< Genesis 43 >

1 And the famine was sore in the land.
And the derth waxed sore in the lande.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: 'Go again, buy us a little food.'
And when they had eate vp that corne which they brought out of the lande of Egipte their father sayde vnto them: goo agayne and by vs a litle food.
3 And Judah spoke unto him, saying: 'The man did earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
Than sayde Iuda vnto him: the man dyd testifie vnto vs saynge: loke that ye see not my face excepte youre brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;
Therfore yf thou wilt sende oure brother with vs we wyll goo and bye the food.
5 but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.'
But yf thou wylt not sende him we wyll not goo: for the man sayde vnto vs: loke that ye see not my face excepte youre brother be with you.
6 And Israel said: 'Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?'
And Israell sayde: wherfore delt ye so cruelly with me as to tell the man that ye had yet another brother?
7 And they said: 'The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying: Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words; could we in any wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?'
And they sayde: The man asked vs of oure kynred saynge: is youre father yet alyue? haue ye not another brother? And we tolde him acordynge to these wordes. How cowd we knowe that he wolde byd vs brynge oure brother downe with vs?
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father: 'Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
Than sayde Iuda vnto Israell his father: Send the lad with me and we wyll ryse and goo that we maye lyue and not dye: both we thou and also oure childern.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.
I wilbe suertie for him and of my handes requyre him. Yf I brynge him not to the and sett him before thine eyes than let me bere the blame for euer.
10 For except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.'
For except we had made this tarieg: by this we had bene there twyse and come agayne.
11 And their father Israel said unto them: 'If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds;
Than their father Israel sayde vnto the Yf it must nedes be so now: than do thus take of the best frutes of the lande in youre vesselles and brynge the man a present a curtesie bawlme and a curtesie of hony spyces and myrre dates and almondes.
12 and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight;
And take as moch money more with you. And the money that was brought agayne in youre sackes take it agayne with you in youre handes peraduenture it was some ouersyghte.
13 take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;
Take also youre brother with you and aryse and goo agayne to the man.
14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.'
And God almightie geue you mercie in the sighte of the man and send you youre other brother and also Be Iamin and I wilbe as a ma robbed of his childern.
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Thus toke they the present and twise so moch more money with them and Ben Iamin. And rose vp went downe to Egipte and presented them selfe to Ioseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.'
When Ioseph sawe Ben Iamin with them he sayde to the ruelar of his house: brynge these men home and sley and make redie: for they shall dyne with me at none.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
And the man dyd as Ioseph bad and brought them in to Iosephs house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said: 'Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.'
When they were brought to Iosephs house they were afrayde ad sayde: be cause of the money yt came in oure sackes mouthes at the first tyme are we brought to pyke a quarell with vs and to laye some thinge to oure charge: to brynge us in bondage and oure asses also.
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,
Therfore came they to the man that was the ruelar ouer Iosephs house and comened with him at the doore
20 and said: 'Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food.
and sayde: Sir we came hither at the first tyme to bye foode
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; and we have brought it back in our hand.
and as we came to an Inne and opened oure sackes: beholde euery mannes money was in his sacke with full weghte: But we haue broght it agene with us
22 And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We know not who put our money in our sacks.'
and other mony haue we brought also in oure handes to bye foode but we can not tell who put oure money in oure sackes.
23 And he said: 'Peace be to you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.' And he brought Simeon out unto them.
And he sayde: be of good chere feare not: Youre God and the God of youre fathers hath put you that treasure in youre sackes for I had youre money. And he brought Simeon out to them
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
ad led the into Iosephs house and gaue the water to washe their fete and gaue their asses prauender:
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.
And they made redie their present agaynst Ioseph came at none for they herde saye that they shulde dyne there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down to him to the earth.
When Ioseph came home they brought the present in to the house to him which they had in their handes ad fell flat on the grounde befor him.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said: 'Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?'
And he welcomed the curteously sainge: is youre father that old man which ye tolde me of in good health? and is he yet alyue?
28 And they said: 'Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.' And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.
they answered: thy servaunte oure father is in good health ad is yet alyue. And they bowed them selues and fell to the grounde.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said: 'Is this your youngest brother of whom ye spoke unto me?' And he said: 'God be gracious unto thee, my son.'
And he lyfte vp his eyes and behelde his brother Ben Iamin his mothers sonne and sayde: is this youre yongest brother of whome ye sayde vnto me? And sayde: God be mercyfull vnto ye my sonne.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
And Ioseph made hast (for his hert dyd melt apon his brother) and soughte for to wepe and entred in to his chambre for to wepe there.
31 And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said: 'Set on bread.'
And he wasshed his face and came out and refrayned himselfe and bad sett bread on the table
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
And they prepared for him by himselfe and for them by them selues and for the Egiptians which ate with him by them selues because the Egyptians may not eate bread with the Hebrues for that is an abhomynacyon vnto the Egiptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one with another.
And they satt before him: the eldest acordynge vnto his age and the yongest acordyng vnto his youth. And the men marveled amonge them selves.
34 And portions were taken unto them from before him; but Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
And they broughte rewardes vnto them from before him: but Ben Iamins parte was fyue tymes so moch as any of theirs. And they ate and they dronke and were dronke wyth him.

< Genesis 43 >