Then Jacob went on in his journey, and came into the east country.

Profectus ergo Jacob venit in terram orientalem.

Then Jacob went on his way, and reached the eastern country.

And he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone.

Et vidit puteum in agro, tres quoque greges ovium accubantes juxta eum: nam ex illo adaquabantur pecora, et os ejus grandi lapide claudebatur.

Here, in the open plain, he found a well, with three flocks of sheep lying down beside it. It was here that the flocks were watered; but the mouth of the well was closed by a great stone,

And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone, and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the mouth of the well again.

Morisque erat ut cunctis ovibus congregatis devolverent lapidem, et refectis gregibus rursum super os putei ponerent.

and it was not the custom to roll this stone away till all the flocks were assembled. When these had had their fill, the stone was put back on the well mouth.

And he said to the shepherds: Brethren, whence are you? They answered: Of Haran.

Dixitque ad pastores: Fratres, unde estis? Qui responderunt: De Haran.

Whence come you, brethren? he asked the shepherds. From Haran, they answered.

And he asked them, saying: Know you Laban the son of Nachor? They said: We know him.

Quos interrogans, Numquid, ait, nostis Laban filium Nachor? Dixerunt: Novimus.

And his next question was, whether they knew Laban, son of Nachor. Yes, they said, we know him.

He said: Is he in health? He is in health, say they: and behold Rachel his daughter cometh with his flock.

Sanusne est? inquit. Valet, inquiunt: et ecce Rachel filia ejus venit cum grege suo.

Is all well with him? asked Jacob. Yes, said they, all is well with him. That is his daughter, Rachel, yonder, coming towards us with her flock.

And Jacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep drink, and so lead them back to feed.

Dixitque Jacob: Adhuc multum diei superest, nec est tempus ut reducantur ad caulas greges: date ante potum ovibus, et sic eas ad pastum reducite.

Then Jacob said, The sun is still high, and it is a long time before the flocks need to be folded; why do you not water the sheep at once, and take them back to their pasture again?

They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well’s mouth, that we may water the flocks.

Qui responderunt: Non possumus, donec omnia pecora congregentur, et amoveamus lapidem de ore putei, ut adaquemus greges.

That cannot be done, they answered, until all the herds have assembled here; we wait till then, before we move the stone from the well mouth and water our flocks.

They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she fed the flock.

Adhuc loquebantur, et ecce Rachel veniebat cum ovibus patris sui: nam gregem ipsa pascebat.

The words were scarcely spoken, when Rachel came up with her father’s sheep; Rachel herself was their shepherdess.

And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin-german, and that they were the sheep of Laban, his uncle: he removed the stone wherewith the well was closed.

Quam cum vidisset Jacob, et sciret consobrinam suam, ovesque Laban avunculi sui, amovit lapidem quo puteus claudebatur.

Jacob watched her as she came; this was his cousin, these were his uncle Laban’s sheep; so he moved away the stone by which the well was shut in.

And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice, wept.

Et adaquato grege, osculatus est eam: et elevata voce flevit,

Then, when she had watered her flock, he went up and kissed her, weeping aloud;

And he told her that he was her father’s brother, and the son of Rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father.

et indicavit ei quod frater esset patris sui, et filius Rebeccæ: at illa festinans nuntiavit patri suo.

and he told her that he was her father’s kinsman, Rebecca’s son; whereupon she went quickly home to tell her father the news.

Who, when he heard that Jacob his sister’s son was come, ran forth to meet him; and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought him into his house. And when he had heard the causes of his journey,

Qui cum audisset venisse Jacob filium sororis suæ, cucurrit obviam ei: complexusque eum, et in oscula ruens, duxit in domum suam. Auditis autem causis itineris,

No sooner did Laban hear of his nephew Jacob’s arrival, than he ran out to meet him, embraced him, covered him with kisses, and brought him back home. He listened to the reasons that had brought him there,

He answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the days of one month were expired,

respondit: Os meum es, et caro mea. Et postquam impleti sunt dies mensis unius,

and said, Thou art my own flesh and blood. And he waited till a month had passed;

He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have.

dixit ei: Num quia frater meus es, gratis servies mihi? dic quid mercedis accipias.

then he said, Because thou art my kinsman, that is no reason why thou shouldst work for me free of charge; tell me what reward thou wouldst have.

Now he had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lia: and the younger was called Rachel.

Habebat vero duas filias: nomen majoris Lia, minor vero appellabatur Rachel.

Laban had two daughters; Rachel was the younger and her elder sister was called Lia.

But Lia was blear eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance.

Sed Lia lippis erat oculis: Rachel decora facie, et venusto aspectu.

But Lia was dull-eyed, whereas Rachel had beauty both of form and face,

And Jacob being in love with her, said: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

Quam diligens Jacob, ait: Serviam tibi pro Rachel filia tua minore, septem annis.

and on her Jacob’s love had fallen. So he answered, I will work seven years for thee to win thy younger daughter Rachel.

Laban answered: It is better that I give her to thee than to another man; stay with me.

Respondit Laban: Melius est ut tibi eam dem quam alteri viro: mane apud me.

Better thou, said Laban, than any other husband I could find for her; stay, then, at my side.

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel: and they seemed but a few days, because of the greatness of his love.

Servivit ergo Jacob pro Rachel septem annis: et videbantur illi pauci dies præ amoris magnitudine.

So Jacob worked seven years to win Rachel, and they seemed to him only a few days, because of the greatness of his love.

And he said to Laban: Give me my wife; for now the time is fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

Dixitque ad Laban: Da mihi uxorem meam: quia jam tempus impletum est, ut ingrediar ad illam.

Then he said to Laban, Give me my bride; the time has come now for me to wed her.

And he, having invited a great number of his friends to the feast, made the marriage.

Qui vocatis multis amicorum turbis ad convivium, fecit nuptias.

So Laban invited a great company of his friends to the wedding feast;

And at night he brought in Lia his daughter to him,

Et vespere Liam filiam suam introduxit ad eum,

but that night he matched Jacob with his daughter Lia instead,

Giving his daughter a handmaid, named Zelpha. Now when Jacob had gone in to her according to custom, when morning was come he saw it was Lia:

dans ancillam filiæ, Zelpham nomine. Ad quam cum ex more Jacob fuisset ingressus, facto mane vidit Liam:

giving her a maid called Zelpha to wait on her. So, with all due ceremony, Jacob took her to his bed, and it was not till morning he found out that it was Lia.

And he said to his father in law: What is it that thou didst mean to do? did not I serve thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me?

et dixit ad socerum suum: Quid est quod facere voluisti? nonne pro Rachel servivi tibi? quare imposuisti mihi?

Whereupon he said to Laban, What meanest thou? Did not I work for thee to win Rachel? What is this trick thou hast played on me?

Laban answered: It is not the custom in this place, to give the younger in marriage first.

Respondit Laban: Non est in loco nostro consuetudinis, ut minores ante tradamus ad nuptias.

And Laban answered, It is not the custom of our country to wed our younger daughters first.

Make up the week of days of this match: and I will give thee her also, for the service that thou shalt render me other seven years.

Imple hebdomadam dierum hujus copulæ: et hanc quoque dabo tibi pro opere quo serviturus es mihi septem annis aliis.

Celebrate this wedding of thine for a full week, and I will give thee Rachel too, and thou shalt work for me another seven years to earn her.

He yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he married Rachel:

Acquievit placito: et hebdomada transacta, Rachel duxit uxorem:

To this Jacob agreed, and when the week was over he made Rachel his wife;

To whom her father gave Bala for her servant.

cui pater servam Balam tradiderat.

the waiting-maid her father gave to Rachel was called Bala.

And having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him other seven years.

Tandemque potitus optatis nuptiis, amorem sequentis priori prætulit, serviens apud eum septem annis aliis.

So, at last, he won the bride he had longed for, and loved her better than he had loved her sister; meanwhile, he spent another seven years in Laban’s service.

And the Lord seeing that he despised Lia, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren.

Videns autem Dominus quod despiceret Liam, aperuit vulvam ejus, sorore sterili permanente.

And now, seeing Lia thus despised, the Lord gave her issue, while Rachel must remain barren.

And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Ruben, saying: The Lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me.

Quæ conceptum genuit filium, vocavitque nomen ejus Ruben, dicens: Vidit Dominus humilitatem meam: nunc amabit me vir meus.

So she conceived and bore a son, whom she called Ruben, as if she would say, the Lord has looked on my lowliness, Raa-beoni. Now, she thought, my husband will love me.

And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name Simeon.

Rursumque concepit et peperit filium, et ait: Quoniam audivit me Dominus haberi contemptui, dedit etiam istum mihi; vocavitque nomen ejus Simeon.

Then she conceived again, and again bore a son; Fresh gift, said she, is fresh proof the Lord has come to hear of the despite done me; so she called him Simeon, Hearing.

And she conceived the third time, and bore another son: and said: Now also my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons: and therefore she called his name Levi.

Concepitque tertio, et genuit alium filium: dixitque: Nunc quoque copulabitur mihi maritus meus: eo quod pepererim ei tres filios: et idcirco appellavit nomen ejus Levi.

Then she conceived a third time, and bore another son; This time, she thought, my husband will be closely knit to me, now that I have borne him three sons, and she called him Levi, Knit together.

The fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and said: now will I praise the Lord: and for this she called him Juda. And she left bearing.

Quarto concepit, et peperit filium, et ait: Modo confitebor Domino, et ob hoc vocavit eum Judam: cessavitque parere.

And when she conceived a fourth time, and bore a son, she said, Now I may praise the Lord, and she called him Juda, Praise. Then, for a while, she had no more children.