Part 6

And it came to pass that Isaac waxed old and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see. Then called he Esau his eldest son and said unto him: my son. And he said unto him: here am I. And he said: behold, I am old and know not the day of my death: Now therefore take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and get thee to the fields, and take me some venison, and make me meat such as I love, and bring it me and let me eat that my soul may bless thee before that I die. But Rebecca heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And as soon as Esau was gone to the field to catch venison, and to bring it, she spake unto Iacob her son saying: Behold I have heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother and saying: bring me venison and make me meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the LORD yer I die. Now therefore my son hear my voice in that which I command thee: get thee to the flock, and bring me thence two good kids, and I will make meat of them for thy father, such as he loveth. And thou shalt bring it to thy father and he shall eat, that he may bless thee before his death. Then said Iacob to Rebecca his mother: Behold Esau my brother is rough and I am smooth. My father shall peradventure feel me, and I shall seem unto him as though I went about to beguile him, and so shall he bring a curse upon me and not a blessing: and his mother said unto him. Upon me be thy curse my son, only hear my voice, and go and fetch me them. And Iacob went and fetched them and brought them to his mother. And his mother made meat of them, according as his father loved. And she went and fetched goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau which she had in the house with her, and put them upon Iacob her youngest son, and she put the skins upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck. And she put the meat and bread which she had made in the hand of her son Iacob. And he went in to his father saying: my father. And he answered: here am I, who art thou my son? And Iacob said unto his father: I am Esau thy eldest son, I have done according as thou baddest me, up and sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. But Isaac said unto his son: How cometh it that thou hast found it so quickly my son? He answered: The LORD thy God brought it to my hand. Then said Isaac unto Iacob: come near and let me feel thee my son, whether thou be my son Esau or not. Then went Iacob to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said the voice is Iacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, because his hands were rough as his brother Esau's hands and so he blessed him. And he asked him, art thou my son Esau? And he said: that I am. Then said he: bring me and let me eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought him, and he ate. And he brought him wine also, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him: come near and kiss me my son. And he went to him and kissed him. And he smelled the savour of his raiment and blessed him, and said See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD {lorde} hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine. People be thy servants and nations bow unto thee. Be lord over thy brethren, and thy mother's children stoop unto thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee, and blessed {lessed} be he that blesseth thee. As soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Iacob, and Iacob was scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father: then came Esau his brother from his hunting: and had made also meat, and brought it in unto his father and said unto him: Arise my father and eat of thy son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. Then his father Isaac said unto him: Who art thou? he answered I am thy eldest son Esau. And Isaac was greatly astonied out of measure, and said: Where is he then that hath hunted venison and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him, and he shall be blessed still. When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out greatly and bitterly above measure, and said unto his father: bless me also my father. And he said thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing. Then said he: He may well be called Iacob, for he hath undermined me now two times, first he took away my birthright: and see, now hath he taken away my blessing also. And he said, hast thou kept never a blessing for me? Isaac answered and said unto Esau: behold I have made him thy lord, {LORde} and all his mother's children have I made his servants. Moreover with corn and wine have I stablished him, what can I do unto thee now my son? And Esau said unto his father: hast thou but that one blessing my father? bless me also my father: so lifted up Esau his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said unto him: Behold thy dwelling place shall have of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. And with thy sword shalt thou live and shalt be thy brother's servant; But the time will come, when thou shalt get the mastery, and lowse his yoke from off thy neck. And Esau hated Iacob, because of the blessing that his father blessed him withal, and said in his heart: The days of my father's sorrow are at hand, for I will slay my brother Iacob. And these words of Esau her eldest son, were told to Rebecca. And she sent and called Iacob her youngest son, and said unto him: behold thy brother Esau threateneth to kill thee: Now therefore my son hear my voice, make thee ready, and flee to Laban my brother at Haran: And tarry with him a while, until thy brother's fierceness be swaged, and until thy brother's wrath turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him. Then will I send and fetch thee away from thence. Why should I lose you both in one day? And Rebecca spake to Isaac: I am weary of my life, for fear of the daughters of Heth. If Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such one as these are, or of the daughters of the land, what lust should I have to live?

Chapter .xxviij.

Then Isaac called Iacob his son and blessed him, and charged him and said unto him: see thou take not a wife of the daughters of Canaan, but arise and get thee to Mesopotamia to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father: and there take thee a wife of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. And God almighty bless thee, increase thee, and multiply thee that thou mayest be a number of people, and give thee the blessing of Abraham: both to thee and to thy seed with thee, that thou mayest possess the land (wherein thou art a stranger) which God gave unto Abraham. Thus Isaac sent forth Iacob, to go to Mesopotamia unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Sirien, and brother to Rebecca Iacob's and Esau's mother. When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Iacob, and sent him to Mesopotamia, to fetch him a wife thence, and that, as he blessed him he gave him a charge saying: see thou take not a wife of the daughters of Canaan: and that Iacob had obeyed his father and mother, and was gone unto Mesopotamia: and seeing also that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father: Then went he unto Ismael, and took unto the wives which he had, Mahala the daughter of Ismael Abraham's son, the sister of Nabaioth to be his wife. Iacob departed from Berseba and went toward Haran, and came unto a place and tarried there all night, because the son was down. And took a stone of the place, and put it under his head, and laid him down in the same place to sleep. And he dreamed: and behold there stood a ladder upon the earth, and the top of it reached up to heaven. And see, the angels of God went up and down upon it, yea and the LORD stood upon it and said: I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac: The land which thou sleepest upon will I give thee and thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth: And thou shalt spread abroad: west, east, north and south. And thorow thee and thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. And see I am with thee, and will be thy keeper in all places whother thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land: Neither will I leave thee until I have made good, all that I have promised thee. When Iacob was awaked out of his sleep, he said: surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware. And he was afraid and said how fearful is this place? it is none other, but even the house of God and the gate of heaven. And Iacob stood up early in the morning and took the stone that he had laid under his head, and pitched it up on end, and poured oil on the top of it. And he called the name of the place Bethel, for indeed the name of the city was called Lus before time. And Iacob vowed a vow, saying: If God will be with me and will keep me in this journey which I go and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to put on, so that I come again unto my father's house in safety: then shall the LORD be my God, and this stone which I have set up an end, shall be God's {godes} house. And of all that thou shalt give me, will I give the tenth unto thee.

Chapter .xxix.

Then Iacob lift up his feet, and went toward the east country. And as he looked about, behold there was a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lay thereby (for at that well were the flocks watered) and there lay a great stone at the well mouth. And the manner was to bring the flocks thither, and to roll the stone from the well's mouth and to water the sheep, and to put the stone again upon the well's mouth unto his place. And Iacob said unto them: brethren, whence be ye? And they said: of Haran are we. And he said unto them: Know ye Laban the son of Nahor. And they said: We know him. And he said unto them: is he in good health? And they said: he is in good health: and behold, his daughter Rahel cometh with the sheep. And he said: lo, it is yet a great while to night, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water the sheep and go and feed them. And they said: we may not, until all the flocks be brought together, and the stone be rolled from the well's mouth, and so we water our sheep. While he yet talked with them, Rahel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them. As soon as Iacob saw Rahel, the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, he went and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother's brother. And Iacob kissed Rahel, and lift up his voice and wept: and told her also that he was her father's brother and Rebecca's son. Then Rahel ran and told her father. When Laban heard tell of Iacob his sister's son, he ran against him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him into his house. And then Iacob told Laban all the matter. And then Laban said: well, thou art my bone and my flesh. Abide with me the space of a month. And afterward Laban said unto Iacob: though thou be my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters, the eldest called Lea and the youngest Rahel. Lea was tender eyed, but Rahel was beautiful and well favored. And Iacob loved her well, and said: I will serve thee seven years for Rahel thy youngest daughter. And Laban answered: it is better that I give her thee, than to another man: bide therefore with me. And Iacob served seven years for Rahel, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Iacob said unto Laban: give me my wife, that I may lie with her. For the time appointed me is come. Then Laban bade all the men of that place, and made a feast. And when even was come, he took Lea his daughter and brought her to him and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Lea, Zilpha his maid, to be her servant. And when the morning was come, behold it was Lea. Than said he to Laban: wherefore hast thou played thus with me? did not I serve thee for Rahel, wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? Laban answered: it is not the manner of this place, to marry the youngest before the eldest. Pass out this week, and then shall this also be given thee for the service which thou shalt serve me yet seven years more. And Iacob did even so, and passed out that week, and then he gave him Rahel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rahel his daughter, Bilha his handmaid to be her servant. So lay he by Rahel also, and loved Rahel more than Lea, and served him yet seven years more. When the LORD saw that Lea was despised, he made her fruitful: but Rahel was barren. And Lea conceived and bare a son, and called his name Ruben, for she said: the LORD hath looked upon my tribulation. And now my husband will love me. And she conceived again and bare a son, and said: the LORD hath heard that I am despised, and hath therefore given me this son also, and she called him Simeon. And she conceived yet and bare a son, and said: now this once will my husband keep me company, because I have borne him three sons: and therefore she called his name Levi. And she conceived yet again, and bare a son saying: Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Iuda, and left bearing.

Chapter .xxx.

When Rahel saw that she bare Iacob no children, she envied her sister and said unto Iacob: give me children, or else I am but dead. Then was Iacob wroth with Rahel saying: Am I in God's {godes} stead which keepeth from thee the fruit of thy womb? Then she said: here is my maid Bilha: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my lap, that I may be increased by her. And she gave him Bilha her handmaid to wife. And Iacob went in unto her: And Bilha conceived and bare Iacob a son. Then said Rahel: God hath given sentence on my side, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son. Therefore called she him Dan. And Bilha Rahel's maid conceived again, and bare Iacob another son. And Rahel said. God is turned, and I have made a change with my sister, and have gotten the upper hand. And she called his name Naphtali. When Lea saw that she had left bearing, she took Silpha her maid, and gave her Iacob to wife. And Silpha Lea's maid bare Iacob a son. Then said Lea: Good luck: and called his name Gad. And Silpha Lea's maid bare Iacob another son. Then said Lea: happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed. And called his name Asser. And Ruben went out in the wheat harvest and found mandragoras in the fields, and brought them unto his mother Lea. Then said Rahel to Lea give me of thy son's mandragoras. And Lea answered: Is it not enough, that thou hast taken away my husband, but wouldest take away my son's mandragoras also? Then said Rahel well, let him sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandragoras. And when Iacob came from the fields at even, Lea went out to meet him, and said: come in to me, for I have bought thee with my son's mandragoras. And he slept with her that night. And God heard Lea, that she conceived and bare unto Iacob the fifth son. Then said Lea: God hath given me my reward, because I gave my maiden to my husband, and she called him Isachar. And Lea conceived yet again and bare Iacob the sixth son. Then said she: God hath endued me with a good dowry. Now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and called his name Zabulon. After that she bare a daughter, and called her Dina. And God remembered Rahel, heard her, and made her fruitful: so that she conceived and bare a son, and said God hath taken away my rebuke. And she called his name Ioseph saying: The LORD {lorde} give me yet another son. As soon as Rahel had borne Ioseph, Iacob said to Laban: Send me away that I may go unto mine own place and country, give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest what service I have done thee. Then said Laban unto him: If I have found favour in thy sight (for I suppose that the LORD {|God|} hath blessed me for thy sake) appoint what thy reward shall be, and I will give it thee. But he said unto him, thou knowest what service I have done thee, and in what taking thy cattle have been under me: For it was but little that thou hadst before I came, and now it is increased into a multitude, and the LORD hath blessed thee for my sake. But now when shall I make provision for mine own house also? And he said: what shall I give thee? And Iacob answered: thou shalt give me nothing at all, if thou wilt do this one thing for me: And then will I turn again and feed thy sheep and keep them. I will go about all thy sheep this day, and separate from them all the sheep that are spotted and of divers colours, and all black sheep among the lambs and the party and spotted among the kids: And then such shall be my reward. So shall my righteousness answer for me: when the time cometh that I shall receive my reward of thee: So that whatsoever is not speckled and party among the goats and black among the lambs, let that be theft with me. Then said Laban: Lo, I am content, that it be according as thou hast said. And he took out that same day the he goats that were party and of divers colours, and all the goats that were spotted and party coloured, and all that had white in them, and all the black among the lambs: and put them in the keeping of his sons, and set three days' journey betwixt himself and Iacob. And so Iacob kept the rest of Laban's sheep. Iacob took rods of green poplar, hazel, and of chestnut trees, and pilled white streaks in them and made the white appear in the staves: And he put the staves which he had pilled, even before the sheep, in the gutters and watering troughs, when the sheep came to drink: that they should conceive when they came to drink. And the sheep conceived before the staves, and brought forth streaked, spotted and party. Then Iacob parted the lambs, and turned the faces of the sheep toward spotted things, and toward all manner of black things thorow out the flocks of Laban. And he made him flocks of his own by them self, which he put not unto the flocks of Laban. And alway in the first bucking time of the sheep, Iacob put the staves before the sheep in the gutters, that they might conceive before the staves: But in the latter bucking time, he put them not there: so the last brood was Laban's and the first Iacob's. And the man became exceeding rich and had many sheep, maidservants, menservants, camels and asses.

Chapter .xxxj.