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1 Aftir twei yeer Farao seiy a dreem; he gesside that he stood on a flood, 2 fro which seuene faire kiyn and ful fatte stieden, and weren fed in the places of mareis; 3 and othere seuene, foule and leene, camen out of the flood, and weren fed in thilk brenke of the watir, in grene places; 4 and tho deuoureden thilke kien of whiche the fairnesse and comelynesse of bodies was wondurful. 5 Farao wakide, and slepte eft, and seiy another dreem; seuen eeris of corn ful and faire camen forth in o stalke, 6 and othere as many eeris of corn, thinne and smytun with corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, 7 camen forth, deuourynge al the fairenesse of the firste. Farao wakide aftir reste, 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. 9 Thanne at the laste the maistir `of boteleris bithouyte, and seide, Y knowleche my synne; 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, 11 where we bothe saien a dreem in o nyyt, biforeschewynge of thingis to comynge. 12 An Ebrew child, seruaunt of the same duk of knyytis was there, to whom we telden the dremes, 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. 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. 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. 16 Joseph answerde, With out me, God schal answere prosperitees to Farao. 17 Therfor Farao telde that that he seiy; Y gesside that Y stood on the brenke of the flood, 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; 19 and lo! seuene othere kiyn, so foule and leene, sueden these, that Y seiy neuere siche in the lond of Egipt; 20 and whanne the formere kien weren deuourid and wastid, tho secounde yauen no steppe of fulnesse, 21 but weren slowe bi lijk leenesse and palenesse. I wakide, and eft Y was oppressid bi sleep, and Y seiy a dreem; 22 seuene eeris of corn, ful and faireste, camen forth in o stalke, 23 and othere seuene, thinne and smytun with `corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, camen forth of the stobil, 24 whiche deuouriden the fairenesse of the formere; 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. 26 Seuene faire kiyn, and seuene ful eeris of corn, ben seuene yeeris of plentee, and tho comprehenden the same strengthe of dreem; 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, 28 whiche schulen be fillid bi this ordre. 29 Lo! seuene yeer of greet plentee in al the lond of Egipt schulen come, 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, 31 and the greetnesse of pouert schal leese the greetnesse of plentee. 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. 33 Now therfor puruey the kyng a wijs man and a redi, and make the kyng hym souereyn to the lond of Egipt, 34 which man ordeyne gouernouris bi alle cuntreis, and gadere he in to bernys the fyuethe part of fruytis bi seuene yeer of plentee, 35 that schulen come now; and al the wheete be kept vndur the power of Farao, * and be it kept in citees, 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. 37 The counsel pleside Farao, 38 and alle his mynystris, and he spak to hem, Wher we moun fynde sich a man which is ful of Goddis spirit? 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? 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. 41 And eft Farao seide to Joseph, Lo! Y haue ordeyned thee on al the lond of Egipt. 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; 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. 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. 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. 46 Forsothe Joseph was of thretti yeer, whanne he stood in the siyt of kyng Farao, and cumpasside alle the cuntreis of Egipt. 47 And the plente of seuene yeer cam, and ripe corn weren bounden into handfuls, and weren gaderid into the bernys of Egipt, 48 also al the aboundaunce of cornes weren kept in alle citeis, 49 and so greet aboundaunce was of wheete, that it was maad euene to the grauel of the see, and the plente passide mesure. 50 Sotheli twei sones were born to Joseph bifor that the hungur came, whiche Asenech, douytir of Putifar, preest of Heliopoleos, childide to hym. 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; 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. 53 Therfor whanne seuene yeer of plentee that weren in Egipt weren passid, 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; 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. 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; 57 and alle prouynces camen in to Egipt to bie metis, and to abate the yuel of nedynesse.
* 41:35 that is, not bi violence nether bi fre yifte, but bi biyng and paiyng of priys. † 41:45 In Ebrew it is schewinge priuitees, as Jerom and Lire here seyen.