field, and loe, three flockes of sheepe lay there by, for at that well were the flockes watered: and there was a great stone vpon the well mouth. 3And thyther were all the flockes brought, and they roulled the stone fro the welles mouth, & watred the sheepe, & put the stone agayne vpon the welles mouth vnto his place.

4And Iacob saide vnto them: My brethren, whence be ye? And they sayde: of Haran are we. 5And he sayde vnto them: Knowe ye Laban the sonne of Nachor? They sayde: we knowe hym. 6And he sayde vnto them: is he in good health? And they sayde: he is in good health, and beholde his daughter Rachel commeth with the sheepe. 7And he sayde: loe it is yet a great whyle to nyght, neither is it tyme that the cattell should be gathered together: water ye the sheepe, and go and feede them. 8And they sayde: we may not vntyll all the flockes be brought together, and tyl they roule the stone from the welles mouth, and so we water our sheepe.

9Whyle he yet talked with them, Rachel came with her fathers sheepe: for she kept them. 10Assoone as Iacob sawe Rachel the daughter of Laban his mothers brother, & the sheepe of Laban his mothers brother, Iacob went & rouled the stone from the welles mouth, & watered the flocke of Laban his mothers brother. 11And Iacob kyssed Rachel, and lift vp his voyce and wept. 12And Iacob tolde Rachel that he was her fathers brother, and that he was Rebeccaes sonne: Therefore ranne she and tolde her father.

13And when Laban hearde certaynely tell of Iacob his sisters sonne, he ranne to meete hym, and imbraced hym, and kyssed hym, and brought hym to his house: And he tolde Laban all these thynges.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

14To whom Laban sayde: Well, thou art my bone & my fleshe. And he abode with hym the space of a moneth.

15And Laban said vnto Iacob: Though thou be my brother, shouldest thou therfore serue me for naught? Tell me what shall thy wages be? 16Laban had two daughters, the elder called Lea, and the younger Rachel. 17Lea was tender eyed: but Rachel was beautifull and well fauoured. 18And Iacob loued Rachel, and sayde: I wyll serue thee seuen yere for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19Laban aunswered: It is better that I geue her vnto thee, then that I shoulde geue her to another man: abide with me. 20And Iacob serued seuen yere for Rachel: and they seemed vnto hym but a fewe dayes, for the loue he hadde to her.

21And Iacob said vnto Laban: geue me my wife that I may lye with her, for my dayes are fulfylled. 22Then Laban gathered together all the men of that place, and made a feast. 23And when euen was come, he toke Lea his daughter, and brought her to hym, and he went in to her. 24And Laban gaue vnto his daughter Lea Zilpha his mayde to be her seruaunt. 25And when the mornyng was come, beholde it was Lea. Then sayde he to Laban: Wherefore hast thou played thus with me? dyd not I serue thee for Rachel? wherfore then hast thou begyled me? 26Laban aunswered: It is not the maner of this place, to marry ye younger before the first borne. 27Passe out this weeke, & then we wyll geue thee this also for the seruice whiche thou shalt serue me yet seuen yeres more. 28And Iacob dyd euen so, and passed out the weeke: and then he gaue hym Rachel his daughter to wyfe also. 29And Laban gaue to Rachel his daughter Bilha his handmayde, to be her seruaunt. 30So lay he by Rachel also, and loued Rachel more then Lea, and serued hym yet seuen yeres more.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah

31When the Lorde sawe that Lea was despised, he made her fruitfull, and Rachel remayned baren. 32And Lea conceaued and bare a sonne, and she called his name Ruben: for she sayde, the Lord hath loked vpon my tribulation: nowe therfore my husband wyll loue me. 33And she conceaued agayne, and bare a sonne, & sayde: The Lorde hath hearde that I am despised, and hath therefore geuen me this sonne also: and she called his name Simeon. 34And she conceaued yet, & bare a sonne, and sayde: Nowe this once wyll my husbande kepe me company, because I haue borne him three sonnes: and therfore was his name called Leui. 35And she conceaued yet agayne, and bare hym a sonne, saying: Nowe wyll I prayse the Lorde. Therefore she called his name Iuda, & left bearyng.