Jacob Marries Rachel

Seue nigt ſiðen forð ben numen

1688

Or rachel beð to iacob cumen,
And laban made a feſte oc

Quanne iacob wid rachel toc;
And for ghe ðanne cam him ner,

1692

ſeruede he him ſiðen ſeuene ger.
Jacob marries Rachel.

Rachel adde, after londes kire,
maiden balaam to ſeruen hire.
[Fol. 33b.]

LIa moder of fowre was,

1696

Ruben, ſymeon, leui, iudas;
Leah was the mother of four sons.

for rachel non birðe ne nam,
Sge bi-tagte iacob balaam;
Rachel was barren.

bala two childre bar bi him,

1700

Rachel cald es dan(.) neptalim;
Bilhah, her handmaid, bare Dan and Naphtali.

And zelfa two ſunes him ber,
Lia calde iſ(.) Gad(.) and aſſer;
Zilpah bare Gad and Asher.

Lia ſiðen two ſunes bar,

1704

Zabulon(.) laſt(.) or yſakar;
Lia bar laſt dowter dinam,
Sichem, ſiðen, hire ille bi-nam.
Leah afterwards bare Zebulun, Issachar, and Dinah.

Last of rachel iosep was boren,

1708

Beſt of alle ðe oðere bi-foren.
Longe haued nu iacob ben her,
wið laban fulle .xiii. ger;
At last Joseph was born of Rachel.

Leue aſkede hem hom to faren,

1712

Wið wiues and childre ðeðen charen,
Jacob desires leave of Laban to depart.

But-if laban him ðelde bet
Hiſe ſeruiſe, and wið-holde him get;
ſerue he ſcriðed ðat .vij. ger,

1716

ðat he bi-leue and ſerue him her;
Laban would not let him depart.

Wel he ſeið him ðat he ſal hauen
for hire, quat-ſo he wile crauen.
He promises him to give him for hire whatever he shall ask.

forward iſ mad of alle ſep,

1720

Of oneſ bles iacob nim kep,
[Fol. 34.]

And if of ðo ſpotted cumen,
Jacob is to have all the speckled

wið?

Glossed wune in a later hand.

she?

caldes MS.

haueð?

fles MS.