Genesis · Chapter 37

[ edit] Jacob forſoþe dwelte in þe loond of Chanaan, in þe which his fader pilgrimagide; and þes ben þe generaciouns of hym. Joſeph whanne he was of ſextene ȝeer fedde a flok wiþ his breþeren, ȝit a childe, and he was wiþ þe ſones of Bale and of Zelphe, wyues of his fader; and he accuſide his breþeren anentis þe fader of þe werſt ſynne. Yrael forſoþe louede Joſeph ouer alle his ſones, þerþurȝ þat in elde he hadde getun hym; and he made hym a coote of dyuerſe colours. And þe breþeren of hym ſeynge þat of þe fader more þan alle þe ſones was loued, hatiden hym, and myȝten not to hym eny þing peſebli ſpeken.

And it felle, þat a ſeen ſweuen he tolde to his briþeren, þe which cauſe was ſeed of more haat. And Joſeph ſeide to his briþeren, Here ȝe my ſweuen þat Y ſawȝ, I wenede vs to bynden hondfullis in þe feelde, and myn hondful as to ryſe, and ſtonde, and ȝoure hondfullis ſtondynge al aboute to loute myn hondful. And þe briþeren of hym anſweriden, Wheþer þow ſhalt be oure kyng, oiþer we ſhal be vndirloute to þi bidding? Þis þanne cauſe of ſweuenes and of wordis mynyſtride noriſhynge of enuye and of haate. And anoþer ſweuen he ſawȝ, þat tellynge to his briþeren, ſeiþ, I ſawe bi dreem as þe ſunne, and þe mone, and þe elleuen ſterrys to lowtun me.

Þat whan to his fader and briþeren he hadde tolde, blamede hym his fader, and ſeide, What to it ſilf wole þis ſweuen þat þow haſt ſeen? Wheþer Y, and þi moder, and þi briþeren ſhulen lowt þee vpon erþe? Þanne enuyeden to hym his briþeren. Þe fader forſoþe þe þing ſtilli bihelde, and whanne þe briþeren of hym in þe flockis of þe fader to ben fedde dwelliden in Sichem, Yrael ſeide to hym, Þi briþeren feden ſheep in Sichemys; come, Y ſhal ſende þee to hem. Who anſwerynge, Y am redi, he ſeiþ, Go, and ſe if alle þingis be welſum anentis þi briþeren, and beeſtis, and aȝen tel þow to me what is doon.

He, ſent fro þe valey of Ebron, cam into Sichym; and a man fonde hym in þe feelde errynge, and aſkide, what he ſouȝte. And he anſweride, My breþeren Y ſeche, ſhew þow to me where þei feden þe flockis. And þe man ſeide to hym, Þei wenten a wey fro þis place, forſoþe I herde hem ſeiynge, Go we into Doþaym. And Joſeph ȝede after his briþeren, and fonde hem in Doþaym. Þe whiche whanne þei ſeyen hym a ferre, or he neiȝede to hem, þouȝten to ſleen hym, and togidere þei ſpeken, Loo! þe dremer comeþ, go we, and ſle we hym, and putte we hym in an olde ſiſtern, and we ſhulen ſeye, Þe werſt wiylde beeſt haþ deuowrid hym; and þanne it ſhal apere what profiten to hym hys dremes.

Þes þingis forſoþe herynge Ruben, enforſide to delyuere hym of þe hondis of hem, and ſeide, Slee we not þe lijf of hym, ne ſhede we blood, but þrow ȝe him into þe olde ſiſterne, þat is in wildernes, and kepe ȝe ȝoure hondes vngilti. Þat forſoþe he ſeide, wilnynge to delyuer hym fro þe hondes of hem, and to ȝelde to his fader. Þanne anoon as he cam to his briþeren, þei nakiden hym þe ſide coote to þe hele, and of manye colowrs, and puttiden into an olde ſiſterne, þat hadde no watyr. And ſittynge for to eet breed, þei ſeen Yſmaelitis weiegoers to comen fro Galaad, and camels of hem berynge ſwete ſpyces, and ſwete gumme, and myrre, into Egipte.

Þanne Judas ſeide to his briþeren, What ſhal it profit vs if we ſleen oure broþer, and we hiden þe blood of hym? It is betere þat he be ſold to Iſmaelitis, and our hondes ben not defoulid; forſoþe þe broþer and oure fleſh he is. Þe briþeren aſſentiden to þes wordes; and þe marchaundes Madyanytes goynge biſides, þei, drawynge hym oute of þe ſiſterne, ſolden hym to Yſmaelytis for þretti ſiluer pens; þe whiche ladden hym into Egipte. And Ruben turned aȝen to þe ſiſterne, fonde not þe child; and þe cloþis to-rent, goynge to his breþeren, ſeiþ, Þe childe not aperiþ, and whider Y ſhal go?

Forſoþe þei token þe coote of hym, and in þe blood of a kyde þat þei hadden ſlayn ſteyneden; þe which ſendynge ſhulden bere to fader, and ſeyn, Þis we han foundun, loke wheþer þe coote of þi ſone it be or noon. Þe which whanne þe fader knowiþ, ſeiþ, Þe coote of my ſone it is, þe mooſt yuel wiylde beeſt haþ etun hym, a beeſt haþ deuowrid Joſeph. And þe cloþis to-rent, was cloþid wiþ an heyr, weilynge his ſone myche tyme. And alle his free children gedered to gideres, þat þei myȝten ſwage þe ſorow of þe fader, he nolde coumfortyng take, but ſeiþ, Y ſhal deſcende to my ſone weilynge into helle.

And hym ſtedfaſtli dwellynge in wepyng, Madenytis ſolden Joſeph in Egepte, to Putiphar, þe geldyng of Pharao, þe mayſter of chyualrye.