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.
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
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.
And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father’s wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
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 above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.
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.
And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 And it bifelde that he telde to hise britheren a sweuene seyn, which cause was `the seed of more hatrede.
Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
6 And Joseph seide to his britheren, Here ye the sweuene which Y seiy,
And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
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.
I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.
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.
His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
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.
He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping 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?
And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?
11 Therfor hise britheren hadden enuye to hym. Forsothe the fadir bihelde pryuely the thing,
His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
12 and whanne his britheren dwelliden in Sichem, aboute flockis of the fadir `to be kept,
And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
13 Israel seide to Joseph, Thi britheren kepen scheep in Sichymys; come thou, Y schal sende thee to hem.
Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
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;
I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
15 and a man foond hym errynge in the feeld, and `the man axide, what he souyte.
And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
16 And he answerde, Y seke my britheren, schewe thou to me where thei kepten flockis.
But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the 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.
And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
18 And whanne thei hadden seyn hym afer, bifor that he neiyede to hem,
And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.
19 thei thouyten to sle hym, and spaken to gidere, Lo! the dremere cometh, come ye,
And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
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, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:
21 Sotheli Ruben herde this, and enforside to delyuere hym fro her hondis,
And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and 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 take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore 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,
And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
24 that hadde no water.
And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
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 sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh 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?
And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal 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;
It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
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.
And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.
29 And Ruben turnede ayen to the cisterne, and foond not the child;
And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
30 and he to-rente his closis, and he yede to hise britheren, and seide, The child apperith not, and whidir schal Y go?
And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?
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,
And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
32 and seiden, We han founde this coote, se, whether it is the coote of thi sone, ether nai.
Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son’s coat, 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.
And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son’s coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.
34 And he to-rente his clothis, and he was clothid with an heire, and biweilide his sone in myche tyme.
And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
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)
And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, (Sheol h7585)
36 Madianytis seelden Joseph into Egipt to Putifar, chast `and onest seruaunt of Farao, maistir of the chyualrie.
The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
