The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XLI.

[verse 1] After two ȝeer Pharao sawe a sweuen; [verse 2] he trowide him to stonde vpon a flood, of the which steyden vp seuene fayre oxen and ful fatte, and thei weren fed in [verse 3] mershi places; and other seuene out comen of the flood, fowle and al ouer|comen with leenesse, and thei weren fedde in the [that BDEFH.] brenke of the flood, in moost [verse 4] plenteuows grene places; and thei de|uouriden hem of whom was merueilows fayrnes and proporcioun of bodies. Pha|rao [verse 5] wakned [wakynde BDEH.] , slepte eftsones, and sawȝ another sweuen; seuene eerys buriounde [verse 6] in o stalk and ful fayr, and other as feel eerys, thinne and smytun with meldew, [verse 7] weren growun, deuowrynge al the fayrnes of the first. Pharao, a wakynge after reste, [verse 8] and the morwetide bigunne, feerd for drede, sente to alle the reders of Egepte, and to all the wise men, and hem clepid to, tolde the sweuen, and there was not that vndide it. [verse 9] Thanne at the last the

maister of botlers remembrynge, seith, I [verse 10] knowleche my synne; the king wroth to his seruauntis, me and the mayster of bakers comaundid to be put in [in to E.] prisoun [verse 11] of the prince of knyȝtis, where either o nyȝt seen a sweuen, bifore shewynge of thingis that ben to comun. [verse 12] There was `a seruant, Hebrew childe [ane Hebrew chylde, seruaunt BDFH.] , of the same duke of knyȝtis, to whom tellynge the sweuenes, [verse 13] we herden alle thingis [thing BEH.] that afterward the oute comyng of the thing proued; for|sothe Y am ȝoldun aȝen to myn office, and he was hongid in the crosse. [verse 14] Anoon thei doddiden [diden AF. dedden D. clyp|piden E pr. m. doddidyn sec. m.] Joseph lad out of the pri|soun, at the maundement of the kyng, and with chaungid clothing offreden to hym. [verse 15] To whom he seith, I sawȝ sweuens, ne there is that opnith, the which I haue herd the moost wiseli to caste. [verse 16] Joseph answerde, God with outen me shal an|swere welsum thingis to Pharao. [verse 17] Thanne Pharao tolde that he sawȝ; I wende me to stonde vpon the brynk of the flood, [verse 18] and seuen oxen fro the flood togideres steyden vp, ful greetli fayr and thurȝ oute with fatt fleish, the whiche in the pasture of mershe [the mershe BEFH.] the grene leswis cheseden; [verse 19] and loo! thes folweden other seuen oxen, in as myche defourme and leene, that neuer siche in the loond of Egipte Y [verse 20] sawȝ; the whiche the rather deuowrid [verse 21] and wastid, no merke of fulfedyng ȝouun, but with the same leenesse and foulnes thei dwelten. A wakynge, eftsones born [verse 22] doun with sleepe, I sawȝ a sweuen; se|uene eeris buriounde in o stalk, ful and [verse 23] moost fayr, and other seuen, thinne and smytun with a brennynge blaste, growiden [verse 24] of the stalk, the whiche deuowreden the fayrnes of the rather. [verse 25] I haue tolde to the reders the sweuen, and no man is that out openith. Joseph answeride, The

sweuen of the kyng is oon; the thingis that God is to do he shewede to Pharao. [verse 26] Seuen oxen fayr, and seuen eerys fulle, seuen ȝeris of plentith ben, and the same [verse 27] strengthe of sweuen holdun; and the seuen oxen thinne and leene, the whiche steyden after hem, and seuen eeris thinne and smytun with a brennynge wynde, seuen ȝeris ben of hungur to comen, the [verse 28] whiche bi this ordre shulen be fulfillid. [verse 29] Loo! seuen ȝeres [ȝeere BDEFH.] shulen come of greet [verse 30] plente [plentith BDEFH.] in al the loond of Egipte, whom shulen folwe othere seuen ȝeer of as greet bareynes, that to forgetyng be takun al the bihynd plentethnes [plentenes E.] ; forsothe to [verse 31] waste is hungur al the erthe, and the greetnes of myseys [mysesis D.] is to spille the greet|nes of plentithe. [verse 32] That forsothe thow hast seyn secoundli a sweuen perteynyng to the same thing, shewyng is of fast|nesse [fatnes A.] , therthurȝ that the worde of God be doon, and swiftloker be fulfild. [verse 33] Now thanne puruey the kyng a wise man and a [Om. E.] redi, and bifore maak hym to the loond [verse 34] of Egipte, the which ordeyn prouestis [pro|uest A.] thoruȝ out alle regiouns, and the fifte part of fruytis thurȝ out the seuen ȝeer of [verse 35] plenteth, that now ben to comen, now ge|der he in to the beernes; and al the wheet be leide vndur the power of Pharao, and [verse 36] be kepte in the cytee [cytees BDEH.] , and be bifore made redi to the hungur to come of the seuen ȝeer, the which is to oppresse Egipte, and the loond be not consumed with myschef. [verse 37] The counseil pleside to Pharao, and to [verse 38] alle the mynystris of hym, and he spake to hem, We mowen not fynde such a man the which be ful of the spiryt of God. [verse 39] Thanne he seide to Joseph, For God hath shewed to thee alle thingis that thow hast spokun, whether a wiser or a [Om. B.] liyk to thee fynde Y may? [verse 40] Thow shalt be vpon myn hows, and at the maundement of thi

mouth al the puple shal obeishe; in o thing oonli in dignyte of the rewme thee Y shal go bifore. [verse 41] And eft Pharao seide to Joseph, Loo! Y haue ordeynyde thee vpon al the loond of Egipte. [verse 42] And he took a ryng of his hoond, and ȝaue hym in his hoond, and he clothide hym a stool of biys, and putte aboute his necke a goldun [verse 43] beeȝe, and made him steyȝ vpon his se|cound chaar, criynge a bedel, that alle men shulden bifore hym knele, and thei shulden wite hym to be prouest to al the loond of Egipte. [verse 44] And the kyng seide to Joseph, I am Pharao, with outen thi maundement shal not eny man meue hoond or foot in the loond of Egipte. [verse 45] And he turnede the name of hym, and he clepide hym in Egipcian tunge, the saueor of the world; and he ȝaue to hym a wijf, Asenech, the dowȝter of Putifar, preest of Helyopoleos. And so Joseph, goon oute to the loond of [verse 46] Egipte, forsothe was of thritti wynter whanne he stode in the siȝt of kyng Pha|rao, and he ȝede aboute alle the regiouns of Egipte. [verse 47] And plentithnes cam of the seuen ȝeer, and the cornes maad into handfullis ben gederyd into beernes [the beernes BDEFH.] of [verse 48] Egipte, and al the plentith of fruytis in [verse 49] alle the citees was leide to kepe, and the plentithe of wheet was so myche, that to the grauel of the see it was mesurid euen, and the plentith passide mesure. [verse 50] To Jo|seph forsothe weren borne two sones bifore that the hunger cam, whom to him bare Asenech, the dowȝter of Putifar, preest of Helyopoleos. [verse 51] And he clepide the name of the first gotun Manasses, seiynge, God hath maad me to forȝete alle my trauayls, [verse 52] and the hows of my fader; and the name of the secounde he clepide Effraym, sei|ynge, God hath maad me growe in the loond of my pornes. [verse 53] Thanne ouerpassed seuen ȝeer of plentithe that weren in E|gipte, [verse 54]

bigunne to come to [Om. DEH.] the [Om. B.] seuen ȝeer of meseys [meseses D.] , whom Joseph seyde byfore, and in al the world hungur wex greet; also in al the loond of Egipte was hun|gur; [verse 55] the which hungring, the peple cryede to Pharao, askynge lyuelod, to whom he answeride, Goth to Joseph, and what euere he shal seye to ȝow, doth. [verse 56] For|sothe ech day hungur encreside in al the loond, and Joseph openyde alle the beernes, and solde to Egipcyens, for and [verse 57] hem oppresside hungur; and alle the [Om. E.] prouynces camen into Egipte, that thei myȝten bigge meetis and the yuel of myseis swagen.