Genesis · Chapter 44

[ edit] Joſeph forſoþe comaundide to þe diſpenſatour of his hows, ſeiynge, Fille þe ſackis of hem wiþ whete, as myche as þei mowen take, and ley þe money of eche in þe cop of her ſak; my ſilueren forſoþe coppe, and þe priſe of whete þat he ȝaf, putte in þe mouþ of þe ſak of þe ȝonger; and it is do ſo. And þe morwetyde ſprongun, þei ben lete go wiþ her aſſis. And now þe cyte þei ȝeden oute, and forþ ȝeden a litil; alſo Joſeph, þe diſpenſatour of his hous clepid, ſeiþ, A ryſe, he ſeiþ, purſue þe men, and hem takun ſey þow, Whi han ȝe ȝoldun yuel for good? Þe coppe þat ȝe han ſtoln, it is in þe which my lord drynkiþ, and in þe which he is wonte to dyuyne; þe mooſt yuel þing ȝe han do.

He dide as he comaundide, and, hem takun, bi ordre ſpak. Þe whiche anſwerden, Whi þus ſpekiþ oure lord, þat þi ſeruauntis ſo meche of wickidnes ſhulden han doon? Þe money þat we founden in þe cop of þe ſackis we han brouȝt aȝen to þee fro þe loond of Chanaan, and what maner is it folwynge þat we ſhulden haue ſtolne fro þe hows of þi lord gold or ſiluer? Anentys whom euere of þi ſeruauntis it were foundun þat þou ſekiſt, be he deed, and we þe ſeruauntis ſhulen be of oure lord. Þe which ſeide to hem, Be it doon after ȝoure ſentens; anentis whom it be foundun, be he my ſeruaunt; ȝe forſoþe ſhulen be giltles.

And ſo blyue doynge down into þe erþe þe ſackis, eche opnyde; þe which aſerchinge, bigynnynge fro þe more vnto þe leeſte, fonde þe coppe in þe ſak of Beniamyn. And þei þe cloþis to-rent, and eft chargid þe aſſis, ben turned aȝen into þe wallid town. And Juda þe firſte wiþ þe breþeren wente in to Joſeph; ne forſoþe ȝit fro þe place he hadde goon; and alle to þe erþe togidere fallen. To whom he ſeiþ, Whi þus wolden ȝe doon? wheþir ȝe vnknowen, þat þere is noon lijk me in kunnynge of dyuynynge? To whom Juda, What, he ſeiþ, ſhulen we anſwere to my lord, or what ſhulen we ſpek, or riȝtwiſly we mowen aȝen ſtryue?

God haþ foundun þe wickidnes of þi ſeruauntis; loo! alle ſeruauntis we ben of my lord, and we and anentis whom þe cuppe is foundun. Joſeph anſwerde, Fer be it fro me, þat Y þus do; he þat haþ ſtolne þe cuppe be my ſeruaunt; ȝe forſoþe goþ awey free to ȝoure fader. Forſoþe Judas comynge ner, ſeiþ triſtily, My lord, Y preye, þi ſeruaunt ſpek a word in þin eeris, and ne wraþ þow to þi ſeruaunt; þow art forſoþe after Pharao, my lord. Þow aſkidiſt bifore þi ſeruauntis, Haue ȝe a fader or broþer?

And we anſwerden to þee, my lord, Þere is to vs a fader oold, and a litil child, þe which in eeld of hym is born, whos broþer of o wombe is deed, and him oonli haþ his moder; þe fader forſoþe tenderli loueþ him. And þow ſeidiſt to þi ſeruauntis, Bryngiþ hym to me, and Y ſhal putte myn eyen vpon hym. We meueden to þee, my lord, þe child may not leeue his fader; if forſoþe he leeue hym, he ſhal dye. And þow ſeidiſt to þi ſeruauntis, But ȝoure leeſte broþer come to vs, ȝe ſhulen no more ſe my face.

Þanne whanne we hadden ſteyed vp to oure fader, þi ſeruaunt, we tolden hym alle þingis þat my lord ſpak; and oure fader ſeyde, Goþ aȝen, and biggiþ vs a litil of whete; to whom we ſeiden, We mowen not goon; if oure leeſte broþer ſhul deſcende wiþ vs, we ſhulen go togideres; ellis, hym abſent, we dorun not ſe þe face of þe lord. And he anſwerde, Ȝe witen þat two children gat to me my wijf; þe oon is goon oute, and ȝe ſeiden, a beeſt haþ deuowryd hym, and ȝit hidir to he aperyde not; and if I take þis, and eny þing to hym ſhal falle in þe weye, ȝe ſhulen doun lede myn hoore heeris wiþ mournyng to helle.

Þanne if I ſhal goo to þi ſeruaunt, oure fader, and þe child were þens, ſiþ þe lijf of hym hongiþ of þe lijf of þis, and ſe hym not be wiþ vs, he ſhal dye, and þi ſeruauntis ſhulen down lede þe hoore heeris of hym wiþ ſorwe to helle. Be I propirli þi ſeruaunt, þe which haue reſſeyued þis into my feiþ, and haue bihoote, ſeiynge, But I brynge aȝen hym, Y ſhal be gilti of ſynne in my fader al tyme; and ſo Y ſhall dwelle þi ſeruaunt for þe child in to þe ſeruyce of my lord, and þe child aſcend wiþ his briþeren; forſoþ Y may not turne aȝen to my fader, þe child abſent, leſt a witnes I ſtonde to of myſchef, þat is to oppreſſe my fader.