CAP. XLVII.

[verse 1] Joseph thanne goon yn tolde to Pha|rao, seiynge, My fader and bretheren, the sheep of hem, and droues, and alle the thingis that thei han, ben comen fro the loond of Chanaan; and loo! thei ben in the loond of Gessen. [verse 2] And fyue men, the last of his bretheren, he sette bifore the [verse 3] kyng, whom he askide, What han ȝe of werke? Thei*. [the A.] answerden, Sheepherdes of sheep we ben, thi seruauntis, and we and [verse 4] our fadres; to pilgrimage into thi loond we ben comen, for there is noon eerbe to the flockis of thi seruauntis; hungur*. [hurgur A.] meche wexynge greuows in the loond of Chanaan, and we axen that thow co|maunde vs to be thi seruauntis in the loond of Gessen. [verse 5] And so the kyng seide to Joseph, Thi fader and thi bretheren [verse 6] ben comen to thee; the loond of Egipte is in thi siȝt, in the beste place make hem to dwelle, and tak to hem the loond of Gessen; and if thow hast knowe to be redi men in hem, ordeyne hem maystrys of my beestis. [verse 7] After thes thingis Joseph ladde yn his fader to the kyng, and sette hym beforn hym, the which blessynge to [verse 8] hym, and askyde of hym, How feele ben the dayes of the ȝeris of thi lijf? [verse 9] He answerde, The dayes of the pilgrimage*. [Om. BDEFH.]Page  184 of my lijf ben of an hundrid and thretti ȝeer, litil and yuel, and thei comen not vnto the dayes of my fadris, in the whiche thei han pilgrimagid. [verse 10] And the kyng blissid, he ȝede oute. [verse 11] Joseph forsothe to the fader and to his bretheren ȝaf posses|syoun in Egipte, in the best soyl of the loond of Ramesses, as comaundyde Pha|rao; [verse 12] and he fedde hem, and al the hows of his fader, ȝyuynge meetis to eche oon. [verse 13] Forsothe in al the world breed lackide, and hungur oppresside*. [ouerpressid BDEFH.] the erthe, moost [verse 14] of Egipte and of Chanaan; of the whiche al the money he gederyde togider for the sellyng of whete, and putte it to*. [in to BDEFH.] the tre|sorye of the kyng. [verse 15] And whanne to the biggerys faylide prijs, cam al Egipte to Joseph, seiynge, Ȝif to vs breed; whi dien we bifore thee, faylynge money? [verse 16] To whom he answerde, Bryngith ȝoure beestis, and Y shal ȝyue to ȝow for hem meetis, if prijs ȝe han not. [verse 17] The whiche, whanne thei hadden brouȝt, he ȝaf to hem foode for horsis, and sheep, and oxen, and assis; and he susteynede hem that ȝeer for chaungyng of beestis. [verse 18] And thei camen the secounde ȝeer, and seiden to hym, We hiden not to oure lord, that failynge the money and the beestis to|gideres han failid, ne it is priue fro thee, that with outen bodies and loond we han [verse 19] not; whi thanne shulen we dye, thee se|ynge? and we and our loond of thee shulen ben, bie vs in to the kyngis thral|dom, and ȝif vs seedes, lest peryshynge the tilyer*. [tylyers D.], the loond be turned aȝen into wildernes. [verse 20] Thanne Joseph bouȝte al the loond of Egipte, echoon sellynge his pos|sessiouns, for the greetnes of hungur; [verse 21] and he sugettide it to Pharao, and al the puplis of it, fro the laste termes of [verse 22] Egipte vnto the vttmest*. [vttermest BDEFH.] coostis of it, out takun the loond of prestis, the which of the kyng was take to hem, to whom and certeyn meetis of the comoun beernes Page  185 weren ȝouun, and therfor thei ben not nedid to sellen her possessiouns. [verse 23] Thanne seide Joseph to the peplis, Loo! as ȝe be|holden, and ȝow and ȝoure loond Pharao hath; takith seedis, and sowith feeldis, [verse 24] that ȝe mowen han lyuelodis; the fyfthe part*. [party BDEFH.] ȝe shulen ȝyue to the kyng, the tother foure partis Y leeue to ȝow into seed, and into metys, to meynes, and to ȝoure children. [verse 25] The whiche answerden, Oure helthe is in thin hoond; oure*. [and oure A.] God oonly bihold vs*. [in vs A.], and gladliche we shu|len serue to the kyng. [verse 26] Fro that tyme vnto the day that is now, in al the loond of Egipte the fifthe part to kyngis is payed, and yt is maad as into a lawe, with outen the preestis loond, that free was fro this condicioun. [verse 27] Thanne Yrael dwelte in Egipte, that is, in the loond of Gessen, and hadde it, and was encreesid and multiplied greetly. [verse 28] And he lyuede in it sixtene*. [seuenten D sup. ras.] ȝeer, and alle the dayes of the lijf of hym ben maad of an hundryd and seuene and fourti ȝeer. [verse 29] And whanne he bihelde the day of deeth to neiȝ, he clepide his sone Joseph, and seide to hym, If Y haue foundun grace in thi siȝt, putte thin hoond vnder myn hippe, and thow shalt do to me mercy and treuthe, that [verse 30] thow byrie me not in Egipte; but I shal sleepe with my fadris, and thow shalt take me fro this loond, and birye me in the sepulcre of myn eldres*. [eldren BDEFH.]. To whom Joseph answerde, I shal do that thow hast bodun. [verse 31] And he, Sweer thanne, he seith, to me; whom swerynge, Yrael anowrede God, turned to the heed of the bedde.