The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

but also take ye youre brother, and go ye to the man;

forsothe my God Almyyti mak him pesible to you, and sende he ayen youre brother, whom he holdith in boondis, and this Beniamyn; forsothe Y schal be as maad bare without sones.

Therfor the men token yiftis, and double monei, and Beniamyn; and thei yeden doun in to Egipt, and stoden bifore Joseph.

And whanne he hadde seyn `hem and Beniamyn togidere, he comaundide the dispendere of his hows, and seide, Lede these men in to the hous, and sle beestis, and make a feeste; for thei schulen ete with me to dai.

He dide as it was comaundid, and ledde the men in to the hows;

and there thei weren aferd, and seiden to gidere, We ben brouyt in for the monei which we baren ayen bifore in oure sackis, that he putte chalenge `in to vs, and make suget bi violence to seruage bothe vs and oure assis.

Wherfor thei neiyeden in the `yatis, and spaken to the dispendere,

Lord, we preien that thou here vs; we camen doun now bifore that we schulden bie metis;

whanne tho weren bouyt, whanne we camen to the ynne, we openeden oure baggis, and we founden money in the mouth of sackis, which money we han brouyt ayen now in the same weiyte;

but also we han brouyt other siluer, that we bie tho thingis that ben nedeful to vs; it is not in oure conscience, who puttide the money in oure pursis.

And he answerde, Pees be to you, nyle ye drede; youre God and God of youre fadir yaf to you tresouris in youre baggis; for I haue the monei preued, which ye yauen to me. And he ledde out Symeon to hem;

and whanne thei weren brouyt in to the hows, he brouyte watir, and thei waischiden her feet, and he yaf `meetis to her assis.

Sotheli thei maden redi yiftis til Joseph entride at myd day, for thei hadden herd that thei schulden ete breed there.

Therfor Joseph entride in to his hows, and thei offriden yiftis to hym, and helden in the hondis, and worschipiden lowe to erthe.

And he grette hem ayen mekeli; and he axide hem, and seide, Whether youre fadir, the elde man, is saaf, of whom ye seiden to me? lyueth he yit?

Whiche answeriden, He is hool, thi seruaunt oure fadir lyueth yit; and thei weren bowid, and worschipiden hym.

Forsothe Joseph reyside hise iyen, and siy Beniamyn his brother of the same wombe, and seide, Is this youre litil brother, of whom ye seiden to me? And eft Joseph seide, My sone, God haue merci of thee.

And Joseph hastide in to the hous, for his entrailis weren moued on his brother, and teeris brasten out, and he entride into a closet, and wepte.

And eft whanne the face was waischun, he yede out, and refreynede hym silf, and seide, Sette ye looues.

`And whanne tho weren set to Joseph by hym silf, and to the britheren bi hem silf, and to Egipcyans that eeten to gidre by hem silf; for it is vnleueful to Egipcians to ete with Ebrewis, and thei gessen sich a feeste vnhooli.

Therfor thei saten bifore hym, the firste gendrid bi the rite of his firste gendryng, and the leeste bi his age; and thei wondriden greetli,

whanne the partis weren takun whiche thei hadden resseyued of him, and the more part cam to Beniamyn, so that it passide in fyue partis; and thei drunken, and weren fillid with him.

Forsothe Joseph comaundid the dispendere of his hous, and seide, Fille thou her sackis with wheete, as myche as tho moun take, and putte thou the money of ech in the hiynesse of the sak;

forsothe put thou in the mouth of the sak of the yongere my silueren cuppe, and the prijs of wheete which he yaf; and it was doon so.

And whanne the morewtid roos, thei weren delyuered with her assis.

And now thei hadden go out of the citee, and hadden go forth a litil; thanne Joseph seide, whanne the dispendere of his hous was clepid, Rise thou, pursue the men, and seye thou whanne thei ben takun, Whi han ye yolde yuel for good?

The cuppe, which ye han stole, is thilk in which my lord drynkith, and in which he is wont to dyuyne; ye han do a ful wickid thing.

He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre.

Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?

We brouyten ayen to thee fro the lond of Chanaan the monei which we founden in the hiynesse of sackis, and hou is it suynge that we han stole fro `the hows of thi lord gold ether siluer?

At whom euere of thi seruauntis this that thou sekist is foundun, die he, and we schulen be seruauntis of my lord.

Which seide to hem, Be it doon bi youre sentence; at whom it is foundun, be he my seruaunt; forsothe ye schulen be gilteles.

And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte;

and bigan at the more til to the leeste, and foond the cuppe in `the sak of Beniamyn.

And whanne thei hadden `to-rent her clothis, and hadden chargid eft the assis, thei turneden ayen in to the citee.

And Judas entride `the firste with brithren to Joseph; for he hadde not go yit fro the place; and alle felden togidere on erthe bifore hym.

To whiche he seide, Whi wolden ye do so? whether ye witen not, that noon is lijk me in the kunnyng of dyuinyng?

To whom Judas seide, What schulen we answere to my lord, ether what schulen we speke, ether moun iustli ayenseie? God hath founde the wickidnesse of thi seruauntis; lo! alle we ben the seruauntis of my lord, bothe we and he at whom the cuppe is foundun.

Joseph answeride, Fer be it fro me, that Y do so; he be my seruaunt that stal the cuppe; forsothe go ye fre to youre fadir.

Sotheli Judas neiyede neer, and seide tristili, My lord, Y preye, thi seruaunt speke a word in thin eeris, and be thou not wrooth to thi seruaunt; for aftir Farao thou art my lord.

Thou axidist first thi seruauntis, Han ye a fadir, ether a brother?

And we answeriden to thee, my lord, An eld fadir is to vs, and a litil child that was borun in his eelde, whos brother of the same wombe is deed, and his modir hath hym aloone; forsothe his fadir loueth hym tendirli.

And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, Brynge ye hym to me, and Y schal sette myn iyen on hym.

We maden suggestioun to thee, my lord, the child may not forsake his fadir; for if he schal leeue the fadir, he schal die.

And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, If youre leeste brother schal not come with you, ye schulen no more se my face.

Therfor whanne we hadden stied to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, we telden to hym alle thingis whiche my lord spak; and oure fadir seide,

Turne ye ayen, and bie ye to you a litil of wheete;

to whom we seiden, We moun not go; if oure leeste brother schal go doun with vs, we schulen go forth togidere; ellis, if he is absent, we doren not se the `face of the lord.

To whiche thingis the fadir answeride, Ye witen that my wiif childide twei sones to me;

oon yede out, and ye seiden, a beeste deuouride hym, and hidir to he apperith not;

if ye taken also this sone, and ony thing bifallith to hym in the weye, ye schulen lede forth myn hoor heeris with morenyng to hellis.

Therfor if Y entre to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, and the child faile, sithen his lijf hangith of the lijf of the child,

and he se that the child is not with vs, he schal die, and thi seruauntis schulen lede forth hise hoor heeris with sorewe to hellis.

Be Y propirli thi seruaunt, which resseyuede this child on my feith, and bihiyte, and seide, If Y schal not brynge ayen hym, Y schal be gilti of synne ayens my fadir in al tyme;

and so Y schal dwelle thi seruaunt for the child in to the seruyce of my lord, and the child stie with hise britheren;

for Y may not go ayen to my fadir, if the child is absent, lest Y stonde a witnesse of the wretchidnesse that schal oppresse my fadir.

Joseph myyte no lengere absteyne hym silf, while many men stoden bifore; wherfor he comaundide that alle men schulden go out, and that noon alien were present in the knowyng of Joseph and hise britheren.

And Joseph reiside the vois with wepyng, which Egipcians herden, and al the hows of Farao.

And he seide to hise britheren, Y am Joseph; lyueth my fadir yit? The brithren myyten not answere, and weren agast bi ful myche drede.

To whiche he seide mekeli, Neiye ye to me. And whanne thei hadden neiyed nyy, he seide, Y am Joseph youre brother, whom ye selden in to Egipt;

nyle ye drede, nether seme it to be hard to you, that ye seelden me in to these cuntreis; for God hath sent me bifore you in to Egipt for youre helthe.

For it is twei yeer that hungur bigan `to be in the lond, yit fyue yeer suen, in whiche me schal not mow ere, nether repe;

and God bifor sente me, that ye be reserued on erthe, and moun haue metis to lyue.

Y was sent hidur not bi youre counsel, but bi Goddis wille, which made me as the fadir of Farao, and the lord of al his hows, and prince in al the lond of Egipt.

Haste ye, and `stie ye to my fadir, and ye schulen seie to hym, Thi sone Joseph sendith these thingis; God hath maad me lord of al the lond of Egipt; come doun to me, and tarie not, and dwelle in the lond of Gessen;

and thou schalt be bisidis me, thou, and thi sones, and the sones of thi sones, thi scheep, and thi grete beestis, and alle thingis whiche thou weldist,

and there Y schal fede thee; for yit fyue yeer of hungur ben residue, lest bothe thou perische, and thin hows, and alle thingis whiche thou weldist.

Lo! youre iyen, and the iyen of my brother Beniamyn seen, that my mouth spekith to you;

telle ye to my fadir al my glorie, and alle thingis whiche ye sien in Egipt; haste ye, and brynge ye hym to me.

And whanne he hadde biclippid, and hadde feld in to the necke of Beniamyn, his brother, he wepte, the while also Benjamin wepte in lijk maner on the necke of Joseph.

And Joseph kisside alle hise britheren, and wepte on alle; aftir whiche thingis thei weren hardi to speke to hym.

And it was herd, and pupplischid bi famouse word in the halle of the kyng, The britheren of Joseph ben comun. And Farao ioiede, and al his meynee;

and Farao seide to Joseph, that he schulde comaunde hise britheren, and `seie, Charge youre beestis, and go ye in to the lond of Canaan,

and take ye fro thennus youre fadir, and kynrede, and come ye to me; and Y schal yyue to you alle the goodis of Egipt, that ye ete the merow of the lond.

Comaunde thou also, that thei take waynes of the lond of Egipt to the cariage of her litle children, and wyues, and seie thou, `Take ye youre fadir, and haste ye comynge soone,

nether leeue ye ony thing of the purtenaunce of youre hows, for alle the richessis of Egipt schulen be youre.

The sones of Israel diden, as it was comaundid to hem; to whiche Joseph yaf waynes, bi the comaundement of Farao, and metis in the weie;

and he comaundide twei stoolis to be brouyt forth to ech; forsothe he yaf to Beniamyn thre hundrid platis of siluer, with fyue the beste stoolis;

and sente to his fadir so myche of siluer, and of cloothis, and he addide to hem ten male assis, that schulden bere of alle richessis of Egipt, and so many femal assis, berynge wheete and looues in the weie.

Therfor he lefte hise britheren, and seide to hem goynge forth, Be ye not wrooth in the weie.

Whiche stieden fro Egipt, and camen in to the lond of Canaan, to her fadir Jacob;

and telden to hym, and seiden, Joseph, thi sone, lyueth, and he is lord in al the lond of Egipt. And whanne this was herd, Jacob wakide as of a greuouse sleep; netheles he bileuyde not to hem.

Thei telden ayenward al the ordre of the thing; and whanne Jacob hadde seyn the waynes, and alle thingis whiche Joseph hadde sent, his spirit lyuede ayen,

and he seide, It suffisith to me, if Joseph my sone lyueth yit, Y schal go and `Y schal se hym bifore that Y die.

And Israel yede forth with alle thingis that he hadde, and he cam to the pit of ooth; and whanne sacrifices weren slayn there to God of his fadir Isaac,

he herde God bi a visioun in that nyyt clepynge hym, `and seiynge to hym, Jacob! Jacob! To whom he answeride, Lo! Y am present.

God seide to hym, Y am the strongeste God of thi fadir; nyle thou drede, go doun in to Egipt, for Y schal make thee there in to a greet folk;

Y schal go doun thidir with thee, and Y schal brynge thee turnynge ayen fro thennus, and Joseph schal sette his hond on thin iyen.

Jacob roos fro the pit of ooth, and the sones token him, with her litle children, and wyues, in the waynes whiche Farao hadde sent to bere the eld man,

and alle thingis whiche he weldide in the lond of Canaan; and he cam in to Egipt with his seed,

hise sones, and her sones, and douytris, and al the generacioun togidere.

Forsothe thes ben the names of the sones of Israel, that entriden in to Egipte; he with hise fre children. The firste gendrid Ruben;

the sones of Ruben, Enoch, and Fallu, and Esrom, and Carmi.

The sones of Symeon, Jemuhel, and Jamyn, and Ahoth, and Jachyn, and Sab, and Saber, and Saul, the sone of a womman of Canaan.

The sones of Leuy, Gerson, Caath, and Merarie.

The sones of Juda, Her and Onam, and Sela, and Fares, and Zara. Forsothe Her and Onam dieden in the lond of Canaan; and the sones of Fares weren borun, Esrom, and Amul.

The sones of Isacar, Thola, and Fua, and Jobab, and Semron.

The sones of Zabulon, Sared, and Thelom, and Jahel.

These ben the sones of Lia, whiche sche childide in Mesopotanye of Sirie, with Dyna, hir douyter; alle the soules of hise sones and douytris, thre and thretti.

The sones of Gad, Sefion, and Aggi, Suny, and Hesebon, Heri, and Arodi, and Areli.