Genesis 44
1 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top 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 in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.
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 And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.
And whanne the morewtid roos, thei weren delyuered with her assis.
4 And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, 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 The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.
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 He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.
He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre.
7 And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?
Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?
8 The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?
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 whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my 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 to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.
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 Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.
And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte;
12 Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, 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 Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.
And whanne thei hadden `to-rent her clothis, and hadden chargid eft the assis, thei turneden ayen in to the citee.
14 And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.
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 he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.
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 Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was 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 Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free 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 Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,
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 My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?
Thou axidist first thi seruauntis, Han ye a fadir, ether a brother?
20 And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.
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 thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.
And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, Brynge ye hym to me, and Y schal sette myn iyen on hym.
22 We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, 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 And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.
And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, If youre leeste brother schal not come with you, ye schulen no more se my face.
24 Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.
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 wheat.
Turne ye ayen, and bie ye to you a litil of wheete;
26 And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.
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 Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.
To whiche thingis the fadir answeride, Ye witen that my wiif childide twei sones to me;
28 One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.
oon yede out, and ye seiden, a beeste deuouride hym, and hidir to he apperith not;
29 If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (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 Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him, )
Therfor if Y entre to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, and the child faile, sithen his lijf hangith of the lijf of the child,
31 And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (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 Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against 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 Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy 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 I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress 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.
