Genesis · Chapter 46

[ edit] And Yrael forþ goon wiþ al þat he hadde, cam to þe pit of ooþ; and ſlawn þere þe beeſtis of ſacryfice to þe God of his fader Yſaac, herde hym bi a vyſioun þe nyȝt clepynge hym, and ſeiynge to hym, Jacob! Jacob! To whom anſwerde, Loo! I am nyȝ. God ſeiþ to hym, Y am þe mooſt ſtrong God of þi fader; nyl þou not drede, deſcend into Egipte, for into a greet folk of kynde Y ſhal make þee þere; I ſhal deſcende wiþ þee þidir, and Y ſhal þens lede þee comynge aȝen, and Joſeph ſhal leye his honden vpon þin eyen.

Jacob aroos fro þe pit of ooþ, and his ſones token hym, wiþ þe children, and his wyues, in þe waynes þat Pharao ſente to bere þe oold man, and al þat he hadde in þe loond of Chanaan; and he cam into Egipte wiþ al his ſeed, and þe ſones of hym, and coſyns, dowȝteres, and al þe progenye togideres. Þes ben forſoþe þe names of þe ſones of Yrael, þe whiche ben goon into Egipte; he wiþ his free children. Þe firſte getun Ruben; þe ſones of Ruben, Enoch, and Phallu, and Eſrom, and Carmy. Þe ſones of Symyon, Jemuhel, and Jamyn, and Ȝahoþ, and Jachyn, and Sab, and Saber, and Saul, þe ſone of Chanynytidis. Þe ſones of Leuy, Gerſon, Caaþ, and Merary.

Þe ſones of Juda, Her, and Onam, and Sela, and Phares, and Zara. Deed forſoþe ben Her and Onam in þe loond of Chanaan; and born ben þe ſones of Phares, Eſrom, and Amul. Þe ſones of Yſachar, Thola, and Phua, and Jobab, and Semron. Þe ſones of Zabulon, Sared, and Thelom, and Jahelel. Þes þe ſones of Lye, þat ſhe gat in Meſopotanye of Syrie, wiþ Dyna hir dowȝter; alle þe ſoulis of þe ſones of hir and of douȝtres, þree and þretti. Þe ſones of Gad, Sephyon, and Aggy, Suny, and Heſebon, Hery, and Arodi, and Arely. Þe ſones of Aſar, Jamne, and Jeſua, and Jeſuy, and Berya; and Sara, þe douȝter of hem. Þe ſones of Berya, Heber, and Melchiel.

Þes þe ſones of Zelphe, whom Laban ȝaf to Lye, his douȝter, and þes gat Jacob, ſixtene ſoules. Þe ſones of Rachel, wijf of Jacob, Joſeph, and Beniamyn. And born ben þe ſones of Joſeph in þe loond of Egipte, þe which gat to hym Aſenech, þe douȝter of Putyphar, of þe preeſt of Heliopoleos, Manaſſes, and Effraym. Þe ſones of Beniamyn, Bela, and Becor, and Aſbelgora, and Naaman, and Jeþi, and Reſemophym, and Ophyn, and Ared. Þes þe ſones of Rachel, þe whiche gat Jacob; alle þe ſoules fourtene. Þe ſones of Dan, Vſym. Þe ſones of Neptalym, Jaſyel, and Gumy, and Jeſer, and Salem. Þes þe ſones of Bale, whom ȝaf Laban to Rachel, his douȝter. Þes gat Jacob, alle þe ſoules ſeuen.

And alle þe ſoules þat ben goon wiþ Jacob into Egipte, and goon out of þe leende of hym, wiþ oute wyues of his children, ſexti and ſexe. Þe ſones forſoþe of Joſeph, þat ben born to hym in þe loond of Egipte, ſoules two. Alle þe ſoules of þe hows of Jacob, þat ben goon into Egipte, weren ſeuenty. Jacob forſoþe ſente Juda before hym to Joſeph, þat he ſhulde telle to hym, and he ſhulde aȝen come into Geſſen. Whider whanne he was comun, Joſeph, ioyned his chare, ſteiede vp to mete wiþ his fader at þe ſame place. And ſeynge hym, felle vpon þe nek of hym, and bitwix þe clippyngis wepte. And þe fader ſeide to Joſeph, Now glad Y ſhal dye, for I haue ſeen þi face, and at þin aboue þee Y leeue.

And he ſpak to his breþeren; and to al þe hows of his fader, Y ſhal ſteye, and telle to Pharao, and Y ſhal ſeie to hym, My breþeren, and þe hows of my fader, þe whyche weren in þe loond of Chanaan, ben comen to me, and ben men kepers of ſheep, and han biſynes of flockys to ben fedde; her beeſtis, and her droues, and al þat þei mowen haue, þei brouȝten wiþ hem. And whanne he ſhal clepen ȝou, and ſeie, What is ȝoure werke? ȝe ſhulen anſwere, Men ſheepherdes we ben, þi ſeruauntis, fro oure childhod vnto þe tyme þat is now, and we and oure faders. Þes þingis forſoþe ȝe ſhulen ſeye, þat ȝe mowen dwelle in þe loond of Geſſen, for alle Egipcyens haten alle ſheepherdes of ſheep.