< Genesis 41 >

1 Aftir twei yeer Farao seiy a dreem; he gesside that he stood on a flood,
At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river.
2 fro which seuene faire kiyn and ful fatte stieden, and weren fed in the places of mareis;
Behold, seven cattle came up out of the river. They were sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass.
3 and othere seuene, foule and leene, camen out of the flood, and weren fed in thilk brenke of the watir, in grene places;
Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.
4 and tho deuoureden thilke kien of whiche the fairnesse and comelynesse of bodies was wondurful.
The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 Farao wakide, and slepte eft, and seiy another dreem; seuen eeris of corn ful and faire camen forth in o stalke,
He slept and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.
6 and othere as many eeris of corn, thinne and smytun with corrupcioun of brennynge wynd,
Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
7 camen forth, deuourynge al the fairenesse of the firste. Farao wakide aftir reste,
The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
8 and whanne morewtid was maad, he was aferd bi inward drede, and he sente to alle the expowneris of Egipt, and to alle wise men; and whanne thei weren clepid, he telde the dreem, and noon was that expownede.
In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Thanne at the laste the maistir `of boteleris bithouyte, and seide, Y knowleche my synne;
Then the chief cup bearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults today.
10 the kyng was wrooth to hise seruauntis, and comaundide me and the maister `of bakeris to be cast doun in to the prisoun of the prince of knyytis,
Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, with the chief baker.
11 where we bothe saien a dreem in o nyyt, biforeschewynge of thingis to comynge.
We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. Each man dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 An Ebrew child, seruaunt of the same duk of knyytis was there, to whom we telden the dremes,
There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. He interpreted to each man according to his dream.
13 and herden what euer thing the bifallyng of thing preuede afterward; for Y am restorid to myn office, and he was hangid in a cros.
As he interpreted to us, so it was. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”
14 Anoon at the comaundement of the kyng thei polliden Joseph led out of prisoun, and whanne `the clooth was chaungid, thei brouyten Joseph to the kyng.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh.
15 To whom the kyng seide, Y seiye dremes, and noon is that expowneth tho thingis that Y seiy, I haue herd that thou expownest moost prudentli.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 Joseph answerde, With out me, God schal answere prosperitees to Farao.
Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
17 Therfor Farao telde that that he seiy; Y gesside that Y stood on the brenke of the flood,
Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river;
18 and seuene kiyn, ful faire and with fleischis able to etyng, stieden fro the watir, whiche kiyn gaderiden grene seggis in the pasture of the marreis;
and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass;
19 and lo! seuene othere kiyn, so foule and leene, sueden these, that Y seiy neuere siche in the lond of Egipt;
and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
20 and whanne the formere kien weren deuourid and wastid, tho secounde yauen no steppe of fulnesse,
The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle;
21 but weren slowe bi lijk leenesse and palenesse. I wakide, and eft Y was oppressid bi sleep, and Y seiy a dreem;
and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 seuene eeris of corn, ful and faireste, camen forth in o stalke,
I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good;
23 and othere seuene, thinne and smytun with `corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, camen forth of the stobil,
and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
24 whiche deuouriden the fairenesse of the formere;
The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Y telde the dreem to expowneris, and no man is that expowneth. Joseph answerde, The dreem of the king is oon; God schewide to Farao what thingis he schal do.
Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh.
26 Seuene faire kiyn, and seuene ful eeris of corn, ben seuene yeeris of plentee, and tho comprehenden the same strengthe of dreem;
The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one.
27 and seuene kiyn thinne and leene, that stieden aftir tho, and seuene thinne eeris of corn and smytun with brennynge wynd, ben seuene yeer of hungur to comynge,
The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.
28 whiche schulen be fillid bi this ordre.
That is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
29 Lo! seuene yeer of greet plentee in al the lond of Egipt schulen come,
Behold, seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming.
30 and seuene othre yeer of so greet bareynesse schulen sue tho, that al the abundaunce bifore be youun to foryetyng; for the hungur schal waste al the lond,
Seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,
31 and the greetnesse of pouert schal leese the greetnesse of plentee.
and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.
32 Forsothe this that thou siyest the secunde tyme a dreem, perteynynge to the same thing, is a `schewyng of sadnesse, for the word of God schal be doon, and schal be fillid ful swiftli.
The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therfor puruey the kyng a wijs man and a redi, and make the kyng hym souereyn to the lond of Egipt,
“Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 which man ordeyne gouernouris bi alle cuntreis, and gadere he in to bernys the fyuethe part of fruytis bi seuene yeer of plentee,
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous years.
35 that schulen come now; and al the wheete be kept vndur the power of Farao, and be it kept in citees,
Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and store grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
36 and be it maad redi to the hungur to comynge of seuene yeer that schal oppresse Egipt, and the lond be not wastid bi pouert.
The food will be to supply the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; so that the land will not perish through the famine.”
37 The counsel pleside Farao,
The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 and alle his mynystris, and he spak to hem, Wher we moun fynde sich a man which is ful of Goddis spirit?
Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
39 Therfor Farao seide to Joseph, For God hath schewid to thee alle thingis whiche thou hast spoke, wher Y mai fynde a wisere man and lijk thee?
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you.
40 Therfor thou schalt be ouer myn hous, and al the puple schal obeie to the comaundement of thi mouth; Y schal passe thee onely by o trone of the rewme.
You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne I will be greater than you.”
41 And eft Farao seide to Joseph, Lo! Y haue ordeyned thee on al the lond of Egipt.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 And Farao took the ryng fro his hond, and yaf it in the hond of Joseph, and he clothide Joseph with a stoole of bijs, and puttide a goldun wrethe aboute the necke;
Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.
43 and Farao made Joseph to `stie on his secounde chare, while a bidele criede, that alle men schulden knele bifore hym, and schulden knowe that he was souereyn of al the lond of Egipt.
He made him ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” He set him over all the land of Egypt.
44 And the kyng seide to Joseph, Y am Farao, without thi comaundement no man shal stire hond ether foot in al the lond of Egipt.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”
45 And he turnede the name of Joseph, and clepide him bi Egipcian langage, the sauyour of the world; and he yaf to Joseph a wijf, Asenech, the douyter of Potifar, preest of Heliopoleos. And so Joseph yede out to the lond of Egipt.
Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 Forsothe Joseph was of thretti yeer, whanne he stood in the siyt of kyng Farao, and cumpasside alle the cuntreis of Egipt.
Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And the plente of seuene yeer cam, and ripe corn weren bounden into handfuls, and weren gaderid into the bernys of Egipt,
In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly.
48 also al the aboundaunce of cornes weren kept in alle citeis,
He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city.
49 and so greet aboundaunce was of wheete, that it was maad euene to the grauel of the see, and the plente passide mesure.
Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.
50 Sotheli twei sones were born to Joseph bifor that the hungur came, whiche Asenech, douytir of Putifar, preest of Heliopoleos, childide to hym.
To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
51 And he clepide the name of the firste gendrid sone, Manasses, and seide, God hath maad me to foryete alle my traueilis, and the hous of my fadir;
Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”
52 and he clepide the name of the secunde sone Effraym, and seide, God hath maad me to encreesse in the lond of my pouert.
The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 Therfor whanne seuene yeer of plentee that weren in Egipt weren passid,
The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.
54 seuene yeer of pouert bigunnen to come, whiche Joseph bifore seide, and hungur hadde the maistri in al the world; also hungur was in al the lond of Egipt;
The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 and whanne that lond hungride, the puple criede to Farao, and axide metis; to whiche he answeride, Go ye to Joseph, and do ye what euer thing he seith to you.
When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
56 Forsothe hungur encreesside ech dai in al the lond, and Joseph openyde alle the bernys, and seelde to Egipcians, for also hungur oppresside hem;
The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
57 and alle prouynces camen in to Egipt to bie metis, and to abate the yuel of nedynesse.
All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

< Genesis 41 >