Genesis 50

1 Which thing Joseph seiy, and felde on `the face of the fader, and wepte, and kiste hym;

And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father’s face weeping and kissing him.

2 and he comaundide hise seruauntis, lechis, that thei schulden anoynte the fadir with swete smellynge spiceries.

And he commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father.

3 While thei `filliden the comaundementis, fourti daies passiden, for this was the custom of deed bodies anoyntid; and Egipt biwepte hym seuenti daies.

And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt mourned for him seventy days.

4 And whanne the tyme of weiling was fillid, Joseph spak to the meyne of Farao, If Y haue founde grace in youre siyt, speke ye in the eeris of Farao; for my fadir chargide me,

And the time of the mourning being expired, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharao: If I have found favour in your sight, speak in the ears of Pharao:

5 and seide, Lo! Y die, thou schalt birie me in my sepulcre which Y diggide to me in the lond of Canaan; therfor Y schal stie that Y birie my fadir, and Y schal turne ayen.

For my father made me swear to him, saying: Behold I die: thou shalt bury me in my sepulchre which I have digged for myself in the land of Chanaan. So I will go up and bury my father, and return.

6 And Farao seide to hym, Stie, and birie thi fader, as thou art chargid.

And Pharao said to him: Go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear.

7 And whanne `he stiede, alle the elde men of `the hous of Farao yeden with him, and alle the grettere men in birthe of the lond of Egipt; the hous of Joseph with her britheren,

So he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of Pharao’s house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8 without litle children, and flockis, and grete beestis, whiche thei leften in the lond of Gessen, yeden with him.

And the house of Joseph with his brethren, except their children, and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of Gessen.

9 And he hadde charis, and horsmen, and felouschip, and cumpany was maad not litil.

He had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great company.

10 And thei camen to the cornfloor of Adad, which is set ouer Jordan, where thei maden the seruice of the deed bodi, with greet weilyng and strong, and fillide seuen daies.

And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days.

11 And whanne the dwellers of the lond of Canaan hadden seyn this, thei seiden, This is a greet weiling to Egipcians; and therfor thei clepiden the name of that place the weilyng of Egipt.

And when the inhabitants of Chanaan saw this, they said: This is a great mourning to the Egyptians. And therefore the name of that place was called, The mourning of Egypt.

12 Therfor the sones of Jacob diden, as he hadde comaundid to hem;

So the sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them.

13 and thei baren hym in to the lond of Canaan, and thei birieden hym in the double denne, which denne with the feeld Abraham hadde bouyt of Effron Ethei, ayens the face of Mambre, into possessioun of sepulcre.

And carrying him into the land of Chanaan, they buried him in the double cave which Abraham had bought together with the field for a possession of a buryingplace, of Ephron the Hethite over against Mambre.

14 And Joseph turnede ayen in to Egipt with hise britheren and al the felouschipe, whanne the fadir was biried.

And Joseph returned into Egypt with his brethren, and all that were in his company, after he had buried his father.

15 And whanne the fadir was deed, the britheren of Joseph dredden, and spaken togidere, lest perauenture he be myndeful of the wrong which he suffride, and yelde to vs al the yuel, that we diden.

Now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with another: Lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and requite us all the evil that we did to him.

16 And thei senten to hym, and seiden, Thi fadir comaundide to vs,

And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us before he died,

17 bifore that he diede, that we schulden seie to thee these thingis bi hise wordis; Y beseche, that thou foryete the wickidnesse of thi britheren, and the synne, and malice which thei hauntiden ayens thee; also we preien, that thou foryyue this wickidnesse to thi fadir, the seruaunt of God. Whanne these thingis weren herd, Joseph wepte.

That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practiced against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he wept.

18 And hise britheren camen to hym, and worschipiden lowe to erthe, and seiden, We ben thi seruauntis.

And his brethren came to him: and worshipping prostrate on the ground they said: We are thy servants.

19 To whiche he answeride, Nyle ye drede; whether we moun ayenstonde Goddis wille?

And he answered them: Fear not: can we resist the will of God?

20 Ye thouyten yuel of me, and God turnede it in to good, that he schulde enhaunse me, as ye seen in present tyme, and that he schulde make saaf many puplis;

You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.

21 nyle ye drede, Y schal fede you and youre litle children. And he coumfortide hem, and spak swetli, and liytly;

Fear not: I will feed you and your children. And he comforted them, and spoke gently and mildly.

22 and he dwellide in Egipt, with al the hows of his fadir. And he lyuyde an hundrid yeer,

And he dwelt in Egypt with all his father’s house: and lived a hundred and ten years.

23 and he seiy the sones of Effraym til to the thridde generacioun; also the sones of Machir, son of Manasses, weren borun in the knees of Joseph.

And he saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasses were born on Joseph’s knees.

24 Whanne these thingis weren don, Joseph spak to hise brithren, Aftir my deeth God schal visite you, and he schal make to stie fro this lond to the loond which he swoor to Abraham, Ysaac, and Jacob.

After which he told his brethren: God will visit you after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 And whanne he hadde chargid hem, and hadde seid, God schal visite you, bere ye out with you my boonus fro this place,

And he made them swear to him, saying: God will visit you, carry my bones with you out of this place:

26 he diede, whanne an hundrid and ten yeeris of his lijf weren fillid; and he was anoyntid with swete smellynge spiceries, and was kept in a beere in Egipt.

And he died being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed he was laid in a coffin in Egypt.