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| [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; |
[1]Afterward he commanded his steward, 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. |
[2]And put my cup, I mean the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the commandment that Joseph gave him. |
| [3]And whanne the morewtid roos, thei weren delyuered with her assis. |
[3]And in the morning 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? |
[4]And when they went out of the city not far off, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men: and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye 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. |
[5]Is that not the cup, wherein my Lord drinketh? And in the which he doth divine and prophesy? Ye have done evil in so doing. |
| [6]He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre. |
[6]And when he overtook them, he said those words unto them. |
| [7]Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas? |
[7]And they answered him, Wherefore saith my lord such words? God forbid that thy servants 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? |
[8]Behold, the money which we found in our sack's mouths, we brought again to thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy 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. |
[9]With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. |
| [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. |
[10]And he said, Now then let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, and ye shall be blameless. |
| [11]And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte; |
[11]Then at once every man took down his sack to the ground, and every one opened his sack. |
| [12]and bigan at the more til to the leeste, and foond the cuppe in `the sak of Beniamyn. |
[12]And he searched, and began at the eldest 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. |
[13]Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and went again into 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. |
[14]So Judah and his brethren 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? |
[15]Then Joseph said unto them, What act is this, which ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I, can divine and prophesy? |
| [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. |
[16]Then said Judah, What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God hath found out the wickedness of thy servants: behold, we are servants to my Lord, both we, and he, 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. |
[17]But he answered, God forbid, that I should do so, but the man, with whom the cup is found, he shall be my servant, and go ye in peace unto 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. |
[18]Then Judah drew near unto him, and said, O my Lord, let thy servant now speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thy wrath be kindled against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. |
| [19]Thou axidist first thi seruauntis, Han ye a fadir, ether a brother? |
[19]My Lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye 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. |
[20]And we answered my Lord, We have a father that is old, and a young child, which he begat in his age: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. |
| [21]And thou seidist to thi seruauntis, Brynge ye hym to me, and Y schal sette myn iyen on hym. |
[21]Now thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him unto me, that I may set mine eye upon 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. |
[22]And we answered my lord, The child cannot depart from his father: for if he 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. |
[23]Then saidst thou unto thy servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, look in 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, |
[24]So when we came unto thy servant our father, and showed him what my lord had said, |
| [25]Turne ye ayen, and bie ye to you a litil of wheete; |
[25]And our father said unto us, Go again, 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. |
[26]Then we answered, We cannot go down: but if our youngest brother go 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; |
[27]Then thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bear me two sons, |
| [28]oon yede out, and ye seiden, a beeste deuouride hym, and hidir to he apperith not; |
[28]And the one went out from me, and I said, Of a surety 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. |
[29]Now ye take this also away from me: if death take him, then ye shall bring my gray head in sorrow to the grave. |
| [30]Therfor if Y entre to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, and the child faile, sithen his lijf hangith of the lijf of the child, |
[30]Now therefore, when I come to thy servant my father, and the child be not with us (seeing that his life dependeth on the child'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. |
[31]Then when he shall see that the child is not come, he will die: so shall thy servants bring the gray head of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. |
| [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; |
[32]Doubtless thy servant became surety for the child to my father, and said, If I bring him not unto thee again, then I will bear the blame unto 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; |
[33]Now therefore, I pray thee, let me thy servant abide for the child, as a servant to my Lord, and let the child go up with his brethren. |
| [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. |
[34]For how can I go up to my father, if the child be not with me, unless I would see the evil that shall come on my father? |