Genesis · Chapter 42

[ edit] Jacob forſoþe herynge þat lyuelodes weren ſolde in Egipte, ſeide to his ſones, Whi ben ȝe necgligent? I haue herd þat wheet is ſolde in Egipte, deſcende ȝe, and biggiþ to vs nedeful þingis, þat we mowen lyue, and we ben not conſumed wiþ myſeys. Þanne deſcendynge þe ten briþeren of Joſeph þat þei myȝten bigge whete in Egipte, Beniamyn wiþholdun at home of Jacob, þe which ſeide to þe briþeren of hym, Leſt perauenture in þe weye eny þing he ſuffre of yuel. Þei ben goon into þe loond of Egipte, wiþ oþere þat ȝeden to bigge; forſoþe þere was hungur in þe loond of Chanaan. And Joſeph was prince of Egipte, and at his bikenyng whete cornes weren ſolde to þe peplis.

And whanne his briþeren hadden lowtid him, and he knewe hem, as to aliens harder he ſpak, aſkynge hem, Whens cam ȝe? Þe which anſweryden, Fro þe loond of Chanaan, þat we biggen nedeful þingis to oure lyuelod. And neuerþelater he þe briþeren knowinge is not knowun of hem, and recordid of þe ſweuen þat ſumtyme he ſawȝ, ſeiþ to hem, A ſpies ȝe ben, ȝe ben comen þat ȝe myȝten ſe þe febler þingis of þe loond. Þe whiche ſeiden, It is not ſo, lord, but þi ſeruauntis comen, þat þei myȝten bie meetis; alle þe ſones of o man we ben, peſibli we comen, ne þi ſeruauntis eny þing caſten of yuel. To whom he anſweryde, Oþer weies yt is, þe vnwardid þingis of þis loond ȝe ben comen to biholde.

And þei ſeiden, Twelue briþeren, þei ſeyn, þi ſeruauntis we ben, þe ſones of o man in þe loond of Chanaan; þe leeſt is wiþ oure fader, þe toþer is not aboue. Þat is, he ſeiþ, þat I ſpeke, a ſpies ȝe ben, for now experyment of ȝow I ſhal taak, bi þe helþe of Pharao ȝe ſhulen not goon hens, to þe tyme þat ȝoure leeſt broþer come; ſendiþ of ȝou oon, and bringe he him, ȝe forſoþe ſhulen ben in boondis, to þe tyme þat þe þingis þat ȝe han ſeide ben proued, wheþer fals or ſoþ þei ben; ellis bi þe helþ of Pharao aſpies ȝe ben.

Þanne he took hem to warde þre daies; þe þridde forſoþe dai ledynge out of priſoun, ſeiþ, Do ȝe þat I ſeide, and ȝe ſhulen lyue, God forſoþ Y drede; if ȝe be peſible, ȝoure o broþer be boundun in priſoun; ȝe forſoþe goþ, and beriþ þe whete þat ȝe han bouȝt into ȝoure howſis, and ȝoure leeſt broþer bryngiþ to me, þat Y may proue ȝoure wordis, and ȝe not die. And þei diden as he ſeide, and þei ſpeken to gideres, Þurȝ deſert þes þingis we ſuffren, for we han ſynned in oure broþer, ſeynge þe angwiſhe of þe ſoule of hym, while he preyde vs, and we herden not, þerfore comeþ vpon vs þis tribulacioun.

Of þe whiche oon, Ruben, ſeiþ, Wheþer Y ſeide not to ȝow, Nyle ȝe ſynne in þe childe, and ȝe herden not me? loo! þe blood of hym is out ſouȝt. Þei wiſten not forſoþe þat Joſeph ſhulde vndurſtonde, þerþurȝ þat bi a mene perſone vndoynge boþ þe langagis he ſpak to hem. And he turnyde hym ſilf a wey a litil, and he wepte, and turned aȝen he ſpak to hem; and takynge Symeon, and byndynge hym, hem preſent, and comaundide to þe mynyſtris, þat þei ſhulden fille þe ſackis of hem wiþ whete, and leggen aȝen þe money of eche in her ſackis, ȝeuun ouer meetis in þe weie; þe whiche diden ſo.

And þei berynge þe whete in her aſſis ȝeden forþ, and þe ſak of oon openyd, þat he myȝte ȝyue to his beeſt meete in an inturnyng place to reſte, biholdun þe money in þe mouþ of þe ſak, ſeide to his briþeren, To me is ȝoldun my money, loo! it is had in þe ſak; and þei ſtonyed al aboute and ſturbed, ſeiden togideres, What forſoþe is þis þat God haþ doon to vs?

And þei comen to Jacob, her fader, in þe loond of Chanaan, and tolden to hym alle þingis þat was fallun to hem, ſeiynge, Þe lord of þe loond hard ſpake to vs, and he wenyde vs to be ſpies of þe prouynce; to whom we anſwerden, We ben peſible, ne we ben not aboute eny ſpies; twelue briþeren of o fadur getun we ben, þe oon is not aboue, þe leeſt wiþ þe fadur dwelliþ in þe loond of Chanaan.

Þe which ſeiþ to vs, So I ſhal proue þat ȝe ben peſible; ȝoure o broþer leeue ȝe anentis me, and meetis to ȝoure houſis nedeful take ȝe, and goþ, and ȝoure leeſt broþer lediþ to me, þat Y knowe þat ȝe ben not aſpyes, and þis þat is holdun in boondis ȝe mowen reſeyue, and þeraftir of biggyng þat ȝe wolen ȝe han leue. Þes þingis ſeid, whanne eche heelden out whete, þei founden in þe mouþ of þe ſackis boundun moneys. And alle togideres afeerd, þe fader Jacob ſeide, Wiþ outen free children ȝe han maad me to be; Joſeph is not aboue, Symeon is holdun in bondes, Beniamyn ȝe ſhulen take a wey fro me; alle þes yuels in me han bacwarde fallun.

To whom anſwerde Ruben, My two ſones ſle þou, if Y brynge hym not aȝen to þee; taak hym in myn hoond, and Y hym to þee ſhal ȝelde aȝen. And he, My ſone, he ſeiþ, ſhal not deſcende wiþ ȝow; þe broþer of hym is deed, and he alone abidiþ; if ony þing to hym of aduerſite falle in þe loond to þe which ȝe ſhulen goon, ȝe ſhulen lede doun myn hoore heeris wiþ ſorwe to helle.