35 that schulen come now; and al the wheete be kept vndur the power of Farao [1] , and be it kept in citees,
36 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.
37 The counsel pleside Farao,
38 and alle his mynystris, and he spak to hem, Wher we moun fynde sich a man which is ful of Goddis spirit?
39 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?
40 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.
41 And eft Farao seide to Joseph, Lo! Y haue ordeyned thee on al the lond of Egipt.
42 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;
43 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.
44 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.
45 And he turnede the name of Joseph, and clepide him bi Egipcian langage, the sauyour [2] 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.
46 Forsothe Joseph was of thretti yeer, whanne he stood in the siyt of kyng Farao, and cumpasside alle the cuntreis of Egipt.
47 And the plente of seuene yeer cam, and ripe corn weren bounden into handfuls, and weren gaderid into the bernys of Egipt,
48 also al the aboundaunce of cornes weren kept in alle citeis,
49 and so greet aboundaunce was of wheete, that it was maad euene to the grauel of the see, and the plente passide mesure.
50 Sotheli twei sones were born to Joseph bifor that the hungur came, whiche Asenech, douytir of Putifar, preest of Heliopoleos, childide to hym.
51 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;
52 and he clepide the name of the secunde sone Effraym, and seide, God hath maad me to encreesse in the lond of my pouert.
53 Therfor whanne seuene yeer of plentee that weren in Egipt weren passid,
54 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;
55 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.
56 Forsothe hungur encreesside ech dai in al the lond, and Joseph openyde alle the bernys, and seelde to Egipcians, for also hungur oppresside hem;
57 and alle prouynces camen in to Egipt to bie metis, and to abate the yuel of nedynesse.
1 ↑ [Note: that is, not bi violence nether bi fre yifte, but bi biyng and paiyng of priys.]
2 ↑ [Note: In Ebrew it is schewinge priuitees, as Jerom and Lire here seyen.]
Chapter 42
1 Forsothe Jacob herde that foodis weren seeld in Egipt, and he seide to hise sones, Whi ben ye necgligent?
2 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.
3 Therfor ten britheren of Joseph yeden doun to bie wheete in Egipt,
4 and Beniamyn was withholdun of Jacob at hoome, that seide to hise britheren, Lest perauenture in the weie he suffre ony yuel.
5 Sotheli thei entriden in to the lond of Egipt, with othere men that yeden to bie; forsothe hungur was in the lond of Canaan.
6 And Joseph was prince of Egipt, and at his wille whetis weren seeld to puplis. And whanne hise britheren hadden worschipid hym,
7 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.
8 And netheles he knewe the britheren, and he was not knowun of hem,
9 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.
10 Whiche seiden, Lord, it is not so, but thi seruauntis camen to bie metis;
11 alle we ben the sones of o man, we comen pesible, and thi seruauntis ymaginen not ony yuel.
12 To `whiche he answeride, It is in other maner, ye camen to se the feble thingis of the lond.
13 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.
14 This it is, he seide, that Y spak to you,
15 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,
16 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.
17 Therfor he bitook hem to kepyng thre daies; sotheli in the thridde dai,
18 whanne thei weren led out of prisoun, he seide, Do ye that that Y seide, and ye schulen lyue, for Y drede God;
19 if ye ben pesible, o brother of you be boundun in prisoun; forsothe go ye, and bere wheetis, whiche ye bouyten,
20 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,
21 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.
22 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.
23 Sotheli thei wisten not that Joseph vndirstood, for he spak to hem by interpretour.
24 And he turnede awei hym silf a litil and wepte; and he turnede ayen, and spak to hem.
25 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.
26 And thei `baren wetis on her assis, and yeden forth,
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