Genesis 41
1 Aftir twei yeer Farao seiy a dreem; he gesside that he stood on a flood,
After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,
2 fro which seuene faire kiyn and ful fatte stieden, and weren fed in the places of mareis;
when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
3 and othere seuene, foule and leene, camen out of the flood, and weren fed in thilk brenke of the watir, in grene places;
After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river.
4 and tho deuoureden thilke kien of whiche the fairnesse and comelynesse of bodies was wondurful.
And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,
5 Farao wakide, and slepte eft, and seiy another dreem; seuen eeris of corn ful and faire camen forth in o stalke,
but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.
6 and othere as many eeris of corn, thinne and smytun with corrupcioun of brennynge wynd,
After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.
7 camen forth, deuourynge al the fairenesse of the firste. Farao wakide aftir reste,
And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.
8 and whanne morewtid was maad, he was aferd bi inward drede, and he sente to alle the expowneris of Egipt, and to alle wise men; and whanne thei weren clepid, he telde the dreem, and noon was that expownede.
In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9 Thanne at the laste the maistir `of boteleris bithouyte, and seide, Y knowleche my synne;
Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures.
10 the kyng was wrooth to hise seruauntis, and comaundide me and the maister `of bakeris to be cast doun in to the prisoun of the prince of knyytis,
Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard.
11 where we bothe saien a dreem in o nyyt, biforeschewynge of thingis to comynge.
One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.
12 An Ebrew child, seruaunt of the same duk of knyytis was there, to whom we telden the dremes,
Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually.
13 and herden what euer thing the bifallyng of thing preuede afterward; for Y am restorid to myn office, and he was hangid in a cros.
And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
14 Anoon at the comaundement of the kyng thei polliden Joseph led out of prisoun, and whanne `the clooth was chaungid, thei brouyten Joseph to the kyng.
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.
15 To whom the kyng seide, Y seiye dremes, and noon is that expowneth tho thingis that Y seiy, I haue herd that thou expownest moost prudentli.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 Joseph answerde, With out me, God schal answere prosperitees to Farao.
“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”
17 Therfor Farao telde that that he seiy; Y gesside that Y stood on the brenke of the flood,
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
18 and seuene kiyn, ful faire and with fleischis able to etyng, stieden fro the watir, whiche kiyn gaderiden grene seggis in the pasture of the marreis;
when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
19 and lo! seuene othere kiyn, so foule and leene, sueden these, that Y seiy neuere siche in the lond of Egipt;
After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!
20 and whanne the formere kien weren deuourid and wastid, tho secounde yauen no steppe of fulnesse,
Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.
21 but weren slowe bi lijk leenesse and palenesse. I wakide, and eft Y was oppressid bi sleep, and Y seiy a dreem;
When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.
22 seuene eeris of corn, ful and faireste, camen forth in o stalke,
In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.
23 and othere seuene, thinne and smytun with `corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, camen forth of the stobil,
After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.
24 whiche deuouriden the fairenesse of the formere;
And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”
25 Y telde the dreem to expowneris, and no man is that expowneth. Joseph answerde, The dreem of the king is oon; God schewide to Farao what thingis he schal do.
At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
26 Seuene faire kiyn, and seuene ful eeris of corn, ben seuene yeeris of plentee, and tho comprehenden the same strengthe of dreem;
The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning.
27 and seuene kiyn thinne and leene, that stieden aftir tho, and seuene thinne eeris of corn and smytun with brennynge wynd, ben seuene yeer of hungur to comynge,
Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.
28 whiche schulen be fillid bi this ordre.
It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29 Lo! seuene yeer of greet plentee in al the lond of Egipt schulen come,
Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
30 and seuene othre yeer of so greet bareynesse schulen sue tho, that al the abundaunce bifore be youun to foryetyng; for the hungur schal waste al the lond,
but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.
31 and the greetnesse of pouert schal leese the greetnesse of plentee.
The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.
32 Forsothe this that thou siyest the secunde tyme a dreem, perteynynge to the same thing, is a `schewyng of sadnesse, for the word of God schal be doon, and schal be fillid ful swiftli.
Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.
33 Now therfor puruey the kyng a wijs man and a redi, and make the kyng hym souereyn to the lond of Egipt,
Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 which man ordeyne gouernouris bi alle cuntreis, and gadere he in to bernys the fyuethe part of fruytis bi seuene yeer of plentee,
Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
35 that schulen come now; and al the wheete be kept vndur the power of Farao, and be it kept in citees,
Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities.
36 and be it maad redi to the hungur to comynge of seuene yeer that schal oppresse Egipt, and the lond be not wastid bi pouert.
This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”
37 The counsel pleside Farao,
This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.
38 and alle his mynystris, and he spak to hem, Wher we moun fynde sich a man which is ful of Goddis spirit?
So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”
39 Therfor Farao seide to Joseph, For God hath schewid to thee alle thingis whiche thou hast spoke, wher Y mai fynde a wisere man and lijk thee?
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
40 Therfor thou schalt be ouer myn hous, and al the puple schal obeie to the comaundement of thi mouth; Y schal passe thee onely by o trone of the rewme.
You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41 And eft Farao seide to Joseph, Lo! Y haue ordeyned thee on al the lond of Egipt.
Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 And Farao took the ryng fro his hond, and yaf it in the hond of Joseph, and he clothide Joseph with a stoole of bijs, and puttide a goldun wrethe aboute the necke;
Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
43 and Farao made Joseph to `stie on his secounde chare, while a bidele criede, that alle men schulden knele bifore hym, and schulden knowe that he was souereyn of al the lond of Egipt.
He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.
44 And the kyng seide to Joseph, Y am Farao, without thi comaundement no man shal stire hond ether foot in al the lond of Egipt.
And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”
45 And he turnede the name of Joseph, and clepide him bi Egipcian langage, the sauyour of the world; and he yaf to Joseph a wijf, Asenech, the douyter of Potifar, preest of Heliopoleos. And so Joseph yede out to the lond of Egipt.
Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.
46 Forsothe Joseph was of thretti yeer, whanne he stood in the siyt of kyng Farao, and cumpasside alle the cuntreis of Egipt.
Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
47 And the plente of seuene yeer cam, and ripe corn weren bounden into handfuls, and weren gaderid into the bernys of Egipt,
During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully.
48 also al the aboundaunce of cornes weren kept in alle citeis,
During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.
49 and so greet aboundaunce was of wheete, that it was maad euene to the grauel of the see, and the plente passide mesure.
So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.
50 Sotheli twei sones were born to Joseph bifor that the hungur came, whiche Asenech, douytir of Putifar, preest of Heliopoleos, childide to hym.
Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
51 And he clepide the name of the firste gendrid sone, Manasses, and seide, God hath maad me to foryete alle my traueilis, and the hous of my fadir;
Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”
52 and he clepide the name of the secunde sone Effraym, and seide, God hath maad me to encreesse in the lond of my pouert.
And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 Therfor whanne seuene yeer of plentee that weren in Egipt weren passid,
When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,
54 seuene yeer of pouert bigunnen to come, whiche Joseph bifore seide, and hungur hadde the maistri in al the world; also hungur was in al the lond of Egipt;
the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.
55 and whanne that lond hungride, the puple criede to Farao, and axide metis; to whiche he answeride, Go ye to Joseph, and do ye what euer thing he seith to you.
When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
56 Forsothe hungur encreesside ech dai in al the lond, and Joseph openyde alle the bernys, and seelde to Egipcians, for also hungur oppresside hem;
When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
57 and alle prouynces camen in to Egipt to bie metis, and to abate the yuel of nedynesse.
And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
