Genesis 44
1 And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.
Forsothe Joseph comaundid the dispendere of his hous, and seide, Fille thou her sackis with wheete, as myche as tho moun take, and putte thou the money of ech in the hiynesse of the sak;
2 And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.
forsothe put thou in the mouth of the sak of the yongere my silueren cuppe, and the prijs of wheete which he yaf; and it was doon so.
3 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.
And whanne the morewtid roos, thei weren delyuered with her assis.
4 And when they had gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, Why have you returned evil for good?
And now thei hadden go out of the citee, and hadden go forth a litil; thanne Joseph seide, whanne the dispendere of his hous was clepid, Rise thou, pursue the men, and seye thou whanne thei ben takun, Whi han ye yolde yuel for good?
5 Why have you stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you have accomplished evil in that which you have done.
The cuppe, which ye han stole, is thilk in which my lord drynkith, and in which he is wont to dyuyne; ye han do a ful wickid thing.
6 And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.
He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre.
7 And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word.
Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?
8 If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord?
We brouyten ayen to thee fro the lond of Chanaan the monei which we founden in the hiynesse of sackis, and hou is it suynge that we han stole fro `the hows of thi lord gold ether siluer?
9 With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.
At whom euere of thi seruauntis this that thou sekist is foundun, die he, and we schulen be seruauntis of my lord.
10 And he said, Now then it shall be as you say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you shall be clear.
Which seide to hem, Be it doon bi youre sentence; at whom it is foundun, be he my seruaunt; forsothe ye schulen be gilteles.
11 And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.
And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte;
12 And he searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.
and bigan at the more til to the leeste, and foond the cuppe in `the sak of Beniamyn.
13 And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.
And whanne thei hadden `to-rent her clothis, and hadden chargid eft the assis, thei turneden ayen in to the citee.
14 And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.
And Judas entride `the firste with brithren to Joseph; for he hadde not go yit fro the place; and alle felden togidere on erthe bifore hym.
15 And Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? know you not that a man such as I can surely divine?
To whiche he seide, Whi wolden ye do so? whether ye witen not, that noon is lijk me in the kunnyng of dyuinyng?
16 And Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has discovered the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been found.
To whom Judas seide, What schulen we answere to my lord, ether what schulen we speke, ether moun iustli ayenseie? God hath founde the wickidnesse of thi seruauntis; lo! alle we ben the seruauntis of my lord, bothe we and he at whom the cuppe is foundun.
17 And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you go up with safety to your father.
Joseph answeride, Fer be it fro me, that Y do so; he be my seruaunt that stal the cuppe; forsothe go ye fre to youre fadir.
18 And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao.
Sotheli Judas neiyede neer, and seide tristili, My lord, Y preye, thi seruaunt speke a word in thin eeris, and be thou not wrooth to thi seruaunt; for aftir Farao thou art my lord.
19 Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?
Thou axidist first thi seruauntis, Han ye a fadir, ether a brother?
20 And we said to [my] lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.
And we answeriden to thee, my lord, An eld fadir is to vs, and a litil child that was borun in his eelde, whos brother of the same wombe is deed, and his modir hath hym aloone; forsothe his fadir loueth hym tendirli.
21 And you said to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.
And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, Brynge ye hym to me, and Y schal sette myn iyen on hym.
22 And we said to [my] lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.
We maden suggestioun to thee, my lord, the child may not forsake his fadir; for if he schal leeue the fadir, he schal die.
23 But you said to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you shall not see my face again.
And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, If youre leeste brother schal not come with you, ye schulen no more se my face.
24 And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.
Therfor whanne we hadden stied to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, we telden to hym alle thingis whiche my lord spak; and oure fadir seide,
25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
Turne ye ayen, and bie ye to you a litil of wheete;
26 And we said, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.
to whom we seiden, We moun not go; if oure leeste brother schal go doun with vs, we schulen go forth togidere; ellis, if he is absent, we doren not se the `face of the lord.
27 And your servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two [sons];
To whiche thingis the fadir answeride, Ye witen that my wiif childide twei sones to me;
28 and one is departed from me; and you said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.
oon yede out, and ye seiden, a beeste deuouride hym, and hidir to he apperith not;
29 If then you take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you bring down my old age with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
if ye taken also this sone, and ony thing bifallith to hym in the weye, ye schulen lede forth myn hoor heeris with morenyng to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
30 Now then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [lad's] life)
Therfor if Y entre to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, and the child faile, sithen his lijf hangith of the lijf of the child,
31 —it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and our father, with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
and he se that the child is not with vs, he schal die, and thi seruauntis schulen lede forth hise hoor heeris with sorewe to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
32 For your servant has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.
Be Y propirli thi seruaunt, which resseyuede this child on my feith, and bihiyte, and seide, If Y schal not brynge ayen hym, Y schal be gilti of synne ayens my fadir in al tyme;
33 Now then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.
and so Y schal dwelle thi seruaunt for the child in to the seruyce of my lord, and the child stie with hise britheren;
34 For how shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.
for Y may not go ayen to my fadir, if the child is absent, lest Y stonde a witnesse of the wretchidnesse that schal oppresse my fadir.
