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.
Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in 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 history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
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 all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of many 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.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t 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.
Joseph dreamt a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
6 And Joseph seide to his britheren, Here ye the sweuene which Y seiy,
He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamt:
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.
for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to 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 brothers asked him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
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 dreamt yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamt yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed 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 it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamt? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
11 Therfor hise britheren hadden enuye to hym. Forsothe the fadir bihelde pryuely the thing,
His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
12 and whanne his britheren dwelliden in Sichem, aboute flockis of the fadir `to be kept,
His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13 Israel seide to Joseph, Thi britheren kepen scheep in Sichymys; come thou, Y schal sende thee to hem.
Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
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;
He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 and a man foond hym errynge in the feeld, and `the man axide, what he souyte.
A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 And he answerde, Y seke my britheren, schewe thou to me where thei kepten flockis.
He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
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.
The man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
18 And whanne thei hadden seyn hym afer, bifor that he neiyede to hem,
They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19 thei thouyten to sle hym, and spaken to gidere, Lo! the dremere cometh, come ye,
They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
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 therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
21 Sotheli Ruben herde this, and enforside to delyuere hym fro her hondis,
Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
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.
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, 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,
When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colours that was on him;
24 that hadde no water.
and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was 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.
They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it 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?
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we 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;
Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
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.
Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Ruben turnede ayen to the cisterne, and foond not the child;
Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and 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?
He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will 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,
They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
32 and seiden, We han founde this coote, se, whether it is the coote of thi sone, ether nai.
They took the tunic of many colours, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, and see if it is your son’s tunic 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.
He recognised it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
34 And he to-rente his clothis, and he was clothid with an heire, and biweilide his sone in myche tyme.
Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on 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 all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” 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.
The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
