A Hyve Fvll of Hunnye :: :: University of Virginia Library

How Labans Children grudge
agaynst this Iacobs wealth:
Of Iacobs backe returne
homeward againe by stealth:
Rabell her Fathers Gods,
vpon Sheepeshearinge day,
The same did filche, and steale,
and bare them so away:
How Laban followeth fast
Iacob to ouertake:
And of the Heape of stones,
and cou'naunt that they make.

1

Now Labās Children spake in words
that Laban thought in heart.
And Iacob heard how that they sayde
our Father feeleth smart,

2

For Iacob hath tane all away
our Fathers was before,
And hath him selfe this honour got,
by Fathers goodes, and store.

3

And Iacob Laban well behelde
his Countenaunce, and there:
Which was not now as heretofore
but as hee angry were.

4

And then the Lord to Iacob sayd,
returne thee home agayne
Into the Land where Father thine
and Kinred do remayne,

5

For I will bee with thee, sayth God,
whereof Iacob was glad.

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And sent for both his Wyues to Fielde,
and to the Flocke hee had:

6

And when they came his presence to,
I see (sayd hee) at last,
Your Fathers Countenaunce, to mee
is not, as in time past.

7

How beit, the God of Father mine,
hath bin with mee this Night:
And both you know, how Father yours,
I seru'de with all my Might:

8

And yet hee oft deceiued mee,
in chaunginge of my Wage:
But God no time woulde suffer him,
to hurt mee in his Rage:

9

For when hee sayde the spotted Sheepe
thy hyred Wage shalbe:
Then all the Sheepe, bespotted were,
as you can witnes mee:

10

And when hee sayde, the straked Sheepe,
shall thee reward for Hier:
Then all the Sheepe bestraked were,
as one would it desier.

11

Thus hath the Lord, your Fathers Sheepe
from him, now tane away,
And of his goodnes geuen them mee,
as you do see this Daye.

12

It thus befell in Ramminge time,
when in a Dreame I was:
Mine Eyes I lifted vp, and sawe,
and so it came to passe

13

Beholde the Sheepe that straked were,
and spotted here, and there,
The Rammes, vppon their Backes did Leape,
in Place whereas they were.

14

And in my Dreame Gods Angell spake,
and thus gan saye to mee:
Iacob: and him I aunswered,
Lord, here I am by thee.

15

Sayd hee, lift vp thine Eyes, and see
the Rammes leape on the Sheepe
That spotted are, and straked bee,
and party Coullour keepe.

16

I haue seene all that Laban doth,
or can against thee make:
For I the God of Bethel am,
where thou didste vndertake

17

The Stone to pitch vpon an ende,
and did Annoynte the same,
And where thou mad'ste a solemn Uow
vnto my Sacred Name:

18

Now therfore rise, and get the hence
out from this Countrey here,
And backe returne vnto the Land
where Rebek did the beare.

19

When Rahell, and her Sister to
did Iacob vnderstand:
Hath not (sayd they) thy seruice long,
bought vs of Fathers hand?

20

For hee hath Soulde vs vnto thee,
and wee therewith content,
And hee consumed hath our Coyne,
and all wee see is spent.

21

But haue wee any Portion else?
or hath hee geuen vs more
Then that thy Seruice longe time Bought?
as wee haue sayde before?

22

For all the Richesse, God hath tane
away from Father so,

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Is ours, and eke our Childrens to,
as God to thee did shoe.

23

And therefore what so euer God
hath spoken vnto thee:
Do that, accordinge to his will:
so happy shall wee bee.

24

Then Iacob rose, and set his Sonnes,
and Wiues on Camels backe,
And caried thence his Flocke away,
and nothinge seem'de to lacke.

25

And all his Substance which he had
procured, as you heare:
His Riches, and Possessions too,
which hee had gotten there

26

He droue them forth to Isaac
his Father for to goe
Vnto the Land of Canaan
that hee before came fro:

27

Now when as Laban went to sheare
his Sheepe as other hid
Rabell purloynd her Fathers Gods:
and secretly them hide.

28

Thus Iacob Labans hart did steale
because he went away,
And would not let hym vnderstand
of his remouing Daye.

29

So priuily he went his way
wyth al that ere he had,
And past the Ryuer Euphrates
towardes Mount Gilead.

30

And three Dayes after Iacobs flight
was worde to Laban brought,
Who after, with his Brethren went
the same for to haue caught.

31

And seuen dayes iourney in pursute
they after him did make,
And when vnto the Mount they came
they did him ouertake.

32

And God by Night to Laban came
and in a Dream did say,
Take hede thou speake nothing but good
to Iacob in the way.

33

Then Laban Iacob ouertooke
as he in Iourney went
And Iacob in mount Gilead
there pitched downe his Tent.

34

And Laban pitched there his Tent
with Brethren his also
Sayd Laban vnto Iacob then
what made thee thus to goe?

35

Why hast thou stolne my hart away
and Daughters twayn with thee
As though they had with Sword and Targe
pore Captyues taken be.

36

Wherfore went thou thus secretelye
away from me vnknowne?
And did not say, let me depart
with that which is myne owne?

37

And that I myght wyth melody
haue brought thee on the way
And kissed so my Daughters deare
at their departing day.

38

Thou wast a foole thus wise to do
thou knowest I am stronge
And able am to doe thee ill,
and to reuenge this wrong.

39

But sure the God of Father yours
spake yesternight with me,

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Take hede thou speake but that is good
Iacob vnto, (sayd he)

40

And though desyre thus prick thee forth
thy fathers house to see:
Yet wherfore hast thou filcht and stolne
my Goddes away with thee?

41

I was afrayd, sayd Iacob then,
my Wyues thou wouldst denay,
And therfore did we priuily
conuey our selues away.

42

But where as Theft thou layest to me,
looke where the same shal fall,
Let hym streight dye, on whom its found
before our Brethren all.

43

Now serch and seke, and if thou fynde
of thyne that is with me,
Let me abyde rebuke thereof,
and take it vnto thee.

44

But Iacob knew not how his wyfe
who Rahel had to name,
Had stolne away her fathers Goddes
and closely kept the same.

45

Then Laban came to Iacobs Tent
and Leahs tent also,
And searched in the maydēs Tent
but found them not: and so
From Leahs Tent departing he
to Rahels Tent did goe

46

Now Rahel had ere father came
his Ydols taken out,
And hid them in the Camells Straw:
hir father sought abowt.

47

But stil she sat vppon the Straw
wherein the Ydolles lay,

To Laban then her father she
with feeble voyce did say:

48

My Lord (sayd she) not angry be
most humbly I do pray,
That I do not aryse to thee
for skarse I able may:

49

Because the course of Women now
is on me all this daye:
Thus Laban sought but found them not
and so went he his way.

50

Then Iacob wrothe and angry was
and did with Laban chyde,
And sayd, what trespas haue I done,
or what hast thou espyde

51

In mee? or these that are with me
that thou shoulde vs pursue?
Thou ransackt hast my stuffe ech whit:
hast thou found vs vntrue?

52

What hast thou found of all that's thyne
abiding here with me?
Put it before our brethren here
to iudge twene me and thee.

53

Behold I haue these Twenty Yeares
bene faythful Seruaunt thyne,
Thy Sheepe and Goates not Barrayne were
but fruitful in the time.

54

Ne did thy Ewes yet cast their Yong,
the Rams eke of thy flocke
I haue not eate, but alwayes haue
maintayned stil thy stocke:

55

And what so ere was torne by Beastes
or perisht in the Wood,
I neuer brought it vnto thee,
my selfe did make it good.

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56

For of my handes didst thou requyre
the same for to repay,
As though with Theues it had bene stolne
by Night or els by day.

57

And in the Day the heat of Sunne
consumed me ful sore
And in the night the bitter frost
with cold did nip me more.

58

Thus Day and Night in heat & cold
I seldome tyme haue slept,
So careful was I on the charge
of cattel thyne I kept.

59

Thus haue I spent these xx. Yeares
and in thy House remayne,
And Fourteene of these twenty yeres
was for thy daughters twayne

60

And sixe yeres seruice for thy shepe
I kept vpon the Plaine.
Yet thou my wages chaunged hast
too many times certaine.

61

Except the God of Father mine,
the God of Abraham,
And eke the God whom Isack fear'd
and God that to me cam:

62

Had ben wyth me, thou surely had
me empty sent away,
And geuen me nought for seruice long
as I haue sayd this Daye.

63

But God beheld my troubles great
and labours of my hand,
And thee rebuked yester night
thy selfe dost vnderstande.

64

Now Labans conscience moued was
and sought a Peace to make,

And therefore vnto Iacob sayd
this wil I vndertake.

65

These Daughters twayn my Daughters are,
these Sonnes are also mine:
These shepe and al thou seest beside
are myne as wel as thyne:

66

And what can I this Day then doe
to these my Daughters heere
Or to their sonnes, which they haue borne,
that in my sight appeere?

67

Come now therefore and let vs make
A league most firme to be
Whiche may a wytnes bee for aye
betwene my selfe and thee.

68

They both agreed and Iacob toke
a stone, and set it right
Up, lyke a Piller for to stande
In euery bodies sight.

69

Then Iacob to his brethren sayde
take you vp stones likewyse
And so they did, and made an heape
as best they could devise.

70

And on the heape of stones that was
they sat them downe to Eate:
Great frendes, they were and gently did
each other wel intreate

71

This heape of stones did Laban call
and Iacob eke also.
In both theyr tongues the Witnes heape,
for euery one to knowe.

72

This heape said Laban witnes is
twene me and thee this day,
Therfore he cald it Galeed
the lyke did Iacob saye

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73

Sayd Laban then, Mizpah also
this heape shal called be
Because the Lord when we depart,
shal loke twene me and thee.
For if my Daughters thou shalt vexe,
or other wyues shal take,
Besyde my Daughters now thy wyues:
or Doughters myne forsake:

75

Behold her's none but we our selues,
God shal the witnesse beare:
This heape and Piller eke beholde.
that's set betwixt vs here.

76

These witnesse shal I wil not come
ouer this heap to thee,
And that thou shalt not passe the same
for any harme to me.

77

And now the God of Abraham
and Nabors God also.
And eke the God of fathers theirs
be iudge betwene vs two.

78

But Iacob sware by th' onely God
whom Isaac did feare,
And offer did a Sacrifyce
vppon the Mountayne there
And after did his brethren call,
that eate of bread they myght.
And they did eate and in the Mount
did tary all the nyght.

80

In morne betyme did Laban ryse
and all his Children kist,
And so went homeward to his place
after he had them blist.