Part 9

And he ouertoke them and sayde the same wordes vnto them. And they answered him: wherfore sayth my lorde soch wordes? God forbydd that thy servauntes shulde doo so. Beholde/ the money which we founde in oure sackes mouthes/ we brought agayne vnto the/ out of the lande of Canaa: how then shulde we steale out of my lordes house/ ether syluer or golde: with whosoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde let him dye/ and let vs also be my lordes bondmen. And he sayde: Now therfore acordynge vnto youre woordes/ he with whom it is found/ shalbe my seruaunte: but ye/ shalbe harmelesse.

And attonce euery man toke downe his sacke to the grounde/ ad every man opened his sacke. And he serched/ and began at the eldest & left at the yongest. And the cuppe was founde in Ben Iamins sacke. Then they rent their clothes/ and laded euery man his asse and went agayne vnto the cytie. And Iuda and his brethr[~e] came to Iosephs house/ for he was yet there/ ad they fell before him on the grounde. And Ioseph sayde vnto th[~e]: what dede is this which ye haue done? wist ye not that soch a man as I can prophesie?

Then sayde Iuda: what shall we saye vnto my lorde/ what shall we speake or what excuse can we make? God hath founde out y^e wekednesse of thy seruauntes. Beholde/ both we and he with whom the cuppe is founde/ are thy seruauntes. And he answered: God forbyd y^t I shulde do so/ the man with whom the cuppe is founde/ he shalbe my seruaunte: but goo ye in peace vn to youre father.

Then Iuda went vnto him and sayde: oh my lorde/ let thy servante speake a worde in my lordes audyence/ and be not wrooth with thi servaunte: for thou art euen as Pharao. My lorde axed his seruaunte sainge: haue ye a father or a brother? And we answered my lord/ we haue a father that is old/ and a yonge lad which he begat in his age: ad the brother of the sayde lad is dead/ & he is all that is left of that mother. And his father loueth him.

Then sayde my lorde vnto his seruauntes brynge him vnto me/ that I maye sett myne eyes apon him. And we answered my lorde/ that the lad coude not goo from his father/ for if he shulde leaue his father/ he were but a deed man. Than saydest thou vnto thy servauntes: excepte youre yongest brother come with you/ loke that ye se my face no moare.

And when we came vnto thy servaunt oure father/ we shewed him what my lorde had sayde. And when oure father sayde vnto vs/ goo agayne and bye vs a litle fode: we sayd/ y^t we coude not goo. Neverthelesse if oure youngeste brother go with vs then will we goo/ for we maye not see the mannes face/ excepte oure yongest brother be with vs. Then sayde thy servaunt oure father vnto vs. Ye knowe that my wyfe bare me .ij. sonnes. And the one went out from me and it is sayde of a suertie that he is torne in peaces of wyld beastes/ and I sawe him not sence. Yf ye shall take this also awaye fro me and some mysfortune happen apon him/ then shall ye brynge my gray heed with sorow vnto the grave.

Now therfore wh[~e] I come to thy servaunt my father/ yf the lad be not with me: seinge that his lyfe hageth by the laddes lyfe/ then as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come/ he will dye. So shall we thy serva[~u]tes brynge the gray hedde of thy servaunt oure father with sorow vnto the grave. For I thy servaunt became suertie for the lad vnto my father & sayde: yf I bringe him not vnto the agayne. I will bere the blame all my life loge. Now therfore let me thy servaunt byde here for y^e lad/ & be my lordes bondman: & let the lad goo home with his brethern. For how can I goo vnto my father/ and the lad not wyth me: lest I shulde see the wretchednes that shall come on my father.

The .xlv. Chapter.

And Ioseph coude no longer refrayne before all them that stode aboute him/ but commaunded that they shuld goo all out from him/ and that there shuld be no man with him/ whyle he vttred him selfe vnto his brethern. And he wepte alowde/ so that the Egiptians and the house of Pharao herde it. And he sayde vnto his brethern: I am Ioseph: doth my father yet lyue? But his brethern coude not answere him/ for they were abasshed at his presence.

And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethern: come nere to me/ and they came nere. And he sayde: I am Ioseph youre brother whom ye sold in to Egipte. And now be not greued therwith/ nether let it seme a cruel thinge in youre eyes/ that ye solde me hither. For God dyd send me before you to saue lyfe. For this is the seconde yere of derth in the lande/ and fyue moo are behynde in which there shall nether be earynge nor hervest.

Wherfore God sent me before you to make prouision/ that ye myghte continue in the erth and to save youre lyues by a greate delyuerance. So now it was not ye that sent me hither/ but God: and he hath made me father vnto Pharao and lorde ouer all his house/ and rueler in all the land of Egipte. Hast you ad goo to my father and tell him/ this sayeth thy sonne Ioseph: God hath made me lorde ouer all Egipte. Come downe vnto me and tarye not/ And thou shalt dwell in the londe of Gosan & be by me: both thou and thi childern/ and thi childerns childern: and thy shepe/ and beestes and all that thou hast. There will I make provision for the: for there remayne yet v yeres of derth/ lest thou and thi houshold and all that thou hast perish.

Beholde/ youre eyes do se/ and the eyes also of my brother Ben Iamin/ that I speake to you by mouth. Therfore tell my father of all my honoure which I haue in Egipte and of all that ye haue sene/ ad make hast and brynge my father hither.

¶ And he fell on his brother Ben Iam[~i]s necke & wepte/ & Ben Iamin wepte on his necke. Moreouer he kyssed all his brethern and wepte apon them. And after that/ his brethern talked with him. And when the tidynges was come vnto Pharaos housse that Iosephes brethern were come/ it pleased Pharao well and all his seruauntes.

And Pharao spake vnto Ioseph: saye vnto thy brethern/ this do ye: lade youre beestes ad get you hence/ And when ye be come vnto the londe of Canaan/ take youre father and youre housholdes and come vnto me/ and I will geue you the beste of the lande of Egipte/ and ye shall eate the fatt of the londe. And commaunded also. This do ye: take charettes with you out of the lande of Egipte/ for youre childern and for youre wyues: and brynge youre father and come. Also/ regarde not your stuff/ for the goodes of all the londe of Egipte shalbe youres.

And the childern of Israell dyd euen so/ and Ioseph gaue them charettes at the commaundment of Pharao/ and gaue them vitayle also to spende by the waye. And he gaue vnto eche of them chaunge of rayment: but vnto Ben Iamin he gaue iij. hundred peces of syluer and .v. chaunge of rayment. And vnto his father he sent after the same maner: x. he asses laden with good out of Egipte/ and .x. she asses laden with corne/ bred and meate: to serue his father by the waye. So sent he his brethern awaye/ and they departed. And he sayde vnto them: se that ye fall not out by the waye.

And they departed from Egipte and came in to the land of Canaan vnto Iacob their father/ and told him saynge. Ioseph is yet a lyue and is gouerner ouer all the land of Egipte. And Iacobs hert wauered/ for he beleued th[~e] not. And they tolde him all the wordes of Ioseph which he had sayde vnto them. But when he sawe the charettes which Ioseph had sent to carie him/ then his sprites reviued. And Israel sayde. I haue ynough/ yf Ioseph my sonne be yet alyue: I will goo and se him/ yer that I dye.

The .xlvi. Chapter.

Israel toke his iourney with all that he had/ and came vnto Berseba and offred offrynges vnto the God of his father Isaac. And God sayde vnto Israel in a vision by nyghte/ and called vnto him: Iacob Iacob. And he answered: here am I. And he sayde: I am that mightie God of thy father/ feare not to goo downe in to Egipte. For I will make of the there a great people. I will go downe with y^e in to Egipte/ & I will also bringe the vp agayne/ & Ioseph shall put his hand apon thine eyes.

And Iacob rose vp from Berseba. And y^e sonnes of Israel caried Iacob their father/ ad their childern and their wyues in the charettes which Pharao had sent to carie him. And they toke their catell ad the goodes which they had gotten in the land of Canaan/ and came in to Egipte: both Iacob and all his seed with him/ his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes with him: his doughters and his sonnes doughters and all his seed brought he with him in to Egipte.

These are the names of the childern of Israel which came in to Egipte/ both Iacob and his sonnes: Rub[~e] Iacob's first sonne. The childern of Ruben: Hanoch/ Pallu/ Hezron and Charmi. The childern of Simeon: Iemuel/ Iamin/ Ohad/ Iachin/ Zohar and Saul the sonne of a Cananitish woman The childern of Leui: Gerson/ Kahath and Merari. The childern of Iuda: Er/ Onan/ Sela/ Pharez and Zerah/ but Er and Onan dyed in the lande of Canaan. The childern of Pharez/ Hezro & Hamul. The childern of Isachar: Tola/ Phuva Iob and Semiron. The childern of Sebulon: Sered/ Elon and Iaheleel. These be the childern of Lea which she bare vnto Iacob in Mesopotamia with his doughter Dina. All these soulles of his sonnes and doughters make .xxx and .vi.

The childern of Gad: Ziphion/ Haggi/ Suni/ Ezbon/ Eri/ Arodi and Areli. The childern of Asser: Iemna/ Iesua/ Iesui/ Brya and Serah their sister: And the childern of Biya were Heber and Malchiel. These are the childern of Silpha whom Laba gaue to Lea his doughter. And these she bare vnto Iacob in nombre xvi. soules.

The childern of Rahel Iacobs wife: Ioseph and ben Iamin. And vnto Ioseph in the lode of Egipte were borne: Manasses and Ephraim which Asnath the doughter of Potiphara preast of On bare vnto him. The childern of Ben Iamin: Bela/ Becher/ Asbel/ Gera/ Naeman/ Ehi Ros Mupim/ Hupim and Ard. These are the childern of Rahel which were borne vnto Iacob: xiiij. soules all to gether.

The childern of Dan: Husim. The childern of Nepthali: Iahezeel/ Guni/ Iezer and Sillem. These are the sonnes of Bilha which Laban gaue vnto Rahel his doughter/ and she bare these vnto Iacob/ all together .vij. soulles All the soulles that came with Iacob into Egipte which came out of his loyns (besyde his sonnes wifes) were all togither .lx. and .vi. soulles. And the sonnes of Ioseph/ which were borne him in egipte were .ij. soules: So that all the soulles of the house of Iacob which came in to Egipte are lxx.

And he sent Iuda before him vnto Ioseph that the waye myghte be shewed him vnto Gosan/ and they came in to the lande of Gosan And Ioseph made redie his charett and went agaynst Israell his father vnto Gosan/ ad presented him selfe vnto him/ and fell on his necke and wepte vpon his necke a goode whyle. And Israel sayd vnto Ioseph: Now I am cot[~e]t to dye/ in somoch I haue sene the/ that thou art yet alyue.

And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethr[~e] and vnto his fathers house: I will goo & shewe Pharao and tell him: that my brethern and my fathers housse which were in the lade of Canaan are come vnto me/ and how they are shepardes (for they were men of catell) and they haue brought their shepe and their oxen and all that they haue with them. Yf Pharao call you and axe you what youre occupation is/ saye: thi seruauntes haue bene occupyed aboute catell/ fro oure chilhode vnto this tyme: both we and oure fathers/ that ye maye dwell in the lande of Gosan. For an abhominacyon vnto the Egiptians are all that feade shepe.

¶ The .xlvij. Chapter.

And Ioseph w[~e]t and tolde Pharao and sayde: my father and my brethern their shepe and their beastes and all that they haue/ are come out of the lade of Canaan and are in the lande of Gosan. And Ioseph toke a parte of his brethern: euen fyue of them/ and presented them vnto Pharao. And Pharao sayde vnto his brethern: what is youre occupation? And they sayde vnto Pharao: feaders of shepe are thi seruauntes/ both we ad also oure fathers. They sayde moreouer vnto Pharao: for to sogeorne in the lande are we come/ for thy seruauntes haue no pasture for their shepe so sore is the fameshment in the lande of Canaan. Now therfore let thy seruauntes dwell in the lande of Gosan.

And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: thy father and thy brethren are come vnto the. The londe of Egipte is open before the: In the best place of the lande make both thy father and thy brothren dwell: And even in the lond of Gosan let them dwell. Moreouer yf thou knowe any men of actiuyte amonge them/ make them ruelars ouer my catell. And Ioseph brought in Iacob his father and sett him before Pharao And Iacob blessed Pharao. And Pharao axed Iacob/ how old art thou? And Iacob sayde vnto Pharao: the dayes of my pilgremage are an hundred and .xxx. yeres. Few and euell haue the dayes of my lyfe bene/ and haue not attayned vnto the yeres of the lyfe of my fathers in the dayes of their pilgremages. And Iacob blessed Pharao and went out from him. And Ioseph prepared dwellinges for his father and his brethern/ and gaue them possessions in the londe of Egipte/ in the best of the londe: eu[~e] in the lande of Raemses/ as Pharao commaunded. And Ioseph made prouysion for his father/ his brethern and all his fathers housholde/ as yonge childern are fedd with bread.

There was no bread in all the londe/ for the derth was excead[~i]ge sore: so y^t y^e lode of Egipte & y^e lode of Canaan/ were fameshyd by y^e reason of y^e derth. And Ioseph brought together all y^e money y^t was founde in y^e lade of Egipte and of Canaan/ for y^e corne which they boughte: & he layde vp the money in Pharaos housse.

When money fayled in the lade of Egipte & of Canaan/ all the Egiptians came vnto Ioseph and sayde: geue us sustenaunce: wherfore suffrest thou vs to dye before the/ for oure money is spent. Then sayde Ioseph: brynge youre catell/ and I will geue yow for youre catell/ yf ye be without money. And they brought their catell vnto Ioseph. And he gaue them bread for horses and shepe/ and oxen and asses: so he fed them with bread for all their catell that yere.

When that yere was ended/ they came vnto him the nexte yere and sayde vnto him: we will not hyde it from my lorde/ how that we haue nether money nor catell for my lorde: there is no moare left for my lorde/ but euen oure bodies and oure londes. Wherfore letest thou us dye before thyne eyes/ and the londe to goo to noughte? bye us and oure landes for bread: and let both vs and oure londes be bonde to Pharao. Geue vs feed/ that we may lyue & not dye/ & that the londe goo not to wast.

[Sidenote: * The bl[~i]de gydes gott previleges fro bear[~i]ge with their brethr[~e] contrarye to Christes lawe of love. And of these prestes of idolles did oure copass[~i]ge yvetrees lerne to crepe vp by litle & litle & to copasse y^e greate trees of y^e world with hypocrisye/ ad to thrust y^e rodes of idolatrysse superstition in to th[~e] & to sucke out y^e iuce of th[~e] with their poetrye/ till all be seer bowes and no thinge grene save their awne com[~e]welth.]

And Ioseph boughte all the lande of Egipte for Pharao. For the Egiptians solde euery man his londe because the derth was sore apo them: and so the londe became Pharaos. And he appoynted the people vnto the cities/ from one syde of Egipte vnto the other: only the londe of the Prestes bought he not. For there was an ordina[~u]ce made by Pharao for y^e * preastes/ that they shulde eate that which was appoynted vnto them: which Pharao had geuen them wherfore they solde not their londes.

Then Ioseph sayde vnto the folke: beholde I haue boughte you this daye ad youre landes for Pharao. Take there seed and goo sowe the londe. And of the encrease/ ye shall geue the fyfte parte vnto Pharao/ and .iiij. partes shalbe youre awne/ for seed to sowe the feld: and for you/ and them of youre housholdes/ and for youre childern/ to eate. And they answered: Thou haste saued oure lyves Let vs fynde grace in the syghte of my lorde/ and let us be Pharaos serva[~u]tes. And Ioseph made it a lawe ouer the lade of Egipte vnto this daye: that men must geue Pharao the fyfte parte/ excepte the londe of preastes only/ which was not bond vnto Pharao.

And Israel dwelt in Egipte: euen in the countre of Gosan. And they had their possessions therein/ and they grewe and multiplyed exceadingly. Moreouer Iacob lyued in the lande of Egipte .xvij. yeres/ so that the the hole age of Iacob was an hundred and .xlvij. yere.

When the tyme drewe nye/ that Israel must dye: he sent for his sonne Ioseph and sayde vnto him: Yf I haue founde grace in thy syghte/ put thy hande vnder my thye and deale mercifully ad truely with me/ that thou burie me not in Egipte: but let me lye by my fathers/ and carie me out of Egipte/ and burie me in their buryall. And he answered: I will do as thou hast sayde. And he sayde: swere vnto me: ad he sware vnto him. And than Israel bowed him vnto the beddes head.

The .xlviij. Chapter.

After these deades/ tyd[~i]ges were brought vnto Ioseph/ that his father was seke. And he toke with him his ij. sones/ Manasses and Ephraim. Then was it sayde vnto Iacob: beholde/ thy sonne Ioseph commeth vnto the. And Israel toke his strength vnto him/ and satt vp on the bedd/ and sayde vnto Ioseph: God all mightie appeared vnto me at lus in the lande of Canaan/ ad blessed me/ and sayde vnto me: beholde/ I will make the growe and will multiplye the/ and will make a great nombre of people of the/ and will geue this lande vnto the and vnto thy seed after y^e vnto an euerlastinge possession. Now therfore thy .ij. sones Manasses ad Ephraim which were borne vnto the before I came to the/ in to Egipte/ shalbe myne: euen as Ruben and Simeo shall they be vnto me And the childern which thou getest after them/ shalbe thyne awne: but shalbe called with the names of their brethern in their enheritaunces.

And after I came from Mesopotamia/ Rahel dyed apon my hande in the lande of Canaa/ by the waye: when I had but a feldes brede to goo vnto Ephrat. And I buried her there in y^e waye to Ephrat which is now called Bethlehem.

And Israel behelde Iosephes sonnes & sayde: what are these? And Ioseph sayde vnto his father: they are my sonnes/ which God hath geuen me here. And he sayde: brynge them to me/ and let me blesse them. And the eyes of Israell were dymme for age/ so that he coude not see. And he broughte them to him/ ad he kyssed th[~e] and embraced them. And Israel sayde vnto Ioseph: I had not thoughte to haue sene thy face/ and yet loo/ God hath shewed it me and al so thy seed. And Ioseph toke them awaye from his lappe/ and they fell on the grounde before him.

Than toke Ioseph them both: Ephraim in his ryghte hande towarde Israels left hande ad Manasses in his left hande/ towarde Israels ryghte hande/ and brought them vnto him. And Israel stretched out his righte hande and layde it apon Ephraims head which was the yonger/ and his lyft hade apon Manasses heed/ crossinge his handes/ for manasses was the elder. And he blessed Ioseph saynge: God before whome my fathers Abraham and Isaac dyd walke/ and the God which hath fedd me all my life longe vnto this daye/ And the angell which hath delyuered me fro all euyll/ blesse these laddes: y^t they maye be called after my name/ and after my father Abraham and Isaac/ and that they maye growe ad multiplie apo the erth.

When Ioseph sawe that his father layd his ryghte hande apon the heade of Ephraim/ it displeased him. And he lifte vpp his fathers hade/ to haue removed it from Ephraims head vnto Manasses head/ and sayde vnto his father: Not so my father/ for this is the eldest. Put thy right hande apon his head. And his father wold not/ but sayde: I knowe it well my sonne/ I knowe it well. He shalbe also a people ad shalbe great. But of a troth his yonger brother shalbe greater than he/ and his seed shall be full of people. And he blessed them sainge. At the ensample of these/ the Israelites shall blesse and saye: God make the as Ephraim and as Manasses. Thus sett he Ephraim before Manasses.

And Israel sayde vnto Ioseph: beholde/ I dye. And god shalbe with you and bringe you agayne vnto the land of youre fathers. Moreover I geue vnto the/ a porcyon of lande aboue thy brethern/ which I gatt out of the handes of the Amorites with my swerde and wyth my bowe.

The .xlix. Chapter.

And Iacob called for his sonnes ad sayde: come together/ that I maye tell you what shall happ[~e] you in the last dayes. Gather you together and heare ye sonnes of Iacob/ and herken vnto Israel youre father.

Ruben/ thou art myne eldest sonne/ my myghte and the begynnynge of my strength/ chefe in receauynge and chefe in power. As vnstable as water wast thou: thou shalt therfore not be the chefest/ for thou wenst vp vpo thy fathers bedd/ and than defyledest thou my couche with goynge vppe.

The brethern Simeon and Leui/ weked instrumentes are their wepos. In to their secrettes come not my soule/ and vnto their congregation be my honoure not coupled: for in their wrath they slewe a man/ and in their selfewill they houghed an oxe. Cursed be their wrath for it was stronge/ and their fearsnes for it was cruell. I will therfore deuyde them in Iacob/ & scater them in Israel.

Iuda/ thy brethern shall prayse the/ & thine hande shalbe in the necke of thyne enimies/ & thy fathers childern shall stoupe vnto the. Iuda is a lions whelpe. Fro spoyle my sonne thou art come an hye: he layde him downe and couched himselfe as a lion/ and as a lionesse. Who dare stere him vp? The sceptre shall not departe from Iuda/ nor a ruelar from betwene his legges/ vntill Silo come/ vnto whome the people shall herken. He shall bynde his fole vnto the vine/ and his asses colt vnto the vyne braunche/ ad shall wash his garment in wyne and his mantell in the bloud of grapes/ his eyes are roudier than wyne/ ad his teeth whitter then mylke.

Zabulon shall dwell in the hauen of the see and in the port of shippes/ & shall reache vnto Sidon.

Isachar is a stronge asse/ he couched him doune betwene .ij. borders/ and sawe that rest was good and the lande that it was pleasant/ and bowed his shulder to beare/ and became a servaunte vnto trybute.

Dan shall iudge his people/ as one of the trybes of Israel. Dan shalbe a serpent in the waye/ and an edder in the path/ and byte the horse heles/ so y^t his ryder shall fall backwarde. After thy sauynge loke I LORde.

Gad/ men of warre shall invade him. And he shall turne them to flyght.

Off Asser cometh fatt breed/ and he shall geue pleasures for a kynge.

Nepthali is a swyft hynde/ ad geueth goodly wordes.

That floryshynge childe Ioseph/ that florishing childe and goodly vn to the eye: the doughters come forth to bere ruele. The shoters haue envyed him and chyde with him ad hated him/ and yet his bowe bode fast/ & his armes and his handes were stronge/ by the handes of the myghtye God of Iacob: out of him shall come an herde ma a stone in Israel. Thi fathers God shall helpe the/ & the almightie shall blesse the with blessinges from heaven aboue/ and with blessinges of the water that lieth vnder/ & with blessinges of the brestes & of the wombe. The blessinges of thy father were stronge: euen as the blessinges of my elders/ after the desyre of the hiest in the worlde/ and these blessinges shall fall on the head of Ioseph/ and on the toppe of the head of him y^t was separat from his brethern.

Ben Iamin is a raueshynge wolfe. In the mornynge he shall deuoure his praye/ ad at nyghte he shall deuyde his spoyle.