Genesis 37
1 Forsothe Jacob dwellide in the lond of Canaan, in which his fadir was a pilgrym; and these weren the generaciouns of hym.
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
2 Joseph whanne he was of sixtene yeer, yit a child, kepte a flok with hise britheren, and was with the sones of Bala and Zelfa, wyues of his fadir; and he accuside his britheren at the fadir of `the worste synne.
This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3 Forsothe Israel louyde Joseph ouer alle hise sones, for he hadde gendrid hym in eelde; and he made to Joseph a cote of many colours.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
4 Forsothe hise britheren sien that he was loued of the fader more than alle, and thei hatiden hym, and myyten not speke ony thing pesibli to hym.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 And it bifelde that he telde to hise britheren a sweuene seyn, which cause was `the seed of more hatrede.
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6 And Joseph seide to his britheren, Here ye the sweuene which Y seiy,
He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7 Y gesside that we bounden to gidere handfuls, and that as myn handful roos, and stood, and that youre handfuls stoden aboute and worschipiden myn handful.
We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
8 Hise britheren answerden, Whether thou shalt be oure kyng, ethir we shulen be maad suget to thi lordschip? Therfor this cause of sweuenys and wordis mynystride the nurschyng of enuye, and of hatrede.
“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
9 Also Joseph seiy another sweuene, which he telde to the britheren, and seide, Y seiy bi a sweuene that as the sunne, and moone, and enleuen sterris worschipiden me.
Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 And whanne he hadde teld this sweuene to his fadir, and britheren, his fadir blamyde him, and seide, What wole this sweuene to it silf which thou hast seyn? Whether Y and thi modir, and thi britheren, schulen worschipe thee on erthe?
He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
11 Therfor hise britheren hadden enuye to hym. Forsothe the fadir bihelde pryuely the thing,
And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
12 and whanne his britheren dwelliden in Sichem, aboute flockis of the fadir `to be kept,
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
13 Israel seide to Joseph, Thi britheren kepen scheep in Sichymys; come thou, Y schal sende thee to hem.
Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
14 And whanne Joseph answerde, Y am redi, Israel seide, Go thou, and se whether alle thingis ben esi anentis thi britheren, and scheep; and telle thou to me what is doon. He was sent fro the valey of Ebron, and cam into Sichem;
Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
15 and a man foond hym errynge in the feeld, and `the man axide, what he souyte.
a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 And he answerde, Y seke my britheren, schewe thou to me where thei kepten flockis.
“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17 And the man seide to hym, Thei yeden awei fro this place; forsothe Y herde hem seiynge, Go we into Dothaym. And Joseph yede aftir his britheren, and foond hem in Dothaym.
“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 And whanne thei hadden seyn hym afer, bifor that he neiyede to hem,
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
19 thei thouyten to sle hym, and spaken to gidere, Lo! the dremere cometh, come ye,
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
20 sle we hym, and sende we into an eld sisterne, and we schulen seie, A wielde beeste ful wickid hath deuourid hym; and thanne it schal appere what hise dremes profiten to hym.
“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 Sotheli Ruben herde this, and enforside to delyuere hym fro her hondis,
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
22 and seide, Sle we not the lijf of hym, nether schede we out his blood, but caste ye hym into an eeld cisterne, which is in the wildirnesse, and kepe ye youre hondis gilteles. Forsothe he seide this, willynge to delyuere hym fro her hondis, and to yelde to his fadir.
“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
23 Therfor anoon as Joseph cam to hise britheren, thei dispuyliden hym of the coote, doun to the heele, and of many colours, and senten into the eeld cisterne,
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
24 that hadde no water.
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
25 And thei saten `to ete breed; and thei sien that Ismaelitis weigoers camen fro Galaad, and that her camels baren swete smellynge spiceries, and `rosyn, and stacten, into Egipt.
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
26 Therfor Judas seide to hise britheren, What schal it profite to vs, if we schulen sle oure brother, and schulen hide his blood?
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 It is betere that he be seeld to Ismalitis, and oure hondis be not defoulid, for he is oure brother and fleisch. The britheren assentiden to these wordis;
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
28 and whanne marchauntis of Madian passiden forth, thei drowen hym out of the cisterne, and seelden hym to Ismaelitis, for thriytti platis of siluer; whiche ledden hym in to Egipt.
So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 And Ruben turnede ayen to the cisterne, and foond not the child;
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
30 and he to-rente his closis, and he yede to hise britheren, and seide, The child apperith not, and whidir schal Y go?
returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 Forsothe thei token his coote, and dippiden in the blood of a kide, which thei hadden slayn; and senten men that baren to the fadir,
Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
32 and seiden, We han founde this coote, se, whether it is the coote of thi sone, ether nai.
They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
33 And whanne the fader hadde knowe it, he seide, It is the coote of my sone, a wielde beeste ful wickid hath ete hym, a beeste hath deuourid Joseph.
His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
34 And he to-rente his clothis, and he was clothid with an heire, and biweilide his sone in myche tyme.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Sothely whanne hise fre children weren gaderid to gidere, that thei schulden peese the sorewe of the fadir, he nolde take counfort, but seide, Y schal go doun in to helle, and schal biweile my sone. And the while Jacob contynude in wepyng, (Sheol h7585)
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 Madianytis seelden Joseph into Egipt to Putifar, chast `and onest seruaunt of Farao, maistir of the chyualrie.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
