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. |
Notes
177 At bottom of Fol. 32b is the catchword—“quat ſo ðu wilt.”