Chapter V: Part 5

And he sayde: be of good chere/ feare not: Youre God and the God of youre fathers hath put you that treasure in youre sackes/ for I had youre money. And he brought Simeon out to them ad led th[~e] in to Iosephs house/ and gaue th[~e] water to washe their fete/ and gaue their asses prauender: And they made redie their present agaynst Ioseph came at none/ for they herde saye that they shulde dyne there.

When Ioseph came home/ they brought the present in to the house to him/ which they had in their handes/ ad fell flat on the grounde befor him. And he welcomed th[~e] curteously sainge: is youre father that old man which ye tolde me of/ in good health? and is he yet alyue? they answered: thy servaunte oure father is in good health/ ad is yet alyue. And they bowed them selues and fell to the grounde.

And he lyfte vp his eyes & behelde his brother Ben Iamin his mothers sonne/ & sayde: is this youre yongest brother of whome ye sayde vnto me? And sayde: God be mercyfull vnto y^e my sonne. And Ioseph made hast (for his hert dyd melt apon his brother) and soughte for to wepe/ & entred in to his chambre/ for to wepe there. And he wasshed his face and came out & refrayned himselfe/ & had sett bread on the table

And they prepared for him by himselfe/ and for them by them selues/ and for the Egiptians which ate with him by them selues/ because the Egyptians may not eate bread with the Hebrues/ for that is an abhomynacyon vnto the Egiptians. And they satt before him: the eldest acordynge vnto his age/ and the yongest acordyng vnto his youth. And the men marveled amonge them selves. And they broughte rewardes vnto them from before him: but Ben Iamins parte was fyue tymes so moch as any of theirs. And they ate and they dronke/ and were dronke wyth him.

The .xliiij. Chapter.

And he commaunded the rueler of his house saynge: fyll the mens sackes with food/ as moch as they can carie/ and put euery mans money in his bagge mouth/ and put my syluer cuppe in the sackes mouth of the yongest and his corne money also. And he dyd as Ioseph had sayde. And in y^e mornynge as soone as it was lighte/ the m[~e] were let goo with their asses.

And when they were out of the cytie and not yet ferre awaye/ Ioseph sayde vnto the ruelar of his house: vp and folowe after the men and ouertake them/ and saye vnto them: wherfore haue ye rewarded euell for good? is that not the cuppe of which my lorde drynketh/ ad doth he not prophesie therin? ye haue euell done that ye haue done.

And he ouertoke them and sayde the same wordes vnto them. And they answered him: wherfore sayth my lorde soch wordes? God forbydd that thy servauntes shulde doo so. Beholde/ the money which we founde in oure sackes mouthes/ we brought agayne vnto the/ out of the lande of Canaa: how then shulde we steale out of my lordes house/ ether syluer or golde: with whosoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde let him dye/ and let vs also be my lordes bondmen. And he sayde: Now therfore acordynge vnto youre woordes/ he with whom it is found/ shalbe my seruaunte: but ye/ shalbe harmelesse.

And attonce euery man toke downe his sacke to the grounde/ ad every man opened his sacke. And he serched/ and began at the eldest & left at the yongest. And the cuppe was founde in Ben Iamins sacke. Then they rent their clothes/ and laded euery man his asse and went agayne vnto the cytie. And Iuda and his brethr[~e] came to Iosephs house/ for he was yet there/ ad they fell before him on the grounde. And Ioseph sayde vnto th[~e]: what dede is this which ye haue done? wist ye not that soch a man as I can prophesie?

Then sayde Iuda: what shall we saye vnto my lorde/ what shall we speake or what excuse can we make? God hath founde out y^e wekednesse of thy seruauntes. Beholde/ both we and he with whom the cuppe is founde/ are thy seruauntes. And he answered: God forbyd y^t I shulde do so/ the man with whom the cuppe is founde/ he shalbe my seruaunte: but goo ye in peace vn to youre father.

Then Iuda went vnto him and sayde: oh my lorde/ let thy servante speake a worde in my lordes audyence/ and be not wrooth with thi servaunte: for thou art euen as Pharao. My lorde axed his seruaunte sainge: haue ye a father or a brother? And we answered my lord/ we haue a father that is old/ and a yonge lad which he begat in his age: ad the brother of the sayde lad is dead/ & he is all that is left of that mother. And his father loueth him.

Then sayde my lorde vnto his seruauntes brynge him vnto me/ that I maye sett myne eyes apon him. And we answered my lorde/ that the lad coude not goo from his father/ for if he shulde leaue his father/ he were but a deed man. Than saydest thou vnto thy servauntes: excepte youre yongest brother come with you/ loke that ye se my face no moare.

And when we came vnto thy servaunt oure father/ we shewed him what my lorde had sayde. And when oure father sayde vnto vs/ goo agayne and bye vs a litle fode: we sayd/ y^t we coude not goo. Neverthelesse if oure youngeste brother go with vs then will we goo/ for we maye not see the mannes face/ excepte oure yongest brother be with vs. Then sayde thy servaunt oure father vnto vs. Ye knowe that my wyfe bare me .ij. sonnes. And the one went out from me and it is sayde of a suertie that he is torne in peaces of wyld beastes/ and I sawe him not sence. Yf ye shall take this also awaye fro me and some mysfortune happen apon him/ then shall ye brynge my gray heed with sorow vnto the grave.

Now therfore wh[~e] I come to thy servaunt my father/ yf the lad be not with me: seinge that his lyfe hageth by the laddes lyfe/ then as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come/ he will dye. So shall we thy serva[~u]tes brynge the gray hedde of thy servaunt oure father with sorow vnto the grave. For I thy servaunt became suertie for the lad vnto my father & sayde: yf I bringe him not vnto the agayne. I will bere the blame all my life loge. Now therfore let me thy servaunt byde here for y^e lad/ & be my lordes bondman: & let the lad goo home with his brethern. For how can I goo vnto my father/ and the lad not wyth me: lest I shulde see the wretchednes that shall come on my father.

The .xlv. Chapter.

And Ioseph coude no longer refrayne before all them that stode aboute him/ but commaunded that they shuld goo all out from him/ and that there shuld be no man with him/ whyle he vttred him selfe vnto his brethern. And he wepte alowde/ so that the Egiptians and the house of Pharao herde it. And he sayde vnto his brethern: I am Ioseph: doth my father yet lyue? But his brethern coude not answere him/ for they were abasshed at his presence.

And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethern: come nere to me/ and they came nere. And he sayde: I am Ioseph youre brother whom ye sold in to Egipte. And now be not greued therwith/ nether let it seme a cruel thinge in youre eyes/ that ye solde me hither. For God dyd send me before you to saue lyfe. For this is the seconde yere of derth in the lande/ and fyue moo are behynde in which there shall nether be earynge nor hervest.

Wherfore God sent me before you to make prouision/ that ye myghte continue in the erth and to save youre lyues by a greate delyuerance. So now it was not ye that sent me hither/ but God: and he hath made me father vnto Pharao and lorde ouer all his house/ and rueler in all the land of Egipte. Hast you ad goo to my father and tell him/ this sayeth thy sonne Ioseph: God hath made me lorde ouer all Egipte. Come downe vnto me and tarye not/ And thou shalt dwell in the londe of Gosan & be by me: both thou and thi childern/ and thi childerns childern: and thy shepe/ and beestes and all that thou hast. There will I make provision for the: for there remayne yet v yeres of derth/ lest thou and thi houshold and all that thou hast perish.

Beholde/ youre eyes do se/ and the eyes also of my brother Ben Iamin/ that I speake to you by mouth. Therfore tell my father of all my honoure which I haue in Egipte and of all that ye haue sene/ ad make hast and brynge my father hither.

¶ And he fell on his brother Ben Iam[~i]s necke & wepte/ & Ben Iamin wepte on his necke. Moreouer he kyssed all his brethern and wepte apon them. And after that/ his brethern talked with him. And when the tidynges was come vnto Pharaos housse that Iosephes brethern were come/ it pleased Pharao well and all his seruauntes.

And Pharao spake vnto Ioseph: saye vnto thy brethern/ this do ye: lade youre beestes ad get you hence/ And when ye be come vnto the londe of Canaan/ take youre father and youre housholdes and come vnto me/ and I will geue you the beste of the lande of Egipte/ and ye shall eate the fatt of the londe. And commaunded also. This do ye: take charettes with you out of the lande of Egipte/ for youre childern and for youre wyues: and brynge youre father and come. Also/ regarde not your stuff/ for the goodes of all the londe of Egipte shalbe youres.

And the childern of Israell dyd euen so/ and Ioseph gaue them charettes at the commaundment of Pharao/ and gaue them vitayle also to spende by the waye. And he gaue vnto eche of them chaunge of rayment: but vnto Ben Iamin he gaue iij. hundred peces of syluer and .v. chaunge of rayment. And vnto his father he sent after the same maner: x. he asses laden with good out of Egipte/ and .x. she asses laden with corne/ bred and meate: to serue his father by the waye. So sent he his brethern awaye/ and they departed. And he sayde vnto them: se that ye fall not out by the waye.

And they departed from Egipte and came in to the land of Canaan vnto Iacob their father/ and told him saynge. Ioseph is yet a lyue and is gouerner ouer all the land of Egipte. And Iacobs hert wauered/ for he beleued th[~e] not. And they tolde him all the wordes of Ioseph which he had sayde vnto them. But when he sawe the charettes which Ioseph had sent to carie him/ then his sprites reviued. And Israel sayde. I haue ynough/ yf Ioseph my sonne be yet alyue: I will goo and se him/ yer that I dye.

The .xlvi. Chapter.

Israel toke his iourney with all that he had/ and came vnto Berseba and offred offrynges vnto the God of his father Isaac. And God sayde vnto Israel in a vision by nyghte/ and called vnto him: Iacob Iacob. And he answered: here am I. And he sayde: I am that mightie God of thy father/ feare not to goo downe in to Egipte. For I will make of the there a great people. I will go downe with y^e in to Egipte/ & I will also bringe the vp agayne/ & Ioseph shall put his hand apon thine eyes.

And Iacob rose vp from Berseba. And y^e sonnes of Israel caried Iacob their father/ ad their childern and their wyues in the charettes which Pharao had sent to carie him. And they toke their catell ad the goodes which they had gotten in the land of Canaan/ and came in to Egipte: both Iacob and all his seed with him/ his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes with him: his doughters and his sonnes doughters and all his seed brought he with him in to Egipte.

These are the names of the childern of Israel which came in to Egipte/ both Iacob and his sonnes: Rub[~e] Iacob's first sonne. The childern of Ruben: Hanoch/ Pallu/ Hezron and Charmi. The childern of Simeon: Iemuel/ Iamin/ Ohad/ Iachin/ Zohar and Saul the sonne of a Cananitish woman The childern of Leui: Gerson/ Kahath and Merari. The childern of Iuda: Er/ Onan/ Sela/ Pharez and Zerah/ but Er and Onan dyed in the lande of Canaan. The childern of Pharez/ Hezro & Hamul. The childern of Isachar: Tola/ Phuva Iob and Semiron. The childern of Sebulon: Sered/ Elon and Iaheleel. These be the childern of Lea which she bare vnto Iacob in Mesopotamia with his doughter Dina. All these soulles of his sonnes and doughters make .xxx and .vi.

The childern of Gad: Ziphion/ Haggi/ Suni/ Ezbon/ Eri/ Arodi and Areli. The childern of Asser: Iemna/ Iesua/ Iesui/ Brya and Serah their sister: And the childern of Biya were Heber and Malchiel. These are the childern of Silpha whom Laba gaue to Lea his doughter. And these she bare vnto Iacob in nombre xvi. soules.

The childern of Rahel Iacobs wife: Ioseph and ben Iamin. And vnto Ioseph in the lode of Egipte were borne: Manasses and Ephraim which Asnath the doughter of Potiphara preast of On bare vnto him. The childern of Ben Iamin: Bela/ Becher/ Asbel/ Gera/ Naeman/ Ehi Ros Mupim/ Hupim and Ard. These are the childern of Rahel which were borne vnto Iacob: xiiij. soules all to gether.

The childern of Dan: Husim. The childern of Nepthali: Iahezeel/ Guni/ Iezer and Sillem. These are the sonnes of Bilha which Laban gaue vnto Rahel his doughter/ and she bare these vnto Iacob/ all together .vij. soulles All the soulles that came with Iacob into Egipte which came out of his loyns (besyde his sonnes wifes) were all togither .lx. and .vi. soulles. And the sonnes of Ioseph/ which were borne him in egipte were .ij. soules: So that all the soulles of the house of Iacob which came in to Egipte are lxx.

And he sent Iuda before him vnto Ioseph that the waye myghte be shewed him vnto Gosan/ and they came in to the lande of Gosan And Ioseph made redie his charett and went agaynst Israell his father vnto Gosan/ ad presented him selfe vnto him/ and fell on his necke and wepte vpon his necke a goode whyle. And Israel sayd vnto Ioseph: Now I am cot[~e]t to dye/ in somoch I haue sene the/ that thou art yet alyue.

And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethr[~e] and vnto his fathers house: I will goo & shewe Pharao and tell him: that my brethern and my fathers housse which were in the lade of Canaan are come vnto me/ and how they are shepardes (for they were men of catell) and they haue brought their shepe and their oxen and all that they haue with them. Yf Pharao call you and axe you what youre occupation is/ saye: thi seruauntes haue bene occupyed aboute catell/ fro oure chilhode vnto this tyme: both we and oure fathers/ that ye maye dwell in the lande of Gosan. For an abhominacyon vnto the Egiptians are all that feade shepe.

¶ The .xlvij. Chapter.

And Ioseph w[~e]t and tolde Pharao and sayde: my father and my brethern their shepe and their beastes and all that they haue/ are come out of the lade of Canaan and are in the lande of Gosan. And Ioseph toke a parte of his brethern: euen fyue of them/ and presented them vnto Pharao. And Pharao sayde vnto his brethern: what is youre occupation? And they sayde vnto Pharao: feaders of shepe are thi seruauntes/ both we ad also oure fathers. They sayde moreouer vnto Pharao: for to sogeorne in the lande are we come/ for thy seruauntes haue no pasture for their shepe so sore is the fameshment in the lande of Canaan. Now therfore let thy seruauntes dwell in the lande of Gosan.

And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: thy father and thy brethren are come vnto the. The londe of Egipte is open before the: In the best place of the lande make both thy father and thy brothren dwell: And even in the lond of Gosan let them dwell. Moreouer yf thou knowe any men of actiuyte amonge them/ make them ruelars ouer my catell. And Ioseph brought in Iacob his father and sett him before Pharao And Iacob blessed Pharao. And Pharao axed Iacob/ how old art thou? And Iacob sayde vnto Pharao: the dayes of my pilgremage are an hundred and .xxx. yeres. Few and euell haue the dayes of my lyfe bene/ and haue not attayned vnto the yeres of the lyfe of my fathers in the dayes of their pilgremages. And Iacob blessed Pharao and went out from him. And Ioseph prepared dwellinges for his father and his brethern/ and gaue them possessions in the londe of Egipte/ in the best of the londe: eu[~e] in the lande of Raemses/ as Pharao commaunded. And Ioseph made prouysion for his father/ his brethern and all his fathers housholde/ as yonge childern are fedd with bread.

There was no bread in all the londe/ for the derth was excead[~i]ge sore: so y^t y^e lode of Egipte & y^e lode of Canaan/ were fameshyd by y^e reason of y^e derth. And Ioseph brought together all y^e money y^t was founde in y^e lade of Egipte and of Canaan/ for y^e corne which they boughte: & he layde vp the money in Pharaos housse.

When money fayled in the lade of Egipte & of Canaan/ all the Egiptians came vnto Ioseph and sayde: geue us sustenaunce: wherfore suffrest thou vs to dye before the/ for oure money is spent. Then sayde Ioseph: brynge youre catell/ and I will geue yow for youre catell/ yf ye be without money. And they brought their catell vnto Ioseph. And he gaue them bread for horses and shepe/ and oxen and asses: so he fed them with bread for all their catell that yere.

When that yere was ended/ they came vnto him the nexte yere and sayde vnto him: we will not hyde it from my lorde/ how that we haue nether money nor catell for my lorde: there is no moare left for my lorde/ but euen oure bodies and oure londes. Wherfore letest thou us dye before thyne eyes/ and the londe to goo to noughte? bye us and oure landes for bread: and let both vs and oure londes be bonde to Pharao. Geue vs feed/ that we may lyue & not dye/ & that the londe goo not to wast.

[Sidenote: * The bl[~i]de gydes gott previleges fro bear[~i]ge with their brethr[~e] contrarye to Christes lawe of love. And of these prestes of idolles did oure copass[~i]ge yvetrees lerne to crepe vp by litle & litle & to copasse y^e greate trees of y^e world with hypocrisye/ ad to thrust y^e rodes of idolatrysse superstition in to th[~e] & to sucke out y^e iuce of th[~e] with their poetrye/ till all be seer bowes and no thinge grene save their awne com[~e]welth.]

And Ioseph boughte all the lande of Egipte for Pharao. For the Egiptians solde euery man his londe because the derth was sore apo them: and so the londe became Pharaos. And he appoynted the people vnto the cities/ from one syde of Egipte vnto the other: only the londe of the Prestes bought he not. For there was an ordina[~u]ce made by Pharao for y^e * preastes/ that they shulde eate that which was appoynted vnto them: which Pharao had geuen them wherfore they solde not their londes.

Then Ioseph sayde vnto the folke: beholde I haue boughte you this daye ad youre landes for Pharao. Take there seed and goo sowe the londe. And of the encrease/ ye shall geue the fyfte parte vnto Pharao/ and .iiij. partes shalbe youre awne/ for seed to sowe the feld: and for you/ and them of youre housholdes/ and for youre childern/ to eate. And they answered: Thou haste saued oure lyves Let vs fynde grace in the syghte of my lorde/ and let us be Pharaos serva[~u]tes. And Ioseph made it a lawe ouer the lade of Egipte vnto this daye: that men must geue Pharao the fyfte parte/ excepte the londe of preastes only/ which was not bond vnto Pharao.

And Israel dwelt in Egipte: euen in the countre of Gosan. And they had their possessions therein/ and they grewe and multiplyed exceadingly. Moreouer Iacob lyued in the lande of Egipte .xvij. yeres/ so that the the hole age of Iacob was an hundred and .xlvij. yere.

When the tyme drewe nye/ that Israel must dye: he sent for his sonne Ioseph and sayde vnto him: Yf I haue founde grace in thy syghte/ put thy hande vnder my thye and deale mercifully ad truely with me/ that thou burie me not in Egipte: but let me lye by my fathers/ and carie me out of Egipte/ and burie me in their buryall. And he answered: I will do as thou hast sayde. And he sayde: swere vnto me: ad he sware vnto him. And than Israel bowed him vnto the beddes head.

The .xlviij. Chapter.

After these deades/ tyd[~i]ges were brought vnto Ioseph/ that his father was seke. And he toke with him his ij. sones/ Manasses and Ephraim. Then was it sayde vnto Iacob: beholde/ thy sonne Ioseph commeth vnto the. And Israel toke his strength vnto him/ and satt vp on the bedd/ and sayde vnto Ioseph: God all mightie appeared vnto me at lus in the lande of Canaan/ ad blessed me/ and sayde vnto me: beholde/ I will make the growe and will multiplye the/ and will make a great nombre of people of the/ and will geue this lande vnto the and vnto thy seed after y^e vnto an euerlastinge possession. Now therfore thy .ij. sones Manasses ad Ephraim which were borne vnto the before I came to the/ in to Egipte/ shalbe myne: euen as Ruben and Simeo shall they be vnto me And the childern which thou getest after them/ shalbe thyne awne: but shalbe called with the names of their brethern in their enheritaunces.

And after I came from Mesopotamia/ Rahel dyed apon my hande in the lande of Canaa/ by the waye: when I had but a feldes brede to goo vnto Ephrat. And I buried her there in y^e waye to Ephrat which is now called Bethlehem.

And Israel behelde Iosephes sonnes & sayde: what are these? And Ioseph sayde vnto his father: they are my sonnes/ which God hath geuen me here. And he sayde: brynge them to me/ and let me blesse them. And the eyes of Israell were dymme for age/ so that he coude not see. And he broughte them to him/ ad he kyssed th[~e] and embraced them. And Israel sayde vnto Ioseph: I had not thoughte to haue sene thy face/ and yet loo/ God hath shewed it me and al so thy seed. And Ioseph toke them awaye from his lappe/ and they fell on the grounde before him.

Than toke Ioseph them both: Ephraim in his ryghte hande towarde Israels left hande ad Manasses in his left hande/ towarde Israels ryghte hande/ and brought them vnto him. And Israel stretched out his righte hande and layde it apon Ephraims head which was the yonger/ and his lyft hade apon Manasses heed/ crossinge his handes/ for manasses was the elder. And he blessed Ioseph saynge: God before whome my fathers Abraham and Isaac dyd walke/ and the God which hath fedd me all my life longe vnto this daye/ And the angell which hath delyuered me fro all euyll/ blesse these laddes: y^t they maye be called after my name/ and after my father Abraham and Isaac/ and that they maye growe ad multiplie apo the erth.

When Ioseph sawe that his father layd his ryghte hande apon the heade of Ephraim/ it displeased him. And he lifte vpp his fathers hade/ to haue removed it from Ephraims head vnto Manasses head/ and sayde vnto his father: Not so my father/ for this is the eldest. Put thy right hande apon his head. And his father wold not/ but sayde: I knowe it well my sonne/ I knowe it well. He shalbe also a people ad shalbe great. But of a troth his yonger brother shalbe greater than he/ and his seed shall be full of people. And he blessed them sainge. At the ensample of these/ the Israelites shall blesse and saye: God make the as Ephraim and as Manasses. Thus sett he Ephraim before Manasses.

And Israel sayde vnto Ioseph: beholde/ I dye. And god shalbe with you and bringe you agayne vnto the land of youre fathers. Moreover I geue vnto the/ a porcyon of lande aboue thy brethern/ which I gatt out of the handes of the Amorites with my swerde and wyth my bowe.

The .xlix. Chapter.

And Iacob called for his sonnes ad sayde: come together/ that I maye tell you what shall happ[~e] you in the last dayes. Gather you together and heare ye sonnes of Iacob/ and herken vnto Israel youre father.

Ruben/ thou art myne eldest sonne/ my myghte and the begynnynge of my strength/ chefe in receauynge and chefe in power. As vnstable as water wast thou: thou shalt therfore not be the chefest/ for thou wenst vp vpo thy fathers bedd/ and than defyledest thou my couche with goynge vppe.

The brethern Simeon and Leui/ weked instrumentes are their wepos. In to their secrettes come not my soule/ and vnto their congregation be my honoure not coupled: for in their wrath they slewe a man/ and in their selfewill they houghed an oxe. Cursed be their wrath for it was stronge/ and their fearsnes for it was cruell. I will therfore deuyde them in Iacob/ & scater them in Israel.

Iuda/ thy brethern shall prayse the/ & thine hande shalbe in the necke of thyne enimies/ & thy fathers childern shall stoupe vnto the. Iuda is a lions whelpe. Fro spoyle my sonne thou art come an hye: he layde him downe and couched himselfe as a lion/ and as a lionesse. Who dare stere him vp? The sceptre shall not departe from Iuda/ nor a ruelar from betwene his legges/ vntill Silo come/ vnto whome the people shall herken. He shall bynde his fole vnto the vine/ and his asses colt vnto the vyne braunche/ ad shall wash his garment in wyne and his mantell in the bloud of grapes/ his eyes are roudier than wyne/ ad his teeth whitter then mylke.

Zabulon shall dwell in the hauen of the see and in the port of shippes/ & shall reache vnto Sidon.

Isachar is a stronge asse/ he couched him doune betwene .ij. borders/ and sawe that rest was good and the lande that it was pleasant/ and bowed his shulder to beare/ and became a servaunte vnto trybute.

Dan shall iudge his people/ as one of the trybes of Israel. Dan shalbe a serpent in the waye/ and an edder in the path/ and byte the horse heles/ so y^t his ryder shall fall backwarde. After thy sauynge loke I LORde.

Gad/ men of warre shall invade him. And he shall turne them to flyght.

Off Asser cometh fatt breed/ and he shall geue pleasures for a kynge.

Nepthali is a swyft hynde/ ad geueth goodly wordes.

That floryshynge childe Ioseph/ that florishing childe and goodly vn to the eye: the doughters come forth to bere ruele. The shoters haue envyed him and chyde with him ad hated him/ and yet his bowe bode fast/ & his armes and his handes were stronge/ by the handes of the myghtye God of Iacob: out of him shall come an herde ma a stone in Israel. Thi fathers God shall helpe the/ & the almightie shall blesse the with blessinges from heaven aboue/ and with blessinges of the water that lieth vnder/ & with blessinges of the brestes & of the wombe. The blessinges of thy father were stronge: euen as the blessinges of my elders/ after the desyre of the hiest in the worlde/ and these blessinges shall fall on the head of Ioseph/ and on the toppe of the head of him y^t was separat from his brethern.

Ben Iamin is a raueshynge wolfe. In the mornynge he shall deuoure his praye/ ad at nyghte he shall deuyde his spoyle.

All these are the .xij. tribes of Israel/ & this is that which their father spake vnto them wh[~e] he blessed them/ euery man with a severall blessinge. And he charged them and sayde vnto them. I shall be put vnto my people: se that ye burye me with my fathers/ in the caue that is in the felde of Ephron the Hethyte/ in the double caue that is in the felde before Mamre in the lande of Canaan. Which felde Abraham boughte of Ephron the Hethite for a possessio to burye in. There they buryed Abraha and Sara his wyfe/ there they buryed Isaac & Rebecca his wyfe. And there I buried Lea: which felde & the caue that is therin/ was bought of the childern of Heth.

When Iacob had commaunded all that he wold vnto his sonnes/ he plucked vp his fete apon the bedd and dyed/ and was put vnto his people. And Ioseph fell apon his fathers face/ and wepte apon him/ and kyssed him.

The .l. Chapter.

And Ioseph commaunded his seruauntes that were Phisicions/ to embawme his father/ and the Physicios [~e]bawmed Israel .xl. dayes loge/ for so loge doth y^e embawminge last/ & the Egiptians bewepte him .lxx. dayes.

And when the dayes of wepynge were ended/ Ioseph spake vnto y^e house of Pharao saynge: Yf I haue founde fauoure in youre eyes/ speake vnto Pharao and tell him/ how that my father made me swere and sayde: loo/ I dye/ se that thou burye me in my graue which I haue made me in the lande of Canaan. Now therfore let me goo and burye my father/ ad tha will I come agayne. And Pharao sayde/ goo and burye thy father/ acordynge as he made the swere.

And Ioseph went vp to burie his father/ and with him went all the seruauntes of Pharao that were the elders of his house/ ad all y^e elders of Egipte/ and all the house of Ioseph ad his brethern & his fathers house: only their childern & their shepe and their catell lefte they behinde them in the lande of Gosan. And there went with him also Charettes and horsemen: so that they were an exceadynge great companye.

And when they came to y^e feld of Atad beyonde Iordane/ there they made great & exceadinge sore lamentacio. And he morned for his father .vij. dayes. When the enhabiters of the lande the Cananytes sawe the moornynge in y^e felde of Atad/ they saide: this is a greate moornynge which the Egiptians make. Wherfore y^e name of the place is called Abel mizraim/ which place lyeth beyonde Iordane. And his sonnes dyd vnto him acordynge as he had commaunded them.

And his sonnes caried him in to the land of Canaan and buryed him in the double caue which Abraha had boughte with the felde to be a place to burye in/ of Ephron the Hethite before Mamre. And Ioseph returned to Egipte agayne and his brethern/ and all that went vp with him to burye his father/ assone as he had buryed him.

Wh[~e] Iosephs brethern sawe that their father was deade/ they sayde: Ioseph myghte fortune to hate us and rewarde us agayne all the euell which we dyd vnto him. They dyd therfore a commaundment vnto Ioseph saynge: thy father charged before his deth saynge. This wise say vnto Ioseph/ forgeue I pray the the trespace of thy brethern & their synne/ for they rewarded the euell. Now therfore we praye the/ forgeue the trespace of the servauntes of thy fathers God. And Ioseph wepte when they spake vnto him.

And his brethern came ad fell before him and sayde: beholde we be thy servauntes. And Ioseph sayde vnto them: feare not/ for am not I vnder god? Ye thoughte euell vnto me: but God turned it vnto good to bringe to passe/ as it is this daye/ euen to saue moch people a lyue Feare not therfore/ for I will care for you and for youre childern/ and he spake kyndly vnto them.

Ioseph dwelt in Egipte and his fathers house also/ ad lyved an hundred & .x. yere. And Ioseph sawe Ephraims childern/ eu[~e] vnto the thyrde generation. And vnto Machir the sonne of Manasses were childern borne/ & satt on Iosephs knees.

And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethern: I die And God will suerlie vysett you and bringe you out of this lande/ vnto the lande which he sware vnto Abraham/ Isaac and Iacob. And Ioseph toke an ooth of the childern of Israel ad sayde: God will not fayle but vysett you/ se therfore that ye carye my boones hence. And so Ioseph dyed/ when he was an hundred and .x. yere olde. And they enbawmed him and put him in a chest in Egipte.

The end of the first boke of Moses.

¶ A table expoundinge certeyne wordes.

Abrech/ tender father/ or as some will/ bowe the knee.

Areke/ a shippe made flatte as it were a chest or cofer.

Bisse: fyne whyte/ whether it be silke or linen.

Blesse: godes blessinges are his giftes/ as in the firste chaptre he blessed them saynge: growe & multiplye & haue dominion &c. And in the .ix. chaptre he blessed Noe & his sonnes & gaue th[~e] dominio over all beestes & authoryte to care th[~e] And God blessed Abraha with catell ad other ryches. And Iacob desyred Esau to receaue y^e blessinge which he brought him/ y^t is the preasent & gifte. God blessed the .vij. daye/ y^t is/ gaue it a prehemynence y^t men shuld rest therein from bodely laboure & lerne to know the will of god & his lawes & how to worke their workes godly all the weke after. God also blesseth all nations in Abrahams seed/ that is/ he turneth his loue & favoure vnto th[~e] and geveth th[~e] his spirite and knowledge of the true waye/ ad lust and power to walke therin/ and all for christes sake Abrahams sonne.

Cain/ so is it writen in Hebrue. Notwithstodinge whether we coll him Cain or caim it maketh no matter/ so we vnderstand the meaninge. Euery lande hath his maner/ that we call Ihon the welchemen call Evan: the douch hace. Soch differ[~e]ce is betwene the Ebrue/ greke and laten: and that maketh them that translate out of the ebrue varye in names from them that translate out of laten or greke.

Curse: Godes curse is the takynge awaye of his benefytes. As god cursed the erth and made it baren. So now hunger/ derth/ warre/ pestilence and soch like are yet ryght curses and signes of the wrath of God vnto the vnbeleuers: but vnto them that knowe Christ/ they are very blessinges and that wholsome crosse & true purgatorye of oure flesh/ thorow which all must go that will lyue godly ad be saued: as thou readest Mat .v. Blessed are they that suffre persecution for rightewesnes sake. &c. And hebrewes .xi. The lorde chastyseth whom he loveth and scorgeth all the children that he receaveth.

Eden: pleasure

Firmament: the skye.

Fayth is the belevinge of goddes promesses & a sure trust in the goodnesse and truth of god. Which faith iustifyeth Abraha gene .xv. and was the mother of all his good workes which he afterward did. For faith is the goodnesse of all workes in the sight of God. Good workes are thinges of godes comaundem[~e]t wrought in faith. And to sow a showe at the commaundement of god to do thy neyghboure service withall/ with faith to be saved by Christ (as god promyseth vs.) is moch better th[~e] to bild an abbay of thyne awne imagination/ trustinge to be saved by the fayned workes of hypocrites. Iacob robbed Laban his vncle: Moses robbed the Egiptians: And Abraha is aboute to slee and burne his awne sonne: And all are holye workes/ because they were wrought in fayth at goddes commaundement. To stele/ robbe and murther are no holye workes before worldly people: but vnto them that haue their truste in god: they are holye when god commaundeth them. What god commaundeth not getteth no reward with god. Holy workes of mens imagination receave their rewarde here/ as Christ testyfyeth Math .vj. How be it of fayth & workes I haue spoken abundantly in mammon. Let him that desyreth more seke there.

Grace: fauoure/ As Noe founde grace/ that is to saye favoure and love.

Ham and Cam all one.

Iehovah is goddes name/ nether is any creature so called. And it is as moch to saye as one that is of him self and dependeth of nothinge. Moreouer as oft as thou seist LORde in great letters (excepte there be any erroure in the pr[~e]tinge) it is in hebrewe Iehovah/ thou that arte or he that is.

Marshall/ in hebrue he is called Sar tabaim/ as thou woldest saye/ lorde of the slaughtermen And though that Tabaim be tak[~e] for cokes in many places/ for the cokes did sle the beastes th[~e] selues in those dayes: yet it may be taken for them that put men to execution also. And that me thought it shuld here best signifye in as moch as he had the oversight of the kinges preson and the kinges presoners were they neuer so great m[~e] were vnder his custodye. And therfore I call him cheffe marshall an officer as is the lefetenaunte of the toure/ or master of the marshalsye.

Slyme was their morter .xi. Chapter/ And slyme pittes .xiiij. chapter: that slyme was a fattenesse that osed out of the erth lyke vnto tarre/ And thou mayst call it cement/ if thou wilt.

Siloh after some is as moch to saye as sent/ & after some happie/ and after some it signifieth Mesias/ y^t is to say annoynted and that we call Christe after the greke worde. And it is a prophesie of Christ: For after y^t all y^e other tribes were in captiuite & their kyngdom destroyed/ yet the tribe of Iuda had a ruler of the same bloud/ even vnto the comynge of Christ. And aboute the com[~i]ge of Christ the Romayns conquered them/ and the Emperoure gaue the kyngdom of tribe Iuda vnto Herode which was a straunger/ even an Edomite of the generacyon of Esau.

Testam[~e]t here/ is an appoyntem[~e]t made betwene god and ma/ and goddes promyses. And sacram[~e]t is a signe representinge soch an appoyntement and promeses: As the raynebowe representeth the promyse made to Noe/ that god will no more drowne the worlde. And circumcision representeth the promyses of god to Abraham on the one syde/ and that Abraha and his seed shuld circumcyse and cut off the lustes of their fleshe/ on the other syde/ to walke in the wayes of the lorde: As baptysme which is come in the roume therof/ now signifieth on the one syde/ how that all that repent and beleve are washed in Christes bloud: And on the other syde/ how that the same must quench ad droune the lustes of the flesh/ to folow the steppes of Christ.

There were tyrantes in the erth in those dayes/ for the sonnes of god sawe the daughters of men. &c. The sonnes of god were the prophetes childerne/ which (though they succeded there fathers) fell yet from the right waye/ and thorow falsehod of hypocrysye subdued the world vnder them and became tyrantes/ As the successours of the apostles haue played with vs.

Vapor/ a dewymiste/ as the smoke of a sethynge pott.

To walke with god is to lyve godly and to walke in his commaundementes. Enos walked with god and was no moare sene: that is/ he lyved godly and dyed/ God toke him awaye: that is/ god hyd his bodye/ as he did Moses ad Aarons: lest haplye they shuld haue made an Idoll of him/ for he was a great preacher and an holye man.

Zaphnath paenea/ wordes of Egipte are they (as I suppose) and as moch to saye: as a man to whome secrete thinges be opened/ or an expounder of secrete thinges as some enterprete it.

That Ioseph brought the egiptians in to soch subiection wold seme vnto some a very cruell deade: how be it it was a very equall waye. For they payde by the fifte parte of that that grewe on the grounde. And therwith were they qwytt of all duetyes/ both of rent/ custome/ tribute & toll. And the kinge therwith founde them lordes and all ministres and defended them. We now paye half so moch vnto the prestes only/ besyde their other craftye exactions. Then paye we rent yerely/ though there grow never so litle on the grounde/ And yet when the kinge calleth paye we neuer the lesse. So that if we loke indifferently/ their condition was easyar th[~e] oures/ and but even a very indiffer[~e]t waye/ both for the comen people and the kynge also.

Se therfore that thou loke not on the ensamples of the scripture with worldly eyes: lest thou preferre Cain before Abel/ Ismael before Isaac/ Esau before Iacob/ Ruben before Iuda/ Sarah before Pharez/ Manasses before Ephraim. And euen the worst before the best/ as the maner of the worlde is.

¶ Emprented at Malborow in the lande of Hesse/ by me Hans Luft/ the yere of oure Lorde .M.CCCCC.xxx. the .xvij. dayes of Ianuarij.

Transcriber's Notes (continued):

In the list below biblical references are to chapters and paragraphs. The latter usually extend over more than a single "verse".

"To the Reader": "sirt" changed to "sitt" (para 2); "cxvix" to "cxix" (para 7).

"Prologue": "wo" changed to "we" and "arene" to "awne" (para 1); "y^e" to "y^t" (para 9).

II: "herbee" changed to "herbes" (para 2).

IV: the text of the sidenote to para 4 is uncertain; in para 4 itself, "hi" changed to "h[~i]".

V: "MetHusala" changed to "Methusala" (para 8).

VII: "u" removed (para 2); "he" changed to "the" (para 5).

IX: "y^t" changed to "y^e" (para 5).

X: "Mes:" changed to "Mesa" (para 6).

XIII: "fro" changed to "fro" (para 3).

XV: "oue" changed to "out" (para 2).

XIX: "he" changed to "the" (para 1).

XXI: "lamdes" changed to "lambes" (para 8).

XXII: "th" changed to "the" (para 6).

XXIV: "pither" changed to "pitcher" (para 5); "LoRDe" to "LORde" (para 8); the texts of the sidenotes to paras 10 and 17 are uncertain; "emnies" changed to "enimes" (para 17).

XXV: "Iacksam" changed to "Iacksan" and "haue" to "gaue" (para 1); "lyvige" to "lyv[~i]nge" (para 2).

XXVI: "Abin elech" changed to "Abimelech" and "myhhtier" to "myghtier" (para 3).

XXVII: "lessed" changed to "blessed" (para 6).

XXIX: "boholde" changed to "beholde" (para 2) and "mayely e" to "may lye" (para 5).

XXX: "ourney ibetwixte" changed to "iourney betwixte" (para 8).

XXXI: "y^e" changed to "y^t" (para 3); "be" to "he" (para 4); "wtih" to "with" (para 6); "xnto" to "vnto" (para 7).

XXXII: "sayder" changed to "sayde:" (para 1).

XXXIV: hyphen omitted after "sonne" (para 6).

XXXVI: "kynreddds" changed to "kynredds" (para 12).

XXXIX: "ORde" changed to "LORde" (para 1).

XLI: "cares" changed to "eares" (twice, para 7); "asene" to "agene" and "beiokeneth" to "betokeneth" (para 9).

XLII: "thryd" changed to "thyrd" (para 5); "countte" to "countre" and "bretren" to "brethren" (para 9).

XLIV: "servauntes" changed to "servauntes" (para 3); "fox" to "for" (para 9).

XLV: "m" changed to "my" (para 4).

XLVI: "C" changed to "I" (para 7).

XLVII: "exceadige" changed to "excead[~i]ge" (para 3); "latest" to "letest" (para 5); the text of the sidenote to para 6 is uncertain.

"Table": "Ihon" changed to "Ihon" (entry for "Cain"); "baptyme" changed to "baptysme" (entry for "Testam[~e]t").