The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

and whanne morewtid was maad, he was aferd bi inward drede, and he sente to alle the expowneris of Egipt, and to alle wise men; and whanne thei weren clepid, he telde the dreem, and noon was that expownede.

Thanne at the laste the maistir `of boteleris bithouyte, and seide, Y knowleche my synne;

the kyng was wrooth to hise seruauntis, and comaundide me and the maister `of bakeris to be cast doun in to the prisoun of the prince of knyytis,

where we bothe saien a dreem in o nyyt, biforeschewynge of thingis to comynge.

An Ebrew child, seruaunt of the same duk of knyytis was there, to whom we telden the dremes,

and herden what euer thing the bifallyng of thing preuede afterward; for Y am restorid to myn office, and he was hangid in a cros.

Anoon at the comaundement of the kyng thei polliden Joseph led out of prisoun, and whanne `the clooth was chaungid, thei brouyten Joseph to the kyng.

To whom the kyng seide, Y seiye dremes, and noon is that expowneth tho thingis that Y seiy, I haue herd that thou expownest moost prudentli.

Joseph answerde, With out me, God schal answere prosperitees to Farao.

Therfor Farao telde that that he seiy; Y gesside that Y stood on the brenke of the flood,

and seuene kiyn, ful faire and with fleischis able to etyng, stieden fro the watir, whiche kiyn gaderiden grene seggis in the pasture of the marreis;

and lo! seuene othere kiyn, so foule and leene, sueden these, that Y seiy neuere siche in the lond of Egipt;

and whanne the formere kien weren deuourid and wastid, tho secounde yauen no steppe of fulnesse,

but weren slowe bi lijk leenesse and palenesse. I wakide, and eft Y was oppressid bi sleep, and Y seiy a dreem;

seuene eeris of corn, ful and faireste, camen forth in o stalke,

and othere seuene, thinne and smytun with `corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, camen forth of the stobil,

whiche deuouriden the fairenesse of the formere;

Y telde the dreem to expowneris, and no man is that expowneth. Joseph answerde, The dreem of the king is oon; God schewide to Farao what thingis he schal do.

Seuene faire kiyn, and seuene ful eeris of corn, ben seuene yeeris of plentee, and tho comprehenden the same strengthe of dreem;

and seuene kiyn thinne and leene, that stieden aftir tho, and seuene thinne eeris of corn and smytun with brennynge wynd, ben seuene yeer of hungur to comynge,

whiche schulen be fillid bi this ordre.

Lo! seuene yeer of greet plentee in al the lond of Egipt schulen come,

and seuene othre yeer of so greet bareynesse schulen sue tho, that al the abundaunce bifore be youun to foryetyng; for the hungur schal waste al the lond,

and the greetnesse of pouert schal leese the greetnesse of plentee.

Forsothe this that thou siyest the secunde tyme a dreem, perteynynge to the same thing, is a `schewyng of sadnesse, for the word of God schal be doon, and schal be fillid ful swiftli.

Now therfor puruey the kyng a wijs man and a redi, and make the kyng hym souereyn to the lond of Egipt,

which man ordeyne gouernouris bi alle cuntreis, and gadere he in to bernys the fyuethe part of fruytis bi seuene yeer of plentee,

that schulen come now; and al the wheete be kept vndur the power of Farao, and be it kept in citees,

and be it maad redi to the hungur to comynge of seuene yeer that schal oppresse Egipt, and the lond be not wastid bi pouert.

The counsel pleside Farao,

and alle his mynystris, and he spak to hem, Wher we moun fynde sich a man which is ful of Goddis spirit?

Therfor Farao seide to Joseph, For God hath schewid to thee alle thingis whiche thou hast spoke, wher Y mai fynde a wisere man and lijk thee?

Therfor thou schalt be ouer myn hous, and al the puple schal obeie to the comaundement of thi mouth; Y schal passe thee onely by o trone of the rewme.

And eft Farao seide to Joseph, Lo! Y haue ordeyned thee on al the lond of Egipt.

And Farao took the ryng fro his hond, and yaf it in the hond of Joseph, and he clothide Joseph with a stoole of bijs, and puttide a goldun wrethe aboute the necke;

and Farao made Joseph to `stie on his secounde chare, while a bidele criede, that alle men schulden knele bifore hym, and schulden knowe that he was souereyn of al the lond of Egipt.

And the kyng seide to Joseph, Y am Farao, without thi comaundement no man shal stire hond ether foot in al the lond of Egipt.

And he turnede the name of Joseph, and clepide him bi Egipcian langage, the sauyour of the world; and he yaf to Joseph a wijf, Asenech, the douyter of Potifar, preest of Heliopoleos. And so Joseph yede out to the lond of Egipt.

Forsothe Joseph was of thretti yeer, whanne he stood in the siyt of kyng Farao, and cumpasside alle the cuntreis of Egipt.

And the plente of seuene yeer cam, and ripe corn weren bounden into handfuls, and weren gaderid into the bernys of Egipt,

also al the aboundaunce of cornes weren kept in alle citeis,

and so greet aboundaunce was of wheete, that it was maad euene to the grauel of the see, and the plente passide mesure.

Sotheli twei sones were born to Joseph bifor that the hungur came, whiche Asenech, douytir of Putifar, preest of Heliopoleos, childide to hym.

And he clepide the name of the firste gendrid sone, Manasses, and seide, God hath maad me to foryete alle my traueilis, and the hous of my fadir;

and he clepide the name of the secunde sone Effraym, and seide, God hath maad me to encreesse in the lond of my pouert.

Therfor whanne seuene yeer of plentee that weren in Egipt weren passid,

seuene yeer of pouert bigunnen to come, whiche Joseph bifore seide, and hungur hadde the maistri in al the world; also hungur was in al the lond of Egipt;

and whanne that lond hungride, the puple criede to Farao, and axide metis; to whiche he answeride, Go ye to Joseph, and do ye what euer thing he seith to you.

Forsothe hungur encreesside ech dai in al the lond, and Joseph openyde alle the bernys, and seelde to Egipcians, for also hungur oppresside hem;

and alle prouynces camen in to Egipt to bie metis, and to abate the yuel of nedynesse.

Forsothe Jacob herde that foodis weren seeld in Egipt, and he seide to hise sones, Whi ben ye necgligent?

Y herde that wheete is seeld in Egipt, go ye doun, and bie ye necessaries to vs, that we moun lyue, and be not wastid bi nedynesse.

Therfor ten britheren of Joseph yeden doun to bie wheete in Egipt,

and Beniamyn was withholdun of Jacob at hoome, that seide to hise britheren, Lest perauenture in the weie he suffre ony yuel.

Sotheli thei entriden in to the lond of Egipt, with othere men that yeden to bie; forsothe hungur was in the lond of Canaan.

And Joseph was prince of Egipt, and at his wille whetis weren seeld to puplis. And whanne hise britheren hadden worschipid hym,

and he hadde knowe hem, he spak hardere as to aliens, and axide hem, Fro whennus camen ye? Whiche answeriden, Fro the lond of Canaan, that we bie necessaries to lyiflode.

And netheles he knewe the britheren, and he was not knowun of hem,

and he bithouyte on the dremys whiche he seiy sumtyme. And he seide to hem, Ye ben aspieris, ye camen to se the feblere thingis of the lond.

Whiche seiden, Lord, it is not so, but thi seruauntis camen to bie metis;

alle we ben the sones of o man, we comen pesible, and thi seruauntis ymaginen not ony yuel.

To `whiche he answeride, It is in other maner, ye camen to se the feble thingis of the lond.

And thei seiden, `We twelue britheren, thi seruauntis, ben sones of o man in the lond of Canaan; the leeste is with oure fadir, an other is not `on erthe.

This it is, he seide, that Y spak to you,

ye ben aspieris, riyt now Y schal take experience of you, bi the helthe of Farao ye schulen not go fro hennus, til youre leeste brother come; sende ye oon of you,

that he brynge hym, forsothe ye schulen be in boondis, til tho thingis that ye seiden ben preued, whether tho ben false ether trewe; ellis, bi the helthe of Farao, ye ben aspieris.

Therfor he bitook hem to kepyng thre daies; sotheli in the thridde dai,

whanne thei weren led out of prisoun, he seide, Do ye that that Y seide, and ye schulen lyue, for Y drede God;

if ye ben pesible, o brother of you be boundun in prisoun; forsothe go ye, and bere wheetis, whiche ye bouyten,

in to youre housis, and brynge ye youre leeste brother to me, that Y may preue youre wordis, and ye die not. Thei diden as he seide,

and thei spaken togidere, Skilfuli we suffren these thingis, for we synneden ayens oure brother, and we seiyen the anguysch of his soule, while he preiede vs, and we herden not; herfore this tribulacioun cometh on vs.

Of which oon, Ruben, seide, Whether Y seide not to yow, Nyle ye do synne ayens the child, and ye herden not me? lo! his blood is souyt.

Sotheli thei wisten not that Joseph vndirstood, for he spak to hem by interpretour.

And he turnede awei hym silf a litil and wepte; and he turnede ayen, and spak to hem.

And he took Symeon, and boond hym, while thei weren present; and he comaundide the mynystris, that thei schulden fille her sackis with wheete, and that thei schulden putte the money `of alle in her baggis, and ouer this yyue metis in the weie; whiche diden so.

And thei `baren wetis on her assis, and yeden forth,

and whanne the sak of oon was opened that he schulde yyue meete to the werk beeste in the yn, he bihelde the money in the mouth of the bagge,

and seide to his britheren, My monei is yoldun to me, lo! it is had in the bagge; and thei weren astonyed, and troblid, and seiden togidere, What thing is this that God hath doon to us.

And thei camen to Jacob, her fadir, in the loond of Canaan, and telden to hym alle thingis that bifelden to hem, and seiden,

The lord of the lond spak harde to vs, and gesside that we weren aspieris of the prouynce;

to whom we answeriden, We ben pesible, nether we purposen ony tresouns;

we ben twelue britheren, gendrid of o fadir, oon is not `on erthe, the leeste dwellith with the fadir in the lond of Canaan.

And he seide to vs, Thus Y schal preue that ye ben pesible; leeffe ye o brother of you with me, and take ye metis nedeful to youre housis, and go ye, and brynge ye to me youre leeste brother,

that Y wite that ye ben not aspieris, and that ye moun resseyue this brother which is holdun in boondis, and that fro thennus forth ye haue licence to bie what thingis ye wolen.

While these thingis weren seide, whanne alle schedden out wheetis, thei founden money boundun in `the mouth of sackis. And whanne alle togidere weren aferd,

the fadir Jacob seide, Ye han maad me to be with out children; Joseph is not alyue, Symeon is holdun in bondis, ye schulen take a wey fro me Beniamyn; alle these yuels felden in me.

To whom Ruben answeride, Sle thou my twei sones, if Y shal not brynge hym ayen to thee; take thou hym in myn hond, and Y schal restore hym to thee.

And Jacob seide, My sone schal not go doun with you; his brother is deed, he aloone is left; if ony aduersite schal bifalle `to hym in the lond to which ye schulen go, ye schulen lede forth myn hoore heeris with sorewe to hellis.

In the meene tyme hungur oppresside greetli al the lond;

and whanne the meetis weren wastid, whiche thei brouyten fro Egipt, Jacob seide to hise sones, Turne ye ayen, and bie ye a litil of meetis to vs.

Judas answeride, The ilke man denounside to vs vndir witnessyng of an ooth, and seide, Ye schulen not se my face, if ye schulen not brynge with you youre leeste brother;

therfor if thou wolt sende hym with vs, we schulen go to gidere, and we schulen bie necessaries to thee;

ellis if thou wolt not, we schulen not go; for as we seiden ofte, the man denounside to vs, and seide, Ye schulen not se my face with out youre leeste brother.

Forsothe Israel seide to hem, Ye diden this in to my wretchidnesse, that ye schewiden to hym, that ye hadden also another brother.

And thei answeriden, The man axide vs bi ordre oure generacioun, if the fadir lyuede, if we hadden a brother; and we answeriden suyngli to hym, bi that that he axide; whether we myyten wite that he wolde seie, Brynge ye youre brothir with you?

And Judas seide to his fadir, Sende the child with me, that we go, and moun lyue, lest we dien, and oure litle children ;

Y take the child, require thou hym of myn hoond; if Y schal not brynge ayen, and bitake hym to thee, Y schal be gilti of synne ayens thee in al tyme;

if delai hadde not be, we hadden come now anothir tyme.

Therfor Israel, `the fadir of hem, seide to hem, If it is nede so, do ye that that ye wolen; `take ye of the beste fruytis of the lond in youre vesselis, and `bere ye yiftis to the man, a litil of gumme, and of hony, and of storax, and of mirre, and of therebynte, and of alemaundis;

and `bere ye with you double money, and `bere ye ayen that money which ye founden in baggis, lest perauenture it be doon bi errour;