The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Then he sayd vnto them, Know ye Laban the sonne of Nahor? Who said, We know him.

Againe he sayd vnto them, Is he in good health? And they answered, He is in good health, and beholde, his daughter Rahel commeth with the sheepe.

Then he sayd, Lo, it is yet hie day, neither is it time that the cattell shoulde be gathered together: water ye the sheepe and go feede them.

But they sayde, We may not vntill all the flocks be brought together, and till men rolle the stone from the welles mouth, that we may water the sheepe.

While he talked with them, Rahel also came with her fathers sheepe, for she kept them.

And assoone as Iaakob saw Rahel ye daughter of Laban his mothers brother, and the sheepe of Laban his mothers brother, then came Iaakob neere, and rolled the stone from the welles mouth, and watered ye flocke of Laban his mothers brother.

And Iaakob kissed Rahel, and lift vp his voyce and wept.

(For Iaakob tolde Rahel, that he was her fathers brother, and that he was Rebekahs sonne) then she ranne and tolde her father.

And when Laban heard tell of Iaakob his sisters sonne, he ranne to meete him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house: and he tolde Laban all these things.

To whome Laban sayd, Well, thou art my bone and my flesh. and he abode with him the space of a moneth.

For Laban sayde vnto Iaakob, Though thou be my brother, shouldest thou therfore serue me for nought? tell me, what shalbe thy wages?

Now Laban had two daughters, the elder called Leah, and the yonger called Rahel.

And Leah was tender eyed, but Rahel was beautifull and faire.

And Iaakob loued Rahel, and sayde, I will serue thee seuen yeeres for Rahel thy yonger daughter.

Then Laban answered, It is better that I giue her thee, then that I should giue her to another man: abide with me.

And Iaakob serued seuen yeres for Rahel, and they seemed vnto him but a few dayes, because he loued her.

Then Iaakob sayde to Laban, Giue me my wife, that I may goe in to her: for my terme is ended.

Wherefore Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

But whe the euening was come, he tooke Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in vnto her.

And Laban gaue his mayde Zilpah to his daughter Leah, to be her seruant.

But when the morning was come, behold, it was Leah. Then sayde he to Laban, Wherefore hast thou done thus to mee? did not I serue thee for Rahel? wherfore then hast thou beguiled me?

And Laban answered, It is not the maner of this place, to giue the yonger before the elder.

Fulfill seuen yeeres for her, and we wil also giue thee this for the seruice, which thou shalt serue me yet seuen yeeres more.

Then Iaakob did so, and fulfilled her seuen yeeres, so he gaue him Rahel his daughter to be his wife.

Laban also gaue to Rahel his daughter Bilhah his mayde to be her seruant.

So entred he in to Rahel also, and loued also Rahel more then Leah, and serued him yet seuen yeeres more.

When the Lord saw that Leah was despised, he made her fruitful: but Rahel was barren.

And Leah conceiued and bare a sonne, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Because the Lord hath looked vpon my tribulation, now therefore mine husband will loue me.

And she conceiued againe and bare a sonne, and sayde, Because the Lord heard that I was hated, he hath therefore giuen me this sonne also, and she called his name Simeon.

And she conceiued againe and bare a sonne, and said, Now at this time wil my husband keepe mee company, because I haue borne him three sonnes: therefore was his name called Leui.

Moreouer shee conceiued againe and bare a sonne, saying, Nowe will I prayse the Lord: therefore shee called his name Iudah, and left bearing.

And when Rahel saw that she bare Iaakob no children, Rahel enuied her sister, and said vnto Iaakob, Giue me children, or els I dye.

Then Iaakobs anger was kindled against Rahel, and he sayde, Am I in Gods steade, which hath withholden from thee the fruite of the wombe?

And she said, Behold my maide Bilhah, goe in to her, and she shall beare vpon my knees, and I shall haue children also by her.

Then shee gaue him Bilhah her mayde to wife, and Iaakob went in to her.

So Bilhah conceiued and bare Iaakob a sonne.

Then said Rahel, God hath giuen sentence on my side, and hath also heard my voyce, and hath giuen mee a sonne: therefore called shee his name, Dan.

And Bilhah Rahels maide coceiued againe, and bare Iaakob the second sonne.

Then Rahel said, with excellent wrestlings haue I wrestled with my sister, and haue gotten the vpper hande: and shee called his name, Naphtali.

And when Leah saw that she had left bearing, shee tooke Zilpah her mayde, and gaue her Iaakob to wife.

And Zilpah Leahs mayde bare Iaakob a sonne.

Then sayd Leah, A companie commeth: and she called his name, Gad.

Againe Zilpah Leahs mayde bare Iaakob another sonne.

Then sayde Leah, Ah, blessed am I, for the daughters will blesse me. and she called his name, Asher.

Nowe Reuben went in the dayes of the wheateharuest, and founde mandrakes in the fielde and brought them vnto his mother Leah. Then sayde Rahel to Leah, Giue me, I pray thee, of thy sonnes mandrakes.

But shee answered her, Is it a small matter for thee to take mine husband, except thou take my sonnes mandrakes also? Then sayde Rahel, Therefore he shall sleepe with thee this night for thy sonnes mandrakes.

And Iaakob came from the fielde in the euening, and Leah went out to meete him, and sayde, Come in to mee, for I haue bought and payed for thee with my sonnes mandrakes: and he slept with her that night.

And God heard Leah and shee conceiued, and bare vnto Iaakob the fift sonne.

Then said Leah, God hath giuen me my reward, because I gaue my mayde to my husband, and she called his name Issachar.

After, Leah conceiued againe, and bare Iaakob the sixt sonne.

Then Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowrie: nowe will mine husband dwell with me, because I haue borne him sixe sonnes: and she called his name Zebulun.

After that, shee bare a daughter, and shee called her name Dinah.

And God remembred Rahel, and God heard her, and opened her wombe.

So she conceiued and bare a sonne, and said, God hath taken away my rebuke.

And shee called his name Ioseph, saying, The Lord wil giue me yet another sonne.

And assoone as Rahel had borne Ioseph, Iaakob said to Laban, Sende me away that I may go vnto my place and to my countrey.

Giue me my wiues and my children, for whom I haue serued thee, and let me go: for thou knowest what seruice I haue done thee.

To whom Laban answered, If I haue nowe found fauour in thy sight tarie: I haue perceiued that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.

Also he said, Appoynt vnto me thy wages, and I will giue it thee.

But he sayd vnto him, Thou knowest, what seruice I haue done thee, and in what taking thy cattell hath bene vnder me.

For the litle, that thou haddest before I came, is increased into a multitude: and the Lord hath blessed thee by my comming: but nowe when shall I trauell for mine owne house also?

Then he saide, What shall I giue thee? And Iaakob answered, Thou shalt giue mee nothing at all: if thou wilt doe this thing for mee, I will returne, feede, and keepe thy sheepe.

I wil passe through all thy flockes this day, and separate from them all the sheepe with litle spots and great spots, and al blacke lambes among the sheepe, and the great spotted, and litle spotted among the goates: and it shalbe my wages.

So shall my righteousnesse answere for me hereafter, when it shall come for my rewarde before thy face, and euery one that hath not litle or great spots among the goates, and blacke among the sheepe, the same shalbe theft with me.

Then Laban sayde, Goe to, woulde God it might be according to thy saying.

Therefore he tooke out the same day the hee goates that were partie coloured and with great spots, and all the shee goates with litle and great spots, and all that had white in them, and all the blacke among the sheepe, and put them in the keeping of his sonnes.

And hee set three dayes iourney betweene himselfe and Iaakob. And Iaakob kept the rest of Labans sheepe.

Then Iaakob tooke rods of greene popular, and of hasell, and of the chesnut tree, and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appeare in the rods.

Then he put the rods, which he had pilled, in the gutters and watering troughes, when the sheepe came to drink, before the sheepe. (for they were in heate, when they came to drinke)

And the sheepe were in heate before the rods, and afterward brought forth yong of partie colour, and with small and great spots.

And Iaakob parted these lambes, and turned the faces of the flocke towardes these lambes partie coloured and all maner of blacke, among the sheepe of Laban: so hee put his owne flockes by themselues, and put them not with Labans flocke.

And in euery ramming time of the stronger sheepe, Iaakob layde the rods before the eyes of the sheepe in the gutters, that they might conceiue before the rods.

But when the sheepe were feeble, hee put them not in: and so the feebler were Labans, and the stronger Iaakobs.

So the man increased exceedingly, and had many flockes, and maide seruantes, and men seruants, and camels and asses.

Now he heard the words of Labans sonnes, saying, Iaakob hath taken away all that was our fathers, and of our fathers goods hath he gotten all this honour.

Also Iaakob beheld the countenance of Laban, that it was not towards him as in times past:

And the Lord had said vnto Iaakob, Turne againe into the lande of thy fathers, and to thy kinred, and I wilbe with thee.

Therefore Iaakob sent and called Rahel and Leah to the fielde vnto his flocke.

Then sayde hee vnto them, I see your fathers countenance, that it is not towardes me as it was wont, and the God of my father hath bene with me.

And yee knowe that I haue serued your father with all my might.

But your father hath deceiued me, and changed my wages tenne times: but God suffred him not to hurt me.

If he thus sayd, The spotted shall be thy wages, then all the sheepe bare spotted: and if he sayd thus, the party coloured shalbe thy rewarde, then bare all the sheepe particoloured.

Thus hath God taken away your fathers substance, and giuen it me.

For in ramming time I lifted vp mine eyes and saw in a dreame, and beholde, ye hee goates leaped vpon the shee goates, that were partie coloured with litle and great spots spotted.

And the Angel of God sayde to mee in a dreame, Iaakob. And I answered, Lo, I am here.

And he sayde, Lift vp nowe thine eyes, and see all the hee goates leaping vpon ye shee goates that are partie coloured, spotted with litle and great spots: for I haue seene all that Laban doeth vnto thee.

I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anoyntedst the pillar, where thou vowedst a vowe vnto me. Nowe arise, get thee out of this countrey and returne vnto ye land where thou wast borne.

Then answered Rahel and Leah, and sayde vnto him, Haue wee any more porcion and inheritance in our fathers house?

Doeth not he count vs as strangers? for he hath solde vs, and hath eaten vp and consumed our money.

Therefore all the riches, which God hath taken from our father, is ours and our childrens: nowe then whatsoeuer God hath saide vnto thee, doe it.

Then Iaakob rose vp, and set his sonnes and his wiues vpon camels.

And he caried away all his flockes, and al his substance which he had gotten, to wit, his riches, which he had gotten in Padan Aram, to goe to Izhak his father vnto the land of Canaan.

Whe Laban was gone to shere his sheepe, Then Rahel stole her fathers idoles.

Thus Iaakob stole away ye heart of Laban the Aramite: for he told him not that he fled.

So fled he with all that he had, and he rose vp, and passed the riuer, and set his face towarde mount Gilead.

And the third day after was it told Laban, that Iaakob fled.

Then he tooke his brethren with him, and followed after him seuen dayes iourney, and ouertooke him at mount Gilead.

And God came to Laban the Aramite in a dreame by night, and sayde vnto him, Take heede that thou speake not to Iaakob ought saue good.

Then Laban ouertooke Iaakob, and Iaakob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban also with his brethren pitched vpon mount Gilead.

Then Laban sayde to Iaakob, What hast thou done? thou hast euen stolen away mine heart and caried away my daughters as though they had bene taken captiues with the sworde.