3 And he sente hem in to the prisoun of the prince of knyytis, in which also Joseph was boundun.
4 And the keper of the prisoun bitook hem to Joseph, which also `mynystride to hem. Sumdel of tyme passide, and thei weren hooldun in kepyng, and bothe sien a dreem in o nyyt,
5 bi couenable expownyng to hem.
6 And whanne Joseph hadde entrid to hem eerli, and hadde seyn hem sori,
7 he axide hem, and seide, Whi is youre `face soriere to dai than it ys wont?
8 Whiche answeriden, We seiyen a dreem, and `noon is that expowneth to vs. And Joseph seide to hem, Whether expownyng is not of God? Telle ye to me what ye han seyn.
9 The `souereyn of boteleris telde first his dreem; Y seiy that a vyne bifore me,
10 in which weren thre siouns, wexide litil and litil in to buriounnyngis, and that aftir flouris grapys wexiden ripe,
11 and the cuppe of Farao was in myn hond; therfor Y took the grapis, and presside out in to the cuppe which Y helde, and Y yaf drynk to Farao.
12 Joseph answerde, This is the expownyng of the dreem; thre siouns ben yit thre daies,
13 aftir whiche Farao schal haue mynde of thi seruyce, and he schal restore thee in to the firste degree, and thou schal yyue to hym the cuppe, bi thin office, as thou were wont to do bifore.
14 Oneli haue thou mynde on me, whanne it is wel to thee, and thou schalt do merci with me, that thou make suggestioun to Farao, that he lede me out of this prisoun;
15 for theefli Y am takun awei fro the lond of Ebrews, and here Y am sent innocent in to prisoun.
16 The `maister of bakeris seiye that Joseph hadde expowned prudentli the dreem, and he seide, And Y seiy a dreem, that Y hadde thre panyeris of mele on myn heed,
17 and Y gesside that Y bar in o panyere, that was heiyere, alle metis that ben maad bi craft of bakers, and that briddis eeten therof.
18 Joseph answerde, This is the expownyng of the dreem; thre panyeris ben yit thre daies,
19 aftir whiche Farao schal take awei thin heed, and he schal hange thee in a cros, and briddis schulen todrawe thi fleischis.
20 Fro thennus the thridde dai was the dai of birthe of Farao, which made a greet feeste to hise children, and hadde mynde among metis on the maistir `of boteleris, and on the prince of bakeris;
21 and he restoride the oon in to his place, that he schulde dresse cuppe to `the kyng,
22 and he hangide `the tothir in a gebat, that the treuthe of `the expownere schulde be preued.
23 And netheles whanne prosperitees bifelden, the `souereyn of boteleris foryat `his expownere.
Chapter 41
1 Aftir twei yeer Farao seiy a dreem; he gesside that he stood on a flood,
2 fro which seuene faire kiyn and ful fatte stieden, and weren fed in the places of mareis;
3 and othere seuene, foule and leene, camen out of the flood, and weren fed in thilk brenke of the watir, in grene places;
4 and tho deuoureden thilke kien of whiche the fairnesse and comelynesse of bodies was wondurful.
5 Farao wakide, and slepte eft, and seiy another dreem; seuen eeris of corn ful and faire camen forth in o stalke,
6 and othere as many eeris of corn, thinne and smytun with corrupcioun of brennynge wynd,
7 camen forth, deuourynge al the fairenesse of the firste. Farao wakide aftir reste,
8 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.
9 Thanne at the laste the maistir `of boteleris bithouyte, and seide, Y knowleche my synne;
10 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,
11 where we bothe saien a dreem in o nyyt, biforeschewynge of thingis to comynge.
12 An Ebrew child, seruaunt of the same duk of knyytis was there, to whom we telden the dremes,
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.
16 Joseph answerde, With out me, God schal answere prosperitees to Farao.
17 Therfor Farao telde that that he seiy; Y gesside that Y stood on the brenke of the flood,
18 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;
19 and lo! seuene othere kiyn, so foule and leene, sueden these, that Y seiy neuere siche in the lond of Egipt;
20 and whanne the formere kien weren deuourid and wastid, tho secounde yauen no steppe of fulnesse,
21 but weren slowe bi lijk leenesse and palenesse. I wakide, and eft Y was oppressid bi sleep, and Y seiy a dreem;
22 seuene eeris of corn, ful and faireste, camen forth in o stalke,
23 and othere seuene, thinne and smytun with `corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, camen forth of the stobil,
24 whiche deuouriden the fairenesse of the formere;
25 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.
26 Seuene faire kiyn, and seuene ful eeris of corn, ben seuene yeeris of plentee, and tho comprehenden the same strengthe of dreem;
27 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,
28 whiche schulen be fillid bi this ordre.
29 Lo! seuene yeer of greet plentee in al the lond of Egipt schulen come,
30 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,
31 and the greetnesse of pouert schal leese the greetnesse of plentee.
32 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.
33 Now therfor puruey the kyng a wijs man and a redi, and make the kyng hym souereyn to the lond of Egipt,
34 which man ordeyne gouernouris bi alle cuntreis, and gadere he in to