The First Boke of Moses called Genesis Part 10

Than sayde Iuda to his brethr?/ what avayleth it that we sley oure brother/ and kepe his bloude secrett? come on/ let us sell him to the Ismaelites/ and let not oure handes be defyled vpon him: for he is oure brother and oure flesh. And his brethren were content. Than as the Madianites marchaunt men pa.s.sed by/ they drewe Ioseph out of the pytt and sold him vnto the Ismaelites for .xx. peces of syluer. And they brought him into Egipte.

And when Ruben came agayne vnto the pytt and founde not Ioseph there/ he rent his cloothes and went agayne vnto his brethern saynge: the lad is not yonder/ and whether shall I goo? And they toke Iosephs coote d kylled a goote/ & dypped the coote in the bloud. And they sent that gay coote d caused it to be brought vnto their father and sayd: This haue we founde: se/ whether it be thy snes coote or no. And he knewe it saynge: it is my sonnes coote a wicked beast hath deuoured him/ and Ioseph is rent in peces. And Iacob rent his cloothes/ d put sacke clothe aboute his loynes/ and sorowed for his sonne a longe season.

Than came all his sonnes d all his doughters to comforte him. And he wold not be comforted/ but sayde: I will go doune in to y^e grave vnto my sonne/ mornynge. And thus his father wepte for him. And the Madianytes solde him in Egipte vnto Putiphar a lorde of Pharaos: and his chefe marshall.

-- The .x.x.xviij. Chapter.

And it fortuned at that tyme that Iudas went from his brethren & gatt him to a man called Hira of Odollam/ and there he sawe the doughter of a man called Sua a Canaanyte. And he toke her d went in vnto her. And she conceaued and bare a sonne and called his name Er. And she conceaued agayne and bare a sonne and called him Onan. And she conceaued the thyrde tyme & bare a sonne/ whom she called Sela: & he was at Chesyb when she bare hem.

And Iudas gaue Er his eldest sonne/ a wife whose name was Thamar. But this Er Iudas eldest sonne was wicked in the syghte of the LORde/ wherfore the LORde slewe him. Than sayde Iudas vnto Onan: goo in to thi brothers wyfe and Marie her/ and styrre vp seed vnto thy brother.

And when Onan perceaued that the seed shulde not be his: therfore when he went in to his brothers wife/ he spylled it on the grounde/ because he wold not geue seed vnto his brother. And the thinge which he dyd/ displeased the LORde/ wherfore he slew him also. Than sayde Iudas to Thamar his doughter in lawe: remayne a wydow at thi fathers house/ tyll Sela my sonne be growne: for he feared lest he shulde haue dyed also/ as his brethren did. Thus went Thamar & dwelt in hir fathers house.

And in processe of tyme/ the doughter of Sua Iudas wife dyed. Than Iudas when he had left mornynge/ went vnto his shepe sherers to Thimnath with his frende Hira of Odollam. And one told Thamar saynge: beholde/ thy father inlawe goth vp to Thimnath/ to shere his shepe.

And she put hyr wydows garm?tes of from her and couered her with a clooke/ and disgyssed herself: and sat her downe at the entrynge of Enaim which is by the hye wayes syde to Thimnath/ for because she sawe that Sela was growne/ and she was not geu? vnto him to wife.

When Iuda sawe her/ he thought it had bene an hoore/ because she had couered hyr face. And turned to her vnto the waye and sayde/ come I praye the/ let me lye with the/ for he knewe not that it was his doughter in lawe. And she sayde what wylt thou gyue me/ for to lye with me? Th sayde he/ I will sende the a kydd fr the flocke. She answered/ Than geue me a pledge till thou sende it. Than sayde he/ what pledge shall I geue the? And she sayde: thy sygnett/ thy neckelace/ and thy staffe that is in thy hande. And he gaue it her and lay by her/ and she was with child by him. And she gatt her vp and went and put her mantell from her/ d put on hir widowes rayment agayne.

And Iudas send the kydd by his neybure of Odollam/ for to fetch out his pledge agayne from the wifes hande. But he fownde her not. Than asked he the men of the same place saynge: where is the whoore that satt at Enaim in the waye? And they sayde: there was no whoore here.

And he came to Iuda agayne saynge: I can not fynde her/ and also the men of the place sayde: that there was no whoore there. And Iuda sayde: let her take it to her/ lest we be shamed: for I sente the kydd & thou coudest not fynde her.

And it came to pa.s.se that after .iij. monethes/ one tolde Iuda saynge: Thamar thy doughter in lawe hath played the whoore/ and with playnge the whoore is become great with childe. And Iuda sayde: brynge her forth d let her be brente. And when they brought her forth/ she sent to her father in lawe saynge: by the m vnto whome these thinges pertayne/ am I with childe. And sayd also: loke whose are this seall necklace/ and staffe. And Iuda knewe them saynge: she is more rightwes th I/ because I gaue her not to Sela my sne. But he laye with her nomore.

When tyme was come that she shulde be delyuered/ beholde there was .ij. twynnes in hyr wbe. And as she traveled/ the one put out his hande and the mydwife toke and bownde a reed threde aboute it saynge: this wyll come out fyrst. But he plucked his hande backe agayne/ and his brother came out. And she sayde: wherfore hast thou rent a rent vppon the? and called him Pharez. And afterward came out his brother that had the reade threde about his hde/ which was called Zarah.

-- The .x.x.xix. Chapter.

Ioseph was brought vnto Egipte/ d Putiphar a lorde of Pharaos: d his chefe marshall an Egiptian/ bought him of y^e Ismaelites which brought hi thither And the LORde was with Ioseph/ and he was a luckie felowe and continued in the house of his master the Egiptian. And his master sawe that the LORde was with him and that the LORde made all that he dyd prosper in his hande: Wherfore he founde grace in his masters syghte/ and serued him. And his master made him ruelar of his house/ and put all that he had in his hande. And as soone as he had made him ruelar ouer his house d ouer all that he had/ the LORde blessed this Egiptians house for Iosephs sake/ and the blessynge of the LORde was vpon all that he had: both in the house and also in the feldes. And therfore he left all that he had in Iosephs hande/ and loked vpon nothinge that was with him/ saue only on the bread which he ate. And Ioseph was a goodly persone & a well favored

And it fortuned after this/ that his masters wife cast hir eyes vpon Ioseph and sayde come lye with me. But he denyed and sayde to her: Beholde/ my master woteth not what he hath in the house with me/ but hath commytted all that he hath to my hande He him selfe is not greatter in the house than I/ d hath kepte nothige fr me/ but only the because thou art his wife. How than can I do this great wykydnes/ for to synne agaynst G.o.d? And after this maner spake she to Ioseph daye by daye: but he harkened not vnto her/ to slepe nere her or to be in her company.

And it fortuned aboute the same season/ that Ioseph entred in to the house/ to do his busynes: and there was none of the houshold by/ in the house. And she caught him by the garment saynge: come slepe with me. And he left his garment in hir hande d fled and gott him out When she sawe that he had left his garm?t in hir hande/ and was fled out/ she called vnto the men of the house/ and tolde them saynge: Se/ he hath brought in an Hebrewe vnto vs to do vs shame. for he came in to me/ for to haue slept wyth me. But I cried with a lowde voyce. And when he harde/ that I lyfte vp my voyce and cryed/ he left his garment with me and fled awaye and got him out.

And she layed vp his garment by her/ vntill hir lorde came home. And she told him acordynge to these wordes saynge. This Hebrues servaunte which thou hast brought vnto vs came in to me to do me shame. But as soone as I lyft vp my voyce and cryed/ he left his garment with me and fled out. When his master herde the woordes of his wyfe which she tolde him saynge: after this maner dyd thy servaunte to me/ he waxed wrooth.

And he toke Ioseph and put him in pryson: euen in the place where the kynges prisoners laye bounde. And there contynued he in preson. But the LORde was with Ioseph d shewed him mercie/ and gott him fauoure in the syghte of the keper of y^e preson which commytted to Iosephs hde all the presoners that were in the preson housse. And what soeuer was done there/ y^t dyd he. And the keper of the pres loked vnto nothinge that was vnder his hande/ because the LORde was with him/ & because that whatsoeuer he dyd/ the LORde made it come luckely to pa.s.se.

The xl. Capter.

And it chaunced after this/ that the chefe butlar of the kynge of Egipte and his chefe baker had offended there lorde the kynge of Egypte. And Pharao was angrie with them and put th? in warde in his chefe marshals house: euen in y^e preson where Ioseph was bownd. And the chefe marshall gaue Ioseph a charge with them/ & he serued them.

And they contynued a season in warde.

And they dreamed ether of them in one nyghte: both the butlar and the baker of the kynge of Egipte which were bownde in the preson house/ ether of them his dreame/ and eche mnes dreame of a sondrie interpretation When Ioseph came in vnto them in the mornynge/ and loked apon them: beholde/ they were sadd. And he asked them saynge/ wherfore loke ye so sadly to daye? They answered him/ we haue dreamed a dreame/ and haue no man to declare it. And Ioseph sayde vnto th?.

Interpretynge belongeth to G.o.d but tel me yet.

And the chefe butlar tolde his dreame to Ioseph and sayde vnto him. In my dreame me thought there stode a vyne before me/ and in the vyne were .iij. braunches/ and it was as though it budded/ & her blosss shottforth: & y^e grapes thereof waxed rype. And I had Pharaos cuppe in my hande/ and toke of the grapes and wronge them in to Pharaos cuppe/ & delyvered Pharaos cuppe in to his hande.

And Ioseph sayde vnto him/ this is the interpretation of it. The .iij.

braunches ar thre dayes: for within thre dayes shall Pharao lyft vp thine heade/ and restore the vnto thyne office agayne/ and thou shalt delyuer Pharaos cuppe in to his hde/ after the old maner/ even as thou dydest when thou wast his butlar. But thinke on me with the/ when thou art in good ease/ and shewe mercie vnto me. And make mencion of me to Pharao/ and helpe to brynge me out of this house: for I was stollen out of the lande of the Hebrues/ & here also haue I done nothige at all wherfore they shulde haue put me in to this dongeon.

When the chefe baker sawe that he had well interpretate it/ he sayde vnto Ioseph/ me thought also in my dreame/ y^t I had .iij. wyker baskettes on my heade: And in y^e vppermost basket/ of all maner bakemeates for Pharao. And the byrdes ate them out of the basket apon my heade

Ioseph answered and sayde: this is the interpretation therof. The .iij. baskettes are .iij. dayes/ for this daye .iij. dayes shall Pharao take thy heade from the/ and shall hange the on a tree/ and the byrdes shall eate thy flesh from of the.

And it came to pa.s.se the thyrde daye which was Pharaos byrth daye/ that he made a feast vnto all his servauntes. And he lyfted vpp the head of the chefe b.u.t.telar and of the chefe baker amonge his servauntes. And restored the chefe b.u.t.telar vnto his b.u.t.telars.h.i.+pe agayne/ and he reched the cuppe in to Pharaos hande/ d hanged the chefe baker: eu? as Ioseph had interpretated vnto th?. Notwithstonding the chefe b.u.t.telar remembred not Ioseph/ but forgat hym.

The .xli. Capter

And it fortuned at .ij. yeres end/ that Pharao dreamed/ and thought that he stode by a ryuers syde/ and that there came out of the ryver .vij. goodly kyne and fatt fleshed/ and fedd in a medowe. And him though that .vij. other kyne came vp after them out of the ryver evelfauored and leane fleshed and stode by the other vpon the brynke of the ryuer. And the evill favored and lenefleshed kyne ate vp the .vij. welfauoured and fatt kyne: and he awoke their with.

And he slepte agayne and dreamed the second tyme/ that .vij. eares of corne grewe apon one stalke rancke and goodly. And that .vij. thynne eares blasted with the wynde/ sp.r.o.nge vp after them: and that the .vij. thynne eares deuowrerd the .vij. rancke and full eares. And than Pharao awaked: and se/ here is his dreame. When the mornynge came/ his sprete was troubled And he sent and called for all the soythsayers of Egypte and all the wyse men there of/ and told them his dreame: but there was none of them that coude interpretate it vnto Pharao.

Than spake the chefe b.u.t.telar vnto Pharao saynge. I do remembre my fawte this daye. Pharao was angrie with his servauntes/ and put in warde in the chefe marshals house both me and the chefe baker. And we dreamed both of vs in one nyght and ech mannes dreame of a sondrye interpretation.

And there was with vs a yonge man/ an Hebrue borne/ servaunte vnto the chefe marshall. And we told him/ and he declared oure dreames to vs acordynge to ether of oure dreames. And as he declared them vnto vs/ euen so it came to pa.s.se. I was restored to myne office agayne/ and he was hanged.

Than Pharao sent and called Ioseph. And they made him haste out of preson. And he shaued him self and chaunged his rayment/ & went in to Pharao. And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: I haue dreamed a dreame and no man c interpretate it/ but I haue herde saye of the y^t as soone as thou hearest a dreame/ thou dost interpretate it. And Ioseph answered Pharao saynge: G.o.d shall geue Pharao an answere of peace without me.

Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: in my dreame me thought I stode by a ryvers syde/ and there came out of the ryver vij fatt fleshed d well fauored kyne/ and fedd in the medowe. And then .vij. other kyne came vp after them/ poore and very euell fauored d leane fleshed: so that I neuer sawe their lyke in all the lande of Egipte in euell fauordnesse. And the .vij. leane and euell fauored kyne ate vpp the first .vij. fatt kyne And when they had eaten them vp/ a man cowde not perceaue that they had eat? them: for they were still as evyll fauored as they were at the begynnynge. And I awoke.

And I sawe agayne in my dreame .vij. eares sprynge out of one stalk full and good/ and .vij. other eares wytherd/ thinne and blasted with wynde/ sprynge vp after them. And the thynne eares deuowred the .vij.

good eares. And I haue tolde it vnto the sothsayers/ but no man can tell me what it meaneth.

Then Ioseph sayde vnto Pharao: both Pharaos dreames are one. And G.o.d doth shewe Pharao what he is aboute to do. The vij. good kyne are .vij yeres: & the .vij. good eares are .vij. yere also/ and is but one dreame. Lykewyse/ the .vij. thynne and euell fauored kyne that came out after them/ are .vij. yeares: and the .vij. emptie and blasted eares shalbe vij. yeares of hunger. This is that which I sayde vnto Pharao/ that G.o.d doth shewe Pharao what he is aboute to doo.

Beholde there shall come .vij. yere of great plenteousnes through out all the lande of Egypte. And there shall aryse after them vij. yeres of hunger. So that all the plenteousnes shalbe forgeten in the lande of Egipte. And the hunger shall consume the lande: so that the plenteousnes shall not be once agene in the land by reason of that hunger that shall come after/ for it shalbe exceading great And as concernynge that the dreame was dubled vnto Pharao the second tyme/ it betokeneth that the thynge is certanly prepared of G.o.d/ d that G.o.d will shortly brynge it to pa.s.se.

Now therfore let Pharao provyde for a man of vnderstondynge and wysdome/ and sett him over the lande of Egipte. And let Pharao make officers ouer the lande/ and take vp the fyfte parte of the land of Egipte in the vij. plenteous yeres and let them gather all the foode of these good yeres that come/ d lay vp corne vnder the power of Pharo: that there may be foode in the cities/ and there let them kepte it: that there may be foode in stoore in the lande/ agaynst the .vij.

yeres of hunger which shall come in the lande of Egipte/ and that the lande perishe not thorow hunger.

And the saynge pleased Pharao d all his seruauntes. Than sayde Pharao vnto his seruavauntes: where shall we fynde soch a m as this is/ that hath the sprete of G.o.d in him? wherfore Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: for as moch as G.o.d hath shewed the all this/ there is no man of vnderstondyng nor of wysdome lyke vnto the Thou therfore shalt be ouer my house/ and acordinge to thy worde shall all my people obey: only in the kynges seate will I be aboue the. And he sayde vnto Ioseph: beholde/ I haue sett the ouer all the lande of Egipte. And he toke off his rynge from his fyngre/ and put it vpon Iosephs fingre/ and arayed him in raym?t of bisse/ and put a golden cheyne aboute his necke and set him vpon the best charett that he had saue one. And they cryed before him Abrech/ d that Pharao had made him ruelar ouer all the lande of Egipte.

And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: I am Pharao/ without thi will/ shall no man lifte vp ether his hande or fote in all the lande of Egipte. And he called Iosephs name Zaphnath Paenea. And he gaue him to wyfe Asnath the doughter of Potiphara preast of On. Than went Ioseph abrode in the lde of Egipte. And he was .x.x.x. yere olde wh? he stode before Pharao kynge of Egipte. And than Ioseph departed from Pharao/ and went thorow out all the lande of Egipte.