Genesis · Chapter 43

[ edit] The meene tyme hungur al þe loond greetly bare doun; and, þe meetis brouȝt to ende, þat fro Egipte þei hadden brouȝt, Jacob ſeide to his ſones, Turne ȝe aȝen, and bigge ȝe to vs a litil of meetis. Judas anſwerde, Þilke man denounſide to vs vndur witneſſyng of oþe, ſeiynge, Ȝe ſhulen not ſe my face, but ȝoure leeſt broþer ȝe bryngen wiþ ȝow; if þanne þow wolt ſende hym wiþ vs, we ſhulen goon togidere, and to þee we ſhulen bye nedeful þingis; if forſoþe þou wolt not, we wolen not goon; þe man forſoþe, as we han ofte ſeide, denounſide to vs, ſeiynge, Ȝe ſhulen not ſe my face wiþ outen ȝoure leeſt broþer.

And Iſrael ſeide, Þis ȝe han doon in to my wrecchidnes, þat ȝe wolden ſhewe to hym and anoþer ȝow to han a broþer. And þei anſwerden, Þe man aſkide vs bi ordre oure progenye, if þe fader lyued, if we hadden a broþer; and we anſwerden to hym ſewyngly, aftir þat þat he aſkide; wheþer we myȝten wite þat he was to ſeyn, Bryngiþ wiþ ȝow ȝoure broþer? And Judas ſeide to his fader, Send þe child wiþ me, þat we goon forþ, and we mowen lyue, leſt dien we and oure children; I take þe child, of myn hoond aȝen aſke hym; but if I come aȝen and take hym to þee, Y ſhal be gilti of ſynne in þee al tyme; if tariyng hadde not falle bitwix, now eftſones we hadden comen.

Þanne Yrael, þe fader of hem, ſeide to hem, If ſo it is nede, doþ what ȝe wolen; take ȝe of þe beſte fruytis of þe loond in ȝoure veſſils, and beriþ ȝiftis to þe man, a litil of precious licoure of ſwete gumme, and of hony, and of licoure of þe tree of ſtorax, and of ſtactes, þe licoure of myrre tree, and of þerebynt, and of almaundis; and dowble money bere ȝe wiþ ȝow, and þat þat ȝe han foundun in þe ſackis bere ȝe aȝen, leſt perauenture þurȝ errour it be doon; but and ȝoure broþer takiþ, and goþ to þe man; and my God Almyȝti make hym pleſable to ȝow, and ſend he aȝen wiþ ȝow ȝoure broþer, þat he holdiþ in boondis, and þis Beniamyn; Y forſoþe as priued wiþ outen free children ſhal be.

Þanne þe men token ȝiftis, and dowble money, and Beniamyn, and deſcendiden into Egipte, and ſtoden bifore Joſeph. Whom whanne he hadde ſeen, and Beniamyn togidere, he comaundide to þe diſpenſatowr of his hows, ſeiynge, Lede yn þe men hoom, and ſlee þe beeſtis of ſacrifice, and ordeyne a feeſte; for wiþ me þei ben to etun to day. And he dide as it was comaundid, and brouȝte in þe men hoom; and þere þei agaſt ſeiden to gideres, For þe money þat we brouȝten bifore in oure ſackis we ben lad yn, þat chalengyng he turne in vs, and violently ſugette to þraldom and vs and our aſſis.

Wherfore in þilke ȝatis goynge to, ſpeken to þe diſpenſatour, Syre, we preyen þee, þat þow here vs; now bifore we deſcenden þat we biggen meetis; þe whiche bouȝt, whanne we comen to þe place of turnyng into reſte, we opnyden oure ſackis, and we fonden money in þe mouþ of þe ſackis, þat now in þe ſame peyſe we han brouȝt aȝen; but and oþer money we han brouȝt, þat we biggen þilke þingis, þat ben neceſſarye to vs; it ys not in oure conſcience, who it putte in oure bagges. And he anſwerde, Pees wiþ ȝow, wole ȝe not drede; ȝoure God and þe God of ȝoure fader haþ ȝyue to ȝow treſours in ȝoure ſackis; for þe money þat ȝe ȝyuen to me, I haue it aproued.

And he ladde out to hem Symeon; and þei in lad hoom, brouȝt watir, and þei weſchen her feet, and he ȝaue fodder to þe aſſes of hem. Þei forſoþe greiþiden ȝiftis to þe tyme þat Joſeph ſhulde come yn at mydday, þei hadden herde forſoþe, þat þere þei weren to etun breed. Þanne Joſeph cam into his hows, and þei holdynge ȝiftis in her hondis, offerden to hym, and lowtiden bowid into þe erþe. And he goodly hem aȝen ſalutid, aſkide hem, ſeiynge, Wheþer ȝoure oold fader is ſaaf, of whom ȝe ſpaken to me? ȝit lyueþ he? Þe whiche anſwerden, He ys al hool, þi ſeruaunt oure fader ȝit lyueþ; and þei bowid lowtiden hym.

And Joſeph heuynge vp þe eyen, ſawȝ Beniamyn, his broþer of o wombe, and ſeiþ, Þis is ȝoure litil broþer, of whom ȝe ſpeken to me? And eft, God, he ſeiþ, haue mercy of þee, ſone myne. And he hiȝede into þe hows, for þe entrayls of hym weren moued vpon his broþer, and teeris briſten oute, and he, goynge in to þe bed place, wepte. And eft his face waiſhun, goon oute, ſtillide hym ſelf, and ſeiþ, Settiþ looues. Þe whiche ſett forþ, Joſeph bi hym ſelf, and þe briþeren bi hem ſeluen, and þe Egipciens togideres eetun bi hem ſeluen; forſoþe it is vnleueful to Egipciens to etun wiþ Ebrews, and a fowle þing þei wenen ſich a manere feeſte.

Þei ſetten bifore hym þe firſt geten, aftir þe riȝtis of his firſt getyng, and þe leeſte aftir his age; and þei wondreden mych, þe partiſe takun þat þei token of hym, and þe more party cam to Beniamin, ſo þat bi fyue partis he paſſide; and þei drunken, and ben fulfillid wiþ hym.