Genesis · Chapter 47

[ edit] Joſeph þanne goon yn tolde to Pharao, ſeiynge, My fader and breþeren, þe ſheep of hem, and droues, and alle þe þingis þat þei han, ben comen fro þe loond of Chanaan; and loo! þei ben in þe loond of Geſſen. And fyue men, þe laſt of his breþeren, he ſette bifore þe kyng, whom he aſkide, What han ȝe of werke? Þei anſwerden, Sheepherdes of ſheep we ben, þi ſeruauntis, and we and our fadres; to pilgrimage into þi loond we ben comen, for þere is noon eerbe to þe flockis of þi ſeruauntis; hungur meche wexynge greuows in þe loond of Chanaan, and we axen þat þow comaunde vs to be þi ſeruauntis in þe loond of Geſſen.

And ſo þe kyng ſeide to Joſeph, Þi fader and þi breþeren ben comen to þee; þe loond of Egipte is in þi ſiȝt, in þe beſte place make hem to dwelle, and tak to hem þe loond of Geſſen; and if þow haſt knowe to be redi men in hem, ordeyne hem mayſtrys of my beeſtis. After þes þingis Joſeph ladde yn his fader to þe kyng, and ſette hym beforn hym, þe which bleſſynge to hym, and aſkyde of hym, How feele ben þe dayes of þe ȝeris of þi lijf? He anſwerde, Þe dayes of þe pilgrimage of my lijf ben of an hundrid and þretti ȝeer, litil and yuel, and þei comen not vnto þe dayes of my fadris, in þe whiche þei han pilgrimagid. And þe kyng bliſſid, he ȝede oute.

Joſeph forſoþe to þe fader and to his breþeren ȝaf poſſeſſyoun in Egipte, in þe beſt ſoyl of þe loond of Rameſſes, as comaundyde Pharao; and he fedde hem, and al þe hows of his fader, ȝyuynge meetis to eche oon. Forſoþe in al þe world breed lackide, and hungur oppreſſide þe erþe, mooſt of Egipte and of Chanaan; of þe whiche al þe money he gederyde togider for þe ſellyng of whete, and putte it to þe treſorye of þe kyng. And whanne to þe biggerys faylide prijs, cam al Egipte to Joſeph, ſeiynge, Ȝif to vs breed; whi dien we bifore þee, faylynge money? To whom he anſwerde, Bryngiþ ȝoure beeſtis, and Y ſhal ȝyue to ȝow for hem meetis, if prijs ȝe han not.

Þe whiche, whanne þei hadden brouȝt, he ȝaf to hem foode for horſis, and ſheep, and oxen, and aſſis; and he ſuſteynede hem þat ȝeer for chaungyng of beeſtis. And þei camen þe ſecounde ȝeer, and ſeiden to hym, We hiden not to oure lord, þat failynge þe money and þe beeſtis togideres han failid, ne it is priue fro þee, þat wiþ outen bodies and loond we han not; whi þanne ſhulen we dye, þee ſeynge? and we and our loond of þee ſhulen ben, bie vs in to þe kyngis þraldom, and ȝif vs ſeedes, leſt peryſhynge þe tilyer, þe loond be turned aȝen into wildernes.

Þanne Joſeph bouȝte al þe loond of Egipte, echoon ſellynge his poſſeſſiouns, for þe greetnes of hungur; and he ſugettide it to Pharao, and al þe puplis of it, fro þe laſte termes of Egipte vnto þe vttmeſt cooſtis of it, out takun þe loond of preſtis, þe which of þe kyng was take to hem, to whom and certeyn meetis of þe comoun beernes weren ȝouun, and þerfor þei ben not nedid to ſellen her poſſeſſiouns. Þanne ſeide Joſeph to þe peplis, Loo! as ȝe beholden, and ȝow and ȝoure loond Pharao haþ; takiþ ſeedis, and ſowiþ feeldis, þat ȝe mowen han lyuelodis; þe fyfþe part ȝe ſhulen ȝyue to þe kyng, þe toþer foure partis Y leeue to ȝow into ſeed, and into metys, to meynes, and to ȝoure children.

Þe whiche anſwerden, Oure helþe is in þin hoond; oure God oonly bihold vs, and gladliche we ſhulen ſerue to þe kyng. Fro þat tyme vnto þe day þat is now, in al þe loond of Egipte þe fifþe part to kyngis is payed, and yt is maad as into a lawe, wiþ outen þe preeſtis loond, þat free was fro þis condicioun. Þanne Yrael dwelte in Egipte, þat is, in þe loond of Geſſen, and hadde it, and was encreeſid and multiplied greetly. And he lyuede in it ſixtene ȝeer, and alle þe dayes of þe lijf of hym ben maad of an hundryd and ſeuene and fourti ȝeer.

And whanne he bihelde þe day of deeþ to neiȝ, he clepide his ſone Joſeph, and ſeide to hym, If Y haue foundun grace in þi ſiȝt, putte þin hoond vnder myn hippe, and þow ſhalt do to me mercy and treuþe, þat þow byrie me not in Egipte; but I ſhal ſleepe wiþ my fadris, and þow ſhalt take me fro þis loond, and birye me in þe ſepulcre of myn eldres. To whom Joſeph anſwerde, I ſhal do þat þow haſt bodun. And he, Sweer þanne, he ſeiþ, to me; whom ſwerynge, Yrael anowrede God, turned to þe heed of þe bedde.