39
1 Therfor Joseph was led in to Egipt, and Putifar, `chast and onest seruaunt of Farao, prince of the oost, a man of Egipt, bouyte hym of the hondis of Ismaelitis, of which he was brouyt. 2 And the Lord was with hym, and he was a man doynge with prosperite in alle thingis. And Joseph dwellide in `the hows of his lord, 3 which knew best that the Lord was with Joseph, and that alle thingis whiche he dide, weren dressid of the Lord in `the hond of hym. 4 And Joseph foond grace bifor his lord, and `mynystride to hym, of whom Joseph was maad souereyn of alle thingis, and gouernede the hows bitaken to hym, and alle thingis that weren bitakun to hym. 5 And the Lord blesside the `hows of Egipcian for Joseph, and multipliede al his catel, as wel in howsis as in feeldis; 6 nether he knew ony other thing no but `breed * which he eet. Forsothe Joseph was fair in face, and schapli in siyt. 7 And so aftir many daies the ladi castide hir iyen in to Joseph, and seide, Slepe thou with me; 8 which assentide not to the vnleueful werk, and seide to hir, Lo! while alle thingis ben bitakun to me, my lord woot not what he hath in his hows, 9 nether ony thing is, which is not in my power, ether which `he hath not bitake to me, outakun thee, which art his wijf; how therfor may Y do this yuel, and do synne ayens my lord? 10 Thei spaken siche wordis `bi alle daies, and the womman was diseseful to the yong waxynge man, and he forsook auoutrie. 11 Forsothe it bifelde in a dai, that Joseph entride in to the hows, and dide sum werk with out witnessis. 12 And sche took `the hem of his clooth, and sche seide, Slepe thou with me; and he lefte the mentil in hir hoond, and he fledde, and yede out. 13 And whanne the womman hadde seyn the clooth in hir hondis, and that sche was dispisid, 14 sche clepide to hir the men of hir hows, and seide to hem, Lo! my lord hath brouyt in an Ebrew man, that he schulde scorn vs; he entride to me to do leccherie with me, and whanne Y criede, and he herde my vois, 15 he lefte the mentil which Y helde, and he fledde out. 16 Therfor in to the preuyng of trouthe, sche schewide the mantil, holdun to the hosebonde turnynge ayen hoom. 17 And she seide, The Ebrew seruaunt, whom thou brouytist, entride to me to scorne me; and whanne he siy me crye, 18 he lefte the mentil which Y helde, and he fledde out. 19 And whanne these thingis weren herd, the lord bileuyde ouer myche to the wordis of the wijf, and was ful wrooth; 20 and he bitook Joseph in to prisoun, where the bounden men of the kyng weren kept, and he was closid there. 21 Forsothe the Lord was with Joseph, and hadde mercy on hym, and yaf grace to hym in the siyt of the prince of the prisoun, 22 which bitook in the hond of Joseph alle prisoneris that weren holdun in kepyng, and what euer thing was doon, it was vndur Joseph, nethir the prince knewe ony thing, 23 for alle thingis weren bitakun to Joseph; for the Lord was with hym, and dresside alle his werkis.
* 39:6 Bi breed in holi scripture is vndirstonden al manere of mete, and bi watir al manere of drynk.