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;
He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each 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.
Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” 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 donkeys.
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?
When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask 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.
Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”
6 He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre.
He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.
7 Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?
They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a 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 silver or gold out of your lord’s house?
9 At whom euere of thi seruauntis this that thou sekist is foundun, die he, and we schulen be seruauntis of my lord.
With whomever of your servants it is found, 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.
He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”
11 And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte;
Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 and bigan at the more til to the leeste, and foond the cuppe in `the sak of Beniamyn.
He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. 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 tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, 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.
Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
15 To whiche he seide, Whi wolden ye do so? whether ye witen not, that noon is lijk me in the kunnyng of dyuinyng?
Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”
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.
Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand 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.
He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go 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, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let 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.
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.
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.
We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t 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.
You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will 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,
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;
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.
We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 To whiche thingis the fadir answeride, Ye witen that my wiif childide twei sones to me;
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;
One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him 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)
If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ (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 boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’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 will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. (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 collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’
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, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy 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 will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”
