1   And Iacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, wherin his father soiourned.

2   And ^note these are his generations: Ioseph when he was sixtene yeares old, fed the flock with

Ioseph. his brethren being yet a boy: and he was with the sonnes of Bala and Zelpha his fathers wiues: and he accused his brethren to his father of ^note a most wicked crime.

3   And Israel loued Ioseph aboue al his sonnes, because he had begotten him09Q0085 in his old age: and he made him a coate of diuers coloures.

4   And his brethren seing that he was loued of his father, more then al his sonnes, they hated him, neither could they speake any thing to him peaceably.

5   It chanced also that he reported to his brethren a dreame, that he had seene: which occasion was the seed of greater hatred.

6   And he said to them: Heare my dreame which I haue seene:

7   I thought we bounde sheaues in the field: and my sheafe arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaues standing about did adore my sheafe. ^note

8   His brethren answered: What shalt thou be our king? or shal we be subiect to thy dominion? This occasion of his dreames and wordes ministred nourishment to the enuie and hatred.

9   He sawe also an other dreame, which telling his brethren, he said: I sawe in a dreame, as it were the sunne, and the moone, and eleuen starres adore me.

10   Which when he had reported to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dreame that thou hast seene? why shal I and thy mother, and thy brethren adore thee vpon the earth?

11   His brethren therfore enuyed him: but ^note his father considered the thing with him selfe.

12   And when his brethren abode in Sichem, feeding their fathers flockes,

13   Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed sheepe in Sichem: come, I wil send thee to them. Who answering,

14   I am readie; he said to him: Goe, and see if al things be wel with thy brethren, and the sheepe: and bring me word againe what they doe. Being sent therfore from the Vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:

15   and a man found him there wandring in the field, and asked what he sought.

16   But he answered: ^noteI seeke my brethren, shew me where they fede the flockes.

17   And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let vs goe into Dothain. Ioseph therfore went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.

18   Who when they had seene him a farre of, before he came nighe them, they deuised to kil him:

19   and spake among them selues: Behold the dreamer commeth,

20   come, let vs kil him, and cast him into an old

Ioseph. cesterne: and we wil say A naughtie wild beast hath deuoured him: ^note and then it shal appeare what his dreames doe profite him.

21   And Ruben hearing this, endeuored to deliuer him out of their hands, and said:

22   Do not take away his life, neyther sheed ye blood: but cast him into this cesterne, that is in the wildernesse, and keepe your handes harmeles: and he said this, desirous to deliuer him out of their handes, and to restore him to his father.

23   As soone therfore as he came vnto his brethren, forthwith they stripped him out of his side coate, and of diuers colours.

24   And cast him into the old cesterne, that had not water.

25   And sitting to eate bread, they saw Ismaelites wayfaring men c&obar;ming from Galaad, and their camels carying spices, and rosen, and mirrh into Ægypt.

26   Iudas therfore said to his brethren: What auaileth it vs if we kil our brother, and conceale his bloode?

27   It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our handes be not polluted: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren assented to his wordes.

28   And when the Madianite marchants passed by, they drawing him out of the cesterne, sold him to the Ismaelites, for ^note twentie peeces of siluer, who brought him into Ægypt.

29   And Ruben returning to the cesterne, findeth not the boy:

30   and renting his garments went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appeare, and whither shal I goe?

31   And they tooke his coate, and dipped it in the blood of a kidde, which they had killed:

32   sending some that should carie it to their father, and should say: This we haue founde: see whether it be thy sonnes coate, or no.

33   Which when the father acknowledged, he said: It is my sonnes coate, a naughtie wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath deuoured Ioseph.

34   And tearing his garments, did on sackcloth, mourning his sonne a great time.

35   And al his children being gethered together to asswage their fathers sorowe, he would not take comforte, but said: I wil descend vnto my sonne09Q0086 into hel, mourning. And whilest he perseuered in weeping,

36   the Madianites sold Ioseph in Ægypt to Phutiphar an Eunuch of Pharoes maister of the souldiars.

Ioseph.

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