And in the .vij. pl?teous yeres they made sheves and gathered vp all the fode of the .vij. plenteous yeres which were in the lande of Egipte and put it in to the cities. And he put the food of the feldes that grewe rounde aboute euery cyte: euen in the same. And Ioseph layde vp corne in stoore/ lyke vnto the sande of the see in mult.i.tude out of mesure/ vntyll he left nombrynge: For it was with out nombre.
And vnto Ioseph were borne .ij. sonnes before the yeres of hunger came/ which Asnath the doughter of Potiphara preast of On/ bare vnto him. And he called the name of the first sonne Mana.s.se/ for G.o.d (sayde he) hath made me forgett all my laboure & all my fathers husholde. The seconde called he Ephraim/ for G.o.d (sayde he) hath caused me to growe in the lande of my trouble.
And when the .vij. yeres of plenteousnes that was in the lande of Egypte were ended/ than came the .vij. yeres of derth/ acordynge as Ioseph had sayde. And the derth was in all landes: but in the lde of Egipte was there yet foode. When now all the lande of Egipte began to hunger/ than cried the people to Pharao for bread. And Pharao sayde vnto all Egipte: goo vnto Ioseph/ and what he sayth to you that doo And when the derth was thorow out all the lande/ Ioseph opened all that was in the cities and solde vnto the Egiptis And hunger waxed sore in the land of Egipte. And all countrees came to Egipte to Ioseph for to bye corne: because that the hunger was so sore in all landes.
-- The .xlij. Chapter.
When Iacob sawe that there was corne to be solde in Egipte/ he sayde vnto his snes: why are ye negligent? beholde/ I haue hearde that there is corne to be solde in Egipte. Gete you thither and bye vs corne fr th?ce/ that we maye lyue and not dye. So went Iosephs ten brethern doune to bye corne in Egipte/ for Ben Iamin Iosephs brother wold not Iacob sende with his other brethren: for he sayde: some mysfortune myght happen him
And the sonnes of Israell came to bye corne amonge other that came/ for there was derth also in the lande of Canaan. And Ioseph was gouerner in the londe/ and solde corne to all the people of the londe.
And his brethren came/ and fell flatt on the grounde before him. When Ioseph sawe his brethern/ he knewe them: But made straunge vnto them/ and spake rughly vnto them saynge: Whence come ye? and they sayde: out of the lande of Canaan/ to bye vitayle. Ioseph knewe his brethern/ but they knewe not him.
And Ioseph remembred his dreames which he dreamed of them/ and sayde vnto them: ye are spies/ and to se where the lande is weake is youre comynge. And they sayde vnto him: nay my lorde: but to bye vitayle thy seruauntes are come. We are all one mans sonnes/ and meane truely/ and thy seruauntes are no spies. And he sayde vnto them: nay verely/ but euen to se where the land is weake is youre comynge. And they sayde: we thi seruauntes are .xij. brethern/ the sonnes of one man in the lande of Canaan. The yongest is yet with oure father/ and one no man woteth where he is.
Ioseph sayde vnto them/ that is it that I sayde vnto you/ that ye are surelye spies. Here by ye shall be proued. For by the lyfe of Pharao/ ye shall not goo hence/ vntyll youre yongest brother be come hither.
Sende therfore one off you and lett him fett youre brother/ and ye shalbe in preason in the meane season. And thereby shall youre wordes be proued/ whether there be any trueth in you: or els by the lyfe of Pharao/ ye are but spies. And he put them in warde thre dayes.
And Ioseph sayde vnto th? the thyrd daye: This doo and lyue/ for I feare G.o.de Yf ye meane no hurte/ let one of youre brethern be bounde in the preason/ and goo ye and brynge the necessarie foode vnto youre housholdes/ and brynge youre yongest brother vnto me: that youre wordes maye be beleved/ d that ye dye not And they did so.
Than they sayde one to a nother: we haue verely synned agaynst oure brother/ in that we sawe the anguysh of his soull when he besought us/ & wold not heare him: therfore is this troubyll come apon us. Ruben answered th? saynge: sayde I not vnto you that ye shulde not synne agaynst the lad? but ye wolde not heare And now verely see/ his bloude is requyred.
They were not aware that Ioseph vnderstode them/ for he spake vnto them by an interpreter. And he turned from them and wepte/ and than turned to them agayne d comened with them/ and toke out Simeon from amonge th? and bownde him before their eyes/ d commaunded to fyll their sackes wyth corne/ and to put euery mans money in his sacke/ and to geue them vitayle to spende by the waye. And so it was done to them.
And they laded their a.s.ses with the corne and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sacke/ for to geue his a.s.se prauender in the Inne/ he spied his money in his sacks mouth And he sayde vnto his brethren: my money is restored me agayne/ & is eu? in my sackes mouth Than their hartes fayled them/ and were astoynyed and sayde one to a nother: how cometh it that G.o.d dealeth thus with us?
And they came vnto Iacob their father vnto the lande of Canaan/ and tolde him all that had happened them saynge. The lorde of the lde spake rughly to us/ and toke us for spyes to serche the countre. And we sayde vnto him: we meane truely and are no spies. We be .xij.
brethren snes of oure father/ one is awaye/ and the yongest is now with oure father in the lande of Canaan.
And the lorde of the countre sayde vnto us: hereby shall I knowe yf ye meane truely: leaue one of youre brethern here with me/ and take foode necessary for youre housholdes and get you awaye/ and brynge youre yongest brother vnto me And thereby shall I knowe that ye are no spyes/ but meane truely: So will I delyuer you youre brother agayne/ and ye shall occupie in the lande.
And as they emptied their sackes/ beholde: euerymans bundell of money was in his sacke And when both they and their father sawe the bundells of money/ they were afrayde.
And Iacob their father sayde vnto them: Me haue ye robbed of my childern: Ioseph is away/ and Simeon is awaye/ and ye will take Ben Iamin awaye. All these thinges fall vpon me. Ruben answered his father saynge: Slee my two sonnes/ yf I bringe him not to the agayne. Delyuer him therfore to my honde/ and I will brynge him to the agayne: And he sayde: my sonne shall not go downe with you. For his brother is dead/ and he is left alone Moreouer some mysfortune myght happen vpon him by the waye which ye goo. And so shuld ye brynge my gray head with sorowe vnto the graue.
-- The .xliij. Chapter.
And the derth waxed sore in the lande. And when they had eate vp that corne which they brought out of the lande of Egipte/ their father sayde vnto them: goo agayne and by vs a litle food. Than sayde Iuda vnto him: the man dyd testifie vnto vs saynge: loke that ye see not my face excepte youre brother be with you. Therfore yf thou wilt sende oure brother with vs/ we wyll goo and bye the food. But yf thou wylt not sende him/ we wyll not goo: for the man sayde vnto vs: loke that ye see not my face/ excepte youre brother be with you.
And Israell sayde: wherfore delt ye so cruelly with me/ as to tell the man that ye had yet another brother? And they sayde: The man asked vs of oure kynred saynge: is youre father yet alyue? haue ye not another brother? And we tolde him acordynge to these wordes. How cowd we knowe that he wolde byd vs brynge oure brother downe with vs? Than sayde Iuda vnto Israell his father: Send the lad with me/ and we wyll ryse and goo/ that we maye lyue and not dye: both we/ thou and also oure childern. I wilbe suertie for him/ and of my handes requyre him. Yf I brynge him not to the and sett him before thine eyes/ than let me bere the blame for euer. For except we had made this tari?g: by this we had bene there twyse and come agayne.
Than their father Israel sayde vnto th?: Yf it must nedes be so now: than do thus/ take of the best frutes of the lande in youre vesselles/ and brynge the man a present/ a curtesie bawlme/ and a curtesie of hony/ spyces and myrre/ dates and almondes. And take as moch money more with you. And the money that was brought agayne in youre sackes/ take it agayne with you in youre handes/ peraduenture it was some ouersyghte.
Take also youre brother with you/ and aryse and goo agayne to the man.
And G.o.d almightie geue you mercie in the sighte of the man and send you youre other brother and also B? Iamin/ and I wilbe as a m robbed of his childern.
Thus toke they the present and twise so moch more money with them/ and Ben Iamim. And rose vp/ went downe to Egipte/ and presented them selfe to Ioseph. When Ioseph sawe Ben Iamin with them/ he sayde to the ruelar of his house: brynge these men home/ and sley and make redie: for they shall dyne with me at none. And the man dyd as Ioseph bad/ and brought them in to Iosephs house.
When they were brought to Iosephs house/ they were afrayde d sayde: be cause of the money y^t came in oure sackes mouthes at the first tyme/ are we brought/ to pyke a quarell with vs & to laye some thinge to oure charge: to brynge us in bondage and oure a.s.ses also. Therfore came they to the man that was the ruelar ouer Iosephs house/ and comened with him at the doore and sayde:
Sir/ we came hither at the first tyme to bye foode/ and as we came to an Inne and opened oure sackes: beholde/ euery mannes money was in his sacke with full weghte: But we haue broght it agene with us/ & other mony haue we brought also in oure handes/ to bye foode/ but we can not tell who put oure money in oure sackes.
And he sayde: be of good chere/ feare not: Youre G.o.d and the G.o.d of youre fathers hath put you that treasure in youre sackes/ for I had youre money. And he brought Simeon out to them d led th? in to Iosephs house/ and gaue th? water to washe their fete/ and gaue their a.s.ses prauender: And they made redie their present agaynst Ioseph came at none/ for they herde saye that they shulde dyne there.
When Ioseph came home/ they brought the present in to the house to him/ which they had in their handes/ d fell flat on the grounde befor him. And he welcomed th? curteously sainge: is youre father that old man which ye tolde me of/ in good health? and is he yet alyue? they answered: thy servaunte oure father is in good health/ d is yet alyue. And they bowed them selues and fell to the grounde.
And he lyfte vp his eyes & behelde his brother Ben Iamin his mothers sonne/ & sayde: is this youre yongest brother of whome ye sayde vnto me? And sayde: G.o.d be mercyfull vnto y^e my sonne. And Ioseph made hast (for his hert dyd melt apon his brother) and soughte for to wepe/ & entred in to his chambre/ for to wepe there. And he wa.s.shed his face and came out & refrayned himselfe/ & had sett bread on the table
And they prepared for him by himselfe/ and for them by them selues/ and for the Egiptians which ate with him by them selues/ because the Egyptians may not eate bread with the Hebrues/ for that is an abhomynacyon vnto the Egiptians. And they satt before him: the eldest acordynge vnto his age/ and the yongest acordyng vnto his youth. And the men marveled amonge them selves. And they broughte rewardes vnto them from before him: but Ben Iamins parte was fyue tymes so moch as any of theirs. And they ate and they dronke/ and were dronke wyth him.
The .xliiij. Chapter.
And he commaunded the rueler of his house saynge: fyll the mens sackes with food/ as moch as they can carie/ and put euery mans money in his bagge mouth/ and put my syluer cuppe in the sackes mouth of the yongest and his corne money also. And he dyd as Ioseph had sayde. And in y^e mornynge as soone as it was lighte/ the m? were let goo with their a.s.ses.
And when they were out of the cytie and not yet ferre awaye/ Ioseph sayde vnto the ruelar of his house: vp and folowe after the men and ouertake them/ and saye vnto them: wherfore haue ye rewarded euell for good? is that not the cuppe of which my lorde drynketh/ d doth he not prophesie therin? ye haue euell done that ye haue done.
And he ouertoke them and sayde the same wordes vnto them. And they answered him: wherfore sayth my lorde soch wordes? G.o.d forbydd that thy servauntes shulde doo so. Beholde/ the money which we founde in oure sackes mouthes/ we brought agayne vnto the/ out of the lande of Cana: how then shulde we steale out of my lordes house/ ether syluer or golde: with whosoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde let him dye/ and let vs also be my lordes bondmen. And he sayde: Now therfore acordynge vnto youre woordes/ he with whom it is found/ shalbe my seruaunte: but ye/ shalbe harmelesse.
And attonce euery man toke downe his sacke to the grounde/ d every man opened his sacke. And he serched/ and began at the eldest & left at the yongest. And the cuppe was founde in Ben Iamins sacke. Then they rent their clothes/ and laded euery man his a.s.se and went agayne vnto the cytie. And Iuda and his brethr? came to Iosephs house/ for he was yet there/ d they fell before him on the grounde. And Ioseph sayde vnto th?: what dede is this which ye haue done? wist ye not that soch a man as I can prophesie?
Then sayde Iuda: what shall we saye vnto my lorde/ what shall we speake or what excuse can we make? G.o.d hath founde out y^e wekednesse of thy seruauntes. Beholde/ both we and he with whom the cuppe is founde/ are thy seruauntes. And he answered: G.o.d forbyd y^t I shulde do so/ the man with whom the cuppe is founde/ he shalbe my seruaunte: but goo ye in peace vn to youre father.
Then Iuda went vnto him and sayde: oh my lorde/ let thy servante speake a worde in my lordes audyence/ and be not wrooth with thi servaunte: for thou art euen as Pharao. My lorde axed his seruaunte sainge: haue ye a father or a brother? And we answered my lord/ we haue a father that is old/ and a yonge lad which he begat in his age: d the brother of the sayde lad is dead/ & he is all that is left of that mother. And his father loueth him.
Then sayde my lorde vnto his seruauntes brynge him vnto me/ that I maye sett myne eyes apon him. And we answered my lorde/ that the lad coude not goo from his father/ for if he shulde leaue his father/ he were but a deed man. Than saydest thou vnto thy servauntes: excepte youre yongest brother come with you/ loke that ye se my face no moare.
And when we came vnto thy servaunt oure father/ we shewed him what my lorde had sayde. And when oure father sayde vnto vs/ goo agayne and bye vs a litle fode: we sayd/ y^t we coude not goo. Neverthelesse if oure youngeste brother go with vs then will we goo/ for we maye not see the mannes face/ excepte oure yongest brother be with vs. Then sayde thy servaunt oure father vnto vs. Ye knowe that my wyfe bare me .ij. sonnes. And the one went out from me and it is sayde of a suertie that he is torne in peaces of wyld beastes/ and I sawe him not sence.
Yf ye shall take this also awaye fr me and some mysfortune happen apon him/ then shall ye brynge my gray heed with sorow vnto the grave.
Now therfore wh? I come to thy servaunt my father/ yf the lad be not with me: seinge that his lyfe hgeth by the laddes lyfe/ then as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come/ he will dye. So shall we thy servautes brynge the gray hedde of thy servaunt oure father with sorow vnto the grave. For I thy servaunt became suertie for the lad vnto my father & sayde: yf I bringe him not vnto the agayne. I will bere the blame all my life lge. Now therfore let me thy servaunt byde here for y^e lad/ & be my lordes bondman: & let the lad goo home with his brethern. For how can I goo vnto my father/ and the lad not wyth me: lest I shulde see the wretchednes that shall come on my father.
The .xlv. Chapter.
And Ioseph coude no longer refrayne before all them that stode aboute him/ but commaunded that they shuld goo all out from him/ and that there shuld be no man with him/ whyle he vttred him selfe vnto his brethern. And he wepte alowde/ so that the Egiptians and the house of Pharao herde it. And he sayde vnto his brethern: I am Ioseph: doth my father yet lyue? But his brethern coude not answere him/ for they were aba.s.shed at his presence.