Genesis · Chapter 39

[ edit] Thanne Joſeph was lad into Egepte, and bouȝt hym Putiphar, þe geldyng of Pharao, þe prince of his ooſt Egipcien, fro þe hondis of Iſmaelitis, of whiche he was brouȝt. And þe Lord was wiþ him, and he was a man in alle þingis welſumly doynge. And he dwellide in þe hows of his lord, þe which alþerbeſt knewe þe Lord to be wiþ hym, and alle þingis þat he ſhulde doon, of hym to be greiþid in þe hoond of hym. And Joſeph fonde grace bifore his lord, and mynyſtride to hym, of whom bifore putte to alle þingis, gouernede þe hows takun to hym, and alle þingis þat to hym weren bitauȝt.

And þe Lord bliſſide to þe hows of þe Egipcyen for Joſeph, and multipliede, as wel in howſys as in feeldis, al þe ſubſtaunce of hym; ne eny þing oþer knewe but þe breed þat he eete. And Joſeph was fayr in face, and ſeemly in ſiȝt. And ſo after many dayes þe ladi keſte hir eyen in Joſeph, and ſeiþ, Sleep wiþ me; þe which not aſſentynge to þe ſhrewid dede, ſeide to hir, Loo! my lord alle þingis to me takun, vnknowiþ what he haþ in his hows, ne eny þing is, þat is not in my power, or haþ not takun to me, ſaue þee, þat art þe wijf of hym; how þanne may Y þat yuel don, and ſynne in my God?

Wiþ ſiche maner wordis bi alle daies þei ſpeken, and þe womman was greuyd to þe ȝonge man, and he refuſide þe hordom. It felle forſoþe a day, þat Joſeph ſhulde goo into þe hows, and ſumwhat of werk he ſhulde do wiþ outen witneſſis. And ſhe, þe hemme takun of þe cloþing of hym, ſhulde ſeye, Slep wiþ me; þe which, forſakun þe mantil in þe honde of hir, fleiȝ, and ȝede oute.

And whanne þe womman hadde ſeen þe cloþ in hir hondes, and hir to be diſpiſid, clepide to hir men of hir hows, and ſeide to hem, Loo! he haþ brouȝt yn an Ebrew man, þat he ſhulde bigile vs; he was comun yn to me, þat he ſhulde togidere goo wiþ me, and whanne Y hadde vndercried, and he herde my voys, he forſoke þe mantil þat I heelde, and fleiȝ out. Þanne in argument of bileue, þe holdun mantil ſhe ſhewide to þe houſbonde turnynge aȝen hoom. And ſeiþ, To me is comun yn an Ebrew ſeruaunt, whom þow hidir brouȝtiſt, þat he ſhulde bigijl me; and whanne he hadde ſeen me to crye, he forſoke þe mantil þat I heelde, and fleiȝ out.

Þes þingis herd, and þe lord to mych leueful to þe wordis of þe wijf, was ful wroþ; and toke Joſeph into pryſoun, where þe gyued men of þe kyng weren kept, and he was þere cloſid. Þe Lord forſoþe was wiþ Joſeph, and hauynge rewþe of hym, ȝaue to hym grace in þe ſiȝt of þe prince of þe pryſoun, þe which toke in þe hond of him alle þe gyued men þat weren holdun in kepyng, and what þing was doon was vndur hym, ne he knewe eny þing, alle þingis takun to hym; þe Lord forſoþe was wiþ hym, and made redi alle þe werkys of hym.