Genesis 44

1 Forsothe Joseph comaundid the dispendere of his hous, and seide, Fille thou her sackis with wheete, as myche as tho moun take, and putte thou the money of ech in the hiynesse of the sak;

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

2 forsothe put thou in the mouth of the sak of the yongere my silueren cuppe, and the prijs of wheete which he yaf; and it was doon so.

And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3 And whanne the morewtid roos, thei weren delyuered with her assis.

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

4 And now thei hadden go out of the citee, and hadden go forth a litil; thanne Joseph seide, whanne the dispendere of his hous was clepid, Rise thou, pursue the men, and seye thou whanne thei ben takun, Whi han ye yolde yuel for good?

And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good?

5 The cuppe, which ye han stole, is thilk in which my lord drynkith, and in which he is wont to dyuyne; ye han do a ful wickid thing.

Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? you have done evil in so doing.

6 He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre.

And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

7 Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?

And they said to him, Why says my lord these words? God forbid that your servants should do according to this thing:

8 We brouyten ayen to thee fro the lond of Chanaan the monei which we founden in the hiynesse of sackis, and hou is it suynge that we han stole fro `the hows of thi lord gold ether siluer?

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord’s house silver or gold?

9 At whom euere of thi seruauntis this that thou sekist is foundun, die he, and we schulen be seruauntis of my lord.

With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

10 Which seide to hem, Be it doon bi youre sentence; at whom it is foundun, be he my seruaunt; forsothe ye schulen be gilteles.

And he said, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and you shall be blameless.

11 And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte;

Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

12 and bigan at the more til to the leeste, and foond the cuppe in `the sak of Beniamyn.

And he searched, and began at the oldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13 And whanne thei hadden `to-rent her clothis, and hadden chargid eft the assis, thei turneden ayen in to the citee.

Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

14 And Judas entride `the firste with brithren to Joseph; for he hadde not go yit fro the place; and alle felden togidere on erthe bifore hym.

And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

15 To whiche he seide, Whi wolden ye do so? whether ye witen not, that noon is lijk me in the kunnyng of dyuinyng?

And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? know you not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

16 To whom Judas seide, What schulen we answere to my lord, ether what schulen we speke, ether moun iustli ayenseie? God hath founde the wickidnesse of thi seruauntis; lo! alle we ben the seruauntis of my lord, bothe we and he at whom the cuppe is foundun.

And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

17 Joseph answeride, Fer be it fro me, that Y do so; he be my seruaunt that stal the cuppe; forsothe go ye fre to youre fadir.

And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace to your father.

18 Sotheli Judas neiyede neer, and seide tristili, My lord, Y preye, thi seruaunt speke a word in thin eeris, and be thou not wrooth to thi seruaunt; for aftir Farao thou art my lord.

Then Judah came near to him, and said, Oh my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant: for you are even as Pharaoh.

19 Thou axidist first thi seruauntis, Han ye a fadir, ether a brother?

My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father, or a brother?

20 And we answeriden to thee, my lord, An eld fadir is to vs, and a litil child that was borun in his eelde, whos brother of the same wombe is deed, and his modir hath hym aloone; forsothe his fadir loueth hym tendirli.

And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.

21 And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, Brynge ye hym to me, and Y schal sette myn iyen on hym.

And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.

22 We maden suggestioun to thee, my lord, the child may not forsake his fadir; for if he schal leeue the fadir, he schal die.

And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

23 And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, If youre leeste brother schal not come with you, ye schulen no more se my face.

And you said to your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more.

24 Therfor whanne we hadden stied to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, we telden to hym alle thingis whiche my lord spak; and oure fadir seide,

And it came to pass when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 Turne ye ayen, and bie ye to you a litil of wheete;

And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

26 to whom we seiden, We moun not go; if oure leeste brother schal go doun with vs, we schulen go forth togidere; ellis, if he is absent, we doren not se the `face of the lord.

And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.

27 To whiche thingis the fadir answeride, Ye witen that my wiif childide twei sones to me;

And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons:

28 oon yede out, and ye seiden, a beeste deuouride hym, and hidir to he apperith not;

And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

29 if ye taken also this sone, and ony thing bifallith to hym in the weye, ye schulen lede forth myn hoor heeris with morenyng to hellis. (Sheol h7585)

And if you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

30 Therfor if Y entre to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, and the child faile, sithen his lijf hangith of the lijf of the child,

Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;

31 and he se that the child is not with vs, he schal die, and thi seruauntis schulen lede forth hise hoor heeris with sorewe to hellis. (Sheol h7585)

It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 Be Y propirli thi seruaunt, which resseyuede this child on my feith, and bihiyte, and seide, If Y schal not brynge ayen hym, Y schal be gilti of synne ayens my fadir in al tyme;

For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

33 and so Y schal dwelle thi seruaunt for the child in to the seruyce of my lord, and the child stie with hise britheren;

Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.

34 for Y may not go ayen to my fadir, if the child is absent, lest Y stonde a witnesse of the wretchidnesse that schal oppresse my fadir.

For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.