1 And Jacob called his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves together that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days.

2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to Israel your father:

3 Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow: excelling in gifts, greater in command.

4 Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not: because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed, and didst defile his couch.

5 Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity, waging war.

6 Let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their selfwill they undermined a wall.

7 Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath because it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.

8 Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hands shall be on the necks of thy enemies: the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.

9 Juda is a lion’s whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?

10 The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.

11 Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.

12 His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

13 Zabulon shall dwell on the sea shore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.

14 Issachar shall be a strong ass lying down between the borders.

15 He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.

16 Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel.

17 Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels that his rider may fall backward.

18 I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.

19 Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.

20 Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings.

21 Nephtali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty.

22 Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold; the daughters run to and fro upon the wall.

23 But they that held darts provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him.

24 His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel.

25 The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come; may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.

27 Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil.

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one, with their proper blessings.

29 And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite,

30 Over against Mambre in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to bury in.

31 There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.

32The field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hethite.

33 And when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people.

1 After these things, it was told Joseph that his father was sick: and he set out to go to him, taking his two sons Manasses and Ephraim.

2 And it was told the old man: Behold thy son Joseph cometh to thee. And being strengthened he sat on his bed.

3 And when Joseph was come in to him, he said: God Almighty appeared to me at Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan: and he blessed me,

4 And he said: I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and I will make of thee a multitude of people: and I will give this land to thee, and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

5 So thy two sons who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before I came hither to thee, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasses shall be reputed to me as Ruben and Simeon.

6 But the rest whom thou shalt have after them, shall be thine, and shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions.

7 For, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died from me in the land of Chanaan in the very journey, and it was springtime: and I was going to Ephrata, and I buried her near the way of Ephrata, which by another name is called Bethlehem.

8 Then seeing his sons, he said to him: Who are these?

9 He answered: They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said: Bring them to me that I may bless them.

10 For Israel’s eyes were dim by reason of his great age, and he could not see clearly. And when they were brought to him, he kissed and embraced them.

11 And said to his son: I am not deprived of seeing thee: moreover God hath shewed me thy seed.

12 And when Joseph had taken them from his father’s lap, he bowed down with his face to the ground.

13 And he set Ephraim on his right hand, that is, towards the left hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father’s right hand, and brought them near to him.

14 But he stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of Ephraim the younger brother; and the left upon the head of Manasses who was the elder, changing his hands.

15 And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day;

16 The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham, and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.

17 And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father’s hand he tried to lift it from Ephraim’s head, and to remove it to the head of Manasses.

18 And he said to his father: It should not be so, my father: for this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head.

19 But he refusing, said: I know, my son, I know: and this also shall become peoples, and shall be multiplied: but this younger brother shall be greater than he: and his seed shall grow into nations.

20 And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses.

21 And he said to Joseph his son: Behold I die, and God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers.

22 I give thee a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorrhite with my sword and bow.

1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.

2 Five men also the last of his brethren, he presented before the king:

3 And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

4 We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.

5 The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are come to thee.

6 The land of Egypt is before thee: make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.

7 After this Joseph brought in his father to the king, and presented him before him: and he blessed him.

8 And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy life?

9 He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers.

10 And blessing the king, he went out.

11 But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.

12 And he nourished them, and all his father’s house, allowing food to every one.

13 For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land: more especially of Egypt and Chanaan.

14 Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it into the king’s treasure.

15 And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now no money.

16 And he answered them: Bring me your cattle, and for them I will give you food, if you have no money.

17 And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.

18 And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.

19 Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king’s servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it into Pharao’s hands:

21 And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof,

22 Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions.

23 Then Joseph said to the people: Behold as you see, both you and your lands belong to Pharao: take seed and sow the fields,

24 That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the king: the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your families and children.

25 And they answered: Our life is in thy hand: only let my lord look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.

26 From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the fifth part is paid to the king, and it is become as a law, except the land of the priests, which was free from this covenant.

27 So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and possessed it: and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.

28 And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years.

29 And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and truth, not to bury me in Egypt:

30 But I will sleep with my fathers, and thou shalt take me away out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded.

31 And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the bed’s head.

1 And Israel taking his journey, with all that he had, came to the well of the oath, and killing victims there to the God of his father Isaac,

2 He heard him by a vision in the night calling him, and saying to him: Jacob, Jacob. And he answered him: Lo, here I am.

3 God said to him: I am the most mighty God of thy father: fear not, go down into Egypt, for I will make a great nation of thee there.

4 I will go down with thee thither, and will bring thee back again from thence: Joseph also shall put his hands upon thy eyes.

5 And Jacob rose up from the well of the oath: and his sons took him up, with their children and wives in the wagons, which Pharao had sent to carry the old man,

6 And all that he had in the land of Chanaan, and he came into Egypt with all his seed:

7 His sons, and grandsons, daughters, and all his offspring together.

8 And these are the names of the children of Israel, that entered into Egypt, he and his children. His firstborn Ruben,

9 The sons of Ruben: Henoch and Phallu, and Hesron and Charmi.

10 The sons of Simeon: Jamuel and Jamin and Ahod, and Jachin and Sohar, and Saul the son of a woman of Chanaan.

11 The sons of Levi: Gerson and Caath and Merari.

12 The sons of Juda: Her and Onan and Sela and Phares and Zara. And Her and Onan died in the land of Chanaan. And sons were born to Phares: Hesron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Issachar: Thola and Phua and Job and Semron.

14 The sons of Zabulon: Sared and Elon and Jahelel.

15 These are the sons of Lia, whom she bore in Mesopotamia of Syria, with Dina his daughter. All the souls of her sons and daughters, thirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad: Sephian and Haggi and Suni and Esebon and Heri and Arodi and Areli.

17 The sons of Aser: Jamne and Jesua and Jessuri and Beria, and Sara their sister. The sons of Beria: Heber and Melchiel.

18 These are the sons of Zelpha, whom Laban gave to Lia his daughter. And these she bore to Jacob, sixteen souls.

19 The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

20 And sons were born to Joseph, in the land of Egypt, whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore him: Manasses and Ephraim.

21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Bechor and Asbel and Gera and Naaman and Echi and Ros and Mophim and Ophim and Ared.

22 These are the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Jacob: all the souls, fourteen.

23 The sons of Dan: Husim.

24 The sons of Nephtali: Jaziel and Guni and Jeser and Sallem.

25 These are the sons of Bala, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter: and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls, seven.

26 All the souls that went with Jacob into Egypt, and that came out of his thigh, besides his sons’ wives, sixty-six.

27 And the sons of Joseph, that were born to him in the land of Egypt, two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, that entered into Egypt, were seventy.

28 And he sent Juda before him to Joseph, to tell him; and that he should meet him in Gessen.

29 And when he was come thither, Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet his father, in the same place: and seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and embracing him wept.

30 And the father said to Joseph: Now shall I die with joy, because I have seen thy face, and leave thee alive.

31 And Joseph said to his brethren, and to all his father’s house: I will go up, and will tell Pharao, and will say to him: My brethren and my father’s house, that were in the land of Chanaan, are come to me:

32 And the men are shepherds, and their occupation is to feed cattle: their flocks and herds, and all they have, they have brought with them.

33 And when he shall call you, and shall say: What is your occupation?

34 You shall answer: We thy servants are shepherds, from our infancy until now, both we and our fathers. And this you shall say, that you may dwell in the land of Gessen, because the Egyptians have all shepherds in abomination.

1 Joseph could no longer refrain himself before many that stood by: whereupon he commanded that all should go out, and no stranger be present at their knowing one another.

2 And he lifted up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians and all the house of Pharao heard.

3 And he said to his brethren: I am Joseph: is my father yet living? His brethren could not answer him, being struck with exceeding great fear.

4 And he said mildly to them: Come nearer to me. And when they were come near him, he said: I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

5 Be not afraid, and let it not seem to you a hard case that you sold me into these countries: for God sent me before you into Egypt for your preservation.

6 For it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, and five years more remain, wherein there can be neither ploughing nor reaping.

7 And God sent me before, that you may be preserved upon the earth, and may have food to live.

8 Not by your counsel was I sent hither, but by the will of God: who hath made me as it were a father to Pharao, and lord of his whole house, and governor in all the land of Egypt.

9 Make haste, and go ye up to my father, and say to him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of the whole land of Egypt: come down to me, linger not.

10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gessen: and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons’ sons, thy sheep, and thy herds, and all things that thou hast.

11 And there I will feed thee, (for there are yet five years of famine remaining), lest both thou perish, and thy house, and all things that thou hast.

12 Behold, your eyes, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaketh to you.

13 You shall tell my father of all my glory, and all things that you have seen in Egypt: make haste and bring him to me.

14 And falling upon the neck of his brother Benjamin, he embraced him and wept: and Benjamin in like manner wept also on his neck.

15 And Joseph kissed all his brethren, and wept upon every one of them: after which they were emboldened to speak to him.

16 And it was heard, and the fame was abroad in the king’s court: The brethren of Joseph are come: and Pharao with all his family was glad.

17 And he spoke to Joseph that he should give orders to his brethren, saying: Load your beasts, and go into the land of Chanaan.

18 And bring away from thence your father and kindred, and come to me: and I will give you all the good things of Egypt, that you may eat the marrow of the land.

19 Give orders also that they take wagons out of the land of Egypt, for the carriage of their children and their wives: and say: Take up your father, and make haste to come with all speed:

20 And leave nothing of your household stuff: for all the riches of Egypt shall be yours.

21 And the sons of Israel did as they were bid. And Joseph gave them wagons according to Pharao’s commandment: and provisions for the way.

22 He ordered also to be brought out for every one of them two robes: but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver with five robes of the best:

23 Sending to his father as much money and raiment, adding besides ten he asses to carry off all the riches of Egypt, and as many she asses, carrying wheat and bread for the journey.

24 So he sent away his brethren, and at their departing said to them: Be not angry in the way.

25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Chanaan to their father Jacob.

26 And they told him, saying: Joseph thy son is living: and he is ruler in all the land of Egypt. Which when Jacob heard, he awaked as it were out of a deep sleep, yet did not believe them.

27 They, on the other side, told the whole order of the thing. And when he saw the wagons and all that he had sent his spirit revived,

28 And he said: It is enough for me, if Joseph my son be yet living: I will go and see him before I die.

1 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.

2 And in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

3 And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.

4 And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?

5 The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

6 He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

7 And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

8 The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?

9 With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

10 And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.

11 Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

12 Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

14 And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.

15 And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

16 And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.

17 Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father.

18 Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

19 My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?

20 And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

21 And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.

22 We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.

23 And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.

24 Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

25 And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.

26 And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.

27 Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

28 One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.

29 If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.

30 Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,)

31 And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.

32 Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

33 Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.

34 For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.

1 In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.

2 And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again and buy us a little food.

3 Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the attestation of an oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.

4 If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.

5 But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without your youngest brother.

6 Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also another brother.

7 But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: Bring hither your brother with you?

8 And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.

9 I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever.

10 If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.

11 Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.

12 And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.

13 And take also your brother, and go to the man.

14 And may my almighty God make him favourable to you; and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children.

15 So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.

17 He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.

18 And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses.

19 Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,

20 They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before to buy food:

21 And when we had bought, and come to the inn, we opened our sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now brought again in the same weight.

22 And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.

23 But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to them.

24 And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.

25 But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

26 Then Joseph came into his house, and they offered him the presents holding them in their hands, and they bowed down with their face to the ground.

27 But he, courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? Is he yet living?

28 And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to him.

29 And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother, by the same mother, and said: Is this your young brother, of whom you told me? And he said: God be gracious to thee, my son.

30 And he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber he wept.

31 And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.

32 And when it was set on, for Joseph apart, and for his brethren apart, for the Egyptians also that ate with him, apart, (for it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they think such a feast profane):

33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:

34 Taking the messes which they received of him: and the greater mess came to Benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. And they drank, and were merry with him.

1 And Jacob hearing that food was sold in Egypt, said to his sons: Why are ye careless?

2 I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want.

3 So the ten brethren of Joseph went down, to buy corn in Egypt:

4 Whilst Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brethren: Lest perhaps he take any harm in the journey.

5 And they entered into the land of Egypt with others that went to buy. For the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

6 And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and corn was sold by his direction to the people. And when his brethren had bowed down to him,

7 And he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers somewhat roughly, asking them: Whence came you? They answered: From the land of Chanaan, to buy necessaries of life.

8 And though he knew his brethren, he was not known by them.

9 And remembering the dreams, which formerly he had dreamed, he said to them: You are spies. You are come to view the weaker parts of the land.

10 But they said: It is not so, my lord, but thy servants are come to buy food.

11 We are all the sons of one man: we are come as peaceable men, neither do thy servants go about any evil.

12 And he answered them: It is otherwise: you are come to consider the unfenced parts of this land.

13 But they said: We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the other is not living.

14 He saith: This is it that I said: You are spies.

15 I shall now presently try what you are: by the health of Pharao you shall not depart hence, until your youngest brother come.

16 Send one of you to fetch him: and you shall be in prison, till what you have said be proved, whether it be true or false: or else by the health of Pharao you are spies.

17 So he put them in prison three days.

18 And the third day he brought them out of prison, and said: Do as I have said, and you shall live: for I fear God.

19 If you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in prison: and go ye your ways and carry the corn that you have bought, unto your houses.

20 And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may find your words to be true, and you may not die. They did as he had said.

21 And they talked one to another: We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this affliction come upon us.

22 And Ruben one of them, said: Did not I say to you: Do not sin against the boy: and you would not hear me? Behold his blood is required.

23 And they knew not that Joseph understood, because he spoke to them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself away a little while, and wept: and returning he spoke to them.

25 And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every man’s money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions for the way: and they did so.

26 But they having loaded their asses with the corn, went their way.

27 And one of them opening his sack, to give his beast provender in the inn, saw the money in the sack’s mouth;

28 And said to his brethren: My money is given me again, behold it is in the sack. And they were astonished, and troubled, and said to one another: What is this that God hath done unto us?

29 And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Chanaan, and they told him all things that had befallen them, saying:

30 The lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the country.

31 And we answered him: We are peaceable men, and we mean no plot.

32 We are twelve brethren born of one father: one is not living, the youngest is with our father in the land of Chanaan.

33 And he said to us: Hereby shall I know that you are peaceable men: Leave one of your brethren with me, and take ye necessary provision for your houses, and go your ways.

34 And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know you are not spies: and you may receive this man again, that is kept in prison: and afterwards may have leave to buy what you will.

35 When they had told this, they poured out their corn and every man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being astonished together,

36 Their father Jacob said: You have made me to be without children: Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, and Benjamin you will take away: all these evils are fallen upon me.

37 And Ruben answered him: Kill my two sons if I bring him not again to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to thee.

38 But he said: My son shall not go down with you: his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if any mischief befall him in the land to which you go, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to hell.

1 After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the river,

2 Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places.

3 Other seven also came up out of the river, ill favoured, and leanfleshed: and they fed on the very bank of the river, in green places:

4 And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. So Pharao awoke.

5 He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair:

6 Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted,

7 And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his rest:

8 And when morning was come, being struck with fear, he sent to all the interpreters of Egypt, and to all the wise men: and they being called for, he told them his dream, and there was not any one that could interpret it.

9 Then at length the chief butler remembering, said: I confess my sin:

10 The king being angry with his servants, commanded me and the chief baker to be cast into the prison of the captain of the soldiers:

11 Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream foreboding things to come.

12 There was there a young man a Hebrew, servant to the same captain of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams,

13 And we heard what afterwards the event of the thing proved to be so. For I was restored to my office: and he was hanged upon a gibbet.

14 Forthwith at the king’s command, Joseph was brought out of the prison, and they shaved him, and changing his apparel, brought him in to him.

15 And he said to him: I have dreamed dreams, and there is no one that can expound them: Now I have heard that thou art very wise at interpreting them.

16 Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous answer.

17 So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,

18 And seven kine came up out of the river exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.

19 And behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill favoured and lean, that I never saw the like in the land of Egypt:

20 And they devoured and consumed the former,

21 And yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and ill favoured as before. I awoke, and then fell asleep again,

22 And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, full and very fair.

23 Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stock:

24 And they devoured the beauty of the former: I told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it.

25 Joseph answered: The king’s dream is one: God hath shewn to Pharao what he is about to do.

26 The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream.

27 And the seven lean and thin kine that came up after them, and the seven thin ears that were blasted with the burning wind, are seven years of famine to come:

28 Which shall be fulfilled in this order:

29 Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt:

30 After which shall follow other seven years of so great scarcity, that all the abundance before shall be forgotten: for the famine shall consume all the land,

31 And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty.

32 And for that thou didst see the second time a dream pertaining to the same thing: it is a token of the certainty, and that the word of God cometh to pass, and is fulfilled speedily.

33 Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt:

34 That he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years,

35 That shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up under Pharao’s hands and be reserved in the cities.

36 And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with scarcity.

37 The counsel pleased Pharao and all his servants.

38 And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God?

39 He said therefore to Joseph: Seeing God hath shewn thee all that thou hast said, can I find one wiser and one like unto thee?

40 Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above thee.

41 And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.

42 And he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his hand: and he put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold about his neck.

43 And he made him go up into his second chariot, the crier proclaiming that all should bow their knee before him, and that they should know he was made governor over the whole land of Egypt.

44 And the king said to Joseph: I am Pharao; without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

45 And he turned his name, and called him in the Egyptian tongue, The saviour of the world. And he gave him to wife Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis. Then Joseph went out to the land of Egypt:

46 (Now he was thirty years old when he stood before king Pharao) and he went round all the countries of Egypt.

47 And the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corn being bound up into sheaves was gathered together into the barns of Egypt.

48 And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city.

49 And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure.

50 And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore unto him.

51 And he called the name of the firstborn Manasses, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father’s house.

52 And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.

53 Now when the seven years of the plenty that had been in Egypt were past:

54 The seven years of scarcity, which Joseph had foretold, began to come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.

55 And when there also they began to be famished, the people cried to Pharao for food. And he said to them: Go to Joseph: and do all that he shall say to you.

56 And the famine increased daily in all the land: and Joseph opened all the barns, and sold to the Egyptians: for the famine had oppressed them also.

57 And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want.

1 After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, offended their lord.

2 And Pharao being angry with them (now the one was chief butler, the other chief baker)

3 He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which Joseph also was prisoner,

4 But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, and he served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept in custody.

5 And they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves:

6 And when Joseph was come in to them in the morning, and saw them sad,

7 He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual?

8 They answered: We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to interpret it to us. And Joseph said to them: Doth not interpretation belong to God? Tell me what you have dreamed.

9 The chief butler first told his dream: I saw before me a vine,

10 On which were three branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes:

11 And the cup of Pharao was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao.

12 Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three branches are yet three days:

13 After which Pharao will remember thy service, and will restore thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according to thy office, as before thou wast wont to do.

14 Only remember me, when it shall be well with thee, and do me this kindness: to put Pharao in mind to take me out of this prison:

15 For I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon.

16 The chief baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, said: I also dreamed a dream, That I had three baskets of meal upon my head:

17 And that in one basket which was uppermost, I carried all meats that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of it.

18 Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three baskets are yet three days:

19 After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh.

20 The third day after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker.

21 And he restored the one to his place to present him the cup:

22 The other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn.

23 But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter.