Genesis · Chapter 41

[ edit] After two ȝeer Pharao ſawe a ſweuen; he trowide him to ſtonde vpon a flood, of þe which ſteyden vp ſeuene fayre oxen and ful fatte, and þei weren fed in merſhi places; and oþer ſeuene out comen of þe flood, fowle and al ouercomen wiþ leeneſſe, and þei weren fedde in þe brenke of þe flood, in mooſt plenteuows grene places; and þei deuouriden hem of whom was merueilows fayrnes and proporcioun of bodies. Pharao wakned, ſlepte eftſones, and ſawȝ anoþer ſweuen; ſeuene eerys buriounde in o ſtalk and ful fayr, and oþer as feel eerys, þinne and ſmytun wiþ meldew, weren growun, deuowrynge al þe fayrnes of þe firſt.

Pharao, a wakynge after reſte, and þe morwetide bigunne, feerd for drede, ſente to alle þe reders of Egepte, and to all þe wiſe men, and hem clepid to, tolde þe ſweuen, and þere was not þat vndide it. Þanne at þe laſt þe maiſter of botlers remembrynge, ſeiþ, I knowleche my ſynne; þe king wroþ to his ſeruauntis, me and þe mayſter of bakers comaundid to be put in priſoun of þe prince of knyȝtis, where eiþer o nyȝt ſeen a ſweuen, bifore ſhewynge of þingis þat ben to comun.

Þere was a ſeruant, Hebrew childe, of þe ſame duke of knyȝtis, to whom tellynge þe ſweuenes, we herden alle þingis þat afterward þe oute comyng of þe þing proued; forſoþe Y am ȝoldun aȝen to myn office, and he was hongid in þe croſſe. Anoon þei doddiden Joſeph lad out of þe priſoun, at þe maundement of þe kyng, and wiþ chaungid cloþing offreden to hym. To whom he ſeiþ, I ſawȝ ſweuens, ne þere is þat opniþ, þe which I haue herd þe mooſt wiſeli to caſte. Joſeph anſwerde, God wiþ outen me ſhal anſwere welſum þingis to Pharao.

Þanne Pharao tolde þat he ſawȝ; I wende me to ſtonde vpon þe brynk of þe flood, and ſeuen oxen fro þe flood togideres ſteyden vp, ful greetli fayr and þurȝ oute wiþ fatt fleiſh, þe whiche in þe paſture of merſhe þe grene leſwis cheſeden; and loo! þes folweden oþer ſeuen oxen, in as myche defourme and leene, þat neuer ſiche in þe loond of Egipte Y ſawȝ; þe whiche þe raþer deuowrid and waſtid, no merke of fulfedyng ȝouun, but wiþ þe ſame leeneſſe and foulnes þei dwelten.

A wakynge, eftſones born doun wiþ ſleepe, I ſawȝ a ſweuen; ſeuene eeris buriounde in o ſtalk, ful and mooſt fayr, and oþer ſeuen, þinne and ſmytun wiþ a brennynge blaſte, growiden of þe ſtalk, þe whiche deuowreden þe fayrnes of þe raþer. I haue tolde to þe reders þe ſweuen, and no man is þat out openiþ. Joſeph anſweride, Þe ſweuen of þe kyng is oon; þe þingis þat God is to do he ſhewede to Pharao.

Seuen oxen fayr, and ſeuen eerys fulle, ſeuen ȝeris of plentiþ ben, and þe ſame ſtrengþe of ſweuen holdun; and þe ſeuen oxen þinne and leene, þe whiche ſteyden after hem, and ſeuen eeris þinne and ſmytun wiþ a brennynge wynde, ſeuen ȝeris ben of hungur to comen, þe whiche bi þis ordre ſhulen be fulfillid. Loo! ſeuen ȝeres ſhulen come of greet plente in al þe loond of Egipte, whom ſhulen folwe oþere ſeuen ȝeer of as greet bareynes, þat to forgetyng be takun al þe bihynd plenteþnes; forſoþe to waſte is hungur al þe erþe, and þe greetnes of myſeys is to ſpille þe greetnes of plentiþe.

Þat forſoþe þow haſt ſeyn ſecoundli a ſweuen perteynyng to þe ſame þing, ſhewyng is of faſtneſſe, þerþurȝ þat þe worde of God be doon, and ſwiftloker be fulfild. Now þanne puruey þe kyng a wiſe man and a redi, and bifore maak hym to þe loond of Egipte, þe which ordeyn proueſtis þoruȝ out alle regiouns, and þe fifte part of fruytis þurȝ out þe ſeuen ȝeer of plenteþ, þat now ben to comen, now geder he in to þe beernes; and al þe wheet be leide vndur þe power of Pharao, and be kepte in þe cytee, and be bifore made redi to þe hungur to come of þe ſeuen ȝeer, þe which is to oppreſſe Egipte, and þe loond be not conſumed wiþ myſchef.

Þe counſeil pleſide to Pharao, and to alle þe mynyſtris of hym, and he ſpake to hem, We mowen not fynde ſuch a man þe which be ful of þe ſpiryt of God. Þanne he ſeide to Joſeph, For God haþ ſhewed to þee alle þingis þat þow haſt ſpokun, wheþer a wiſer or a liyk to þee fynde Y may? Þow ſhalt be vpon myn hows, and at þe maundement of þi mouþ al þe puple ſhal obeiſhe; in o þing oonli in dignyte of þe rewme þee Y ſhal go bifore. And eft Pharao ſeide to Joſeph, Loo! Y haue ordeynyde þee vpon al þe loond of Egipte.

And he took a ryng of his hoond, and ȝaue hym in his hoond, and he cloþide hym a ſtool of biys, and putte aboute his necke a goldun beeȝe, and made him ſteyȝ vpon his ſecound chaar, criynge a bedel, þat alle men ſhulden bifore hym knele, and þei ſhulden wite hym to be proueſt to al þe loond of Egipte. And þe kyng ſeide to Joſeph, I am Pharao, wiþ outen þi maundement ſhal not eny man meue hoond or foot in þe loond of Egipte. And he turnede þe name of hym, and he clepide hym in Egipcian tunge, þe ſaueor of þe world; and he ȝaue to hym a wijf, Aſenech, þe dowȝter of Putifar, preeſt of Helyopoleos.

And ſo Joſeph, goon oute to þe loond of Egipte, forſoþe was of þritti wynter whanne he ſtode in þe ſiȝt of kyng Pharao, and he ȝede aboute alle þe regiouns of Egipte. And plentiþnes cam of þe ſeuen ȝeer, and þe cornes maad into handfullis ben gederyd into beernes of Egipte, and al þe plentiþ of fruytis in alle þe citees was leide to kepe, and þe plentiþe of wheet was ſo myche, þat to þe grauel of þe ſee it was meſurid euen, and þe plentiþ paſſide meſure. To Joſeph forſoþe weren borne two ſones bifore þat þe hunger cam, whom to him bare Aſenech, þe dowȝter of Putifar, preeſt of Helyopoleos.

And he clepide þe name of þe firſt gotun Manaſſes, ſeiynge, God haþ maad me to forȝete alle my trauayls, and þe hows of my fader; and þe name of þe ſecounde he clepide Effraym, ſeiynge, God haþ maad me growe in þe loond of my pornes. Þanne ouerpaſſed ſeuen ȝeer of plentiþe þat weren in Egipte, bigunne to come to þe ſeuen ȝeer of meſeys, whom Joſeph ſeyde byfore, and in al þe world hungur wex greet; alſo in al þe loond of Egipte was hungur; þe which hungring, þe peple cryede to Pharao, aſkynge lyuelod, to whom he anſweride, Goþ to Joſeph, and what euere he ſhal ſeye to ȝow, doþ.

Forſoþe ech day hungur encreſide in al þe loond, and Joſeph openyde alle þe beernes, and ſolde to Egipcyens, for and hem oppreſſide hungur; and alle þe prouynces camen into Egipte, þat þei myȝten bigge meetis and þe yuel of myſeis ſwagen.