1   And Iacob hearing, that victuales were sold in Ægypt, he said to his sonnes: Why neglect ye?

2   I haue heard that wheat is sold in Ægypt: Goe ye downe, and bye vs necessaries, that we may liue, and not be consumed with lacke.

3   Therfore the tenne brethren of Ioseph going downe, to bye corne in Ægypt,

4   Beniamin being kept at home by Iacob, who said to his brethren: Lest perhaps he take any harme in the iourney:

5   entred into the land of Ægypt with others that went to bye. for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

6   And Ioseph was prince in the land of Ægypt, and at his pleasure corne was sold to the people. And when his brethren had adored him,

7   and he knewe them, he spake as it were to strangers09Q0091 somewhat roughly, asking them: From whence came you? Who answered: From the Land of chanaan, that we may bye necessaries to liue.

8   And yet himselfe knowing his brethren, was not knowen of them.

9   And remembring the dreames, which some times he had seene, he said to them:09Q0092 You are spies: to view the

Ioseph. weaker parts of the land you are come.

10   Who said: It is not so, my lord, but thy seruantes are come to bye victuals.

11   We are al the sonnes of one man: we are come as men of peace, neither do thy seruantes goe about anie euil.

12   To whom he answered: It is otherwise: you came to consider the vndefensed partes of this land.

13   But they: We thy seruantes, say they, are twelue brethren, the sonnes of one man in the Land of Chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the other is not liuing.

14   This is it, quoth he, that I said: You are spies.

15   Now presently I wil take a trial of you:09Q0093 by the health of Pharao you shal not depart hence, vntil your youngest brother do come.

16   Send you one of you to bring him: and you shal be in prison, til the thinges be proued which you haue said, whether they be true or false: ^noteotherwise by the health of Pharao you are spies.

17   Therfore he put them in prison three dayes.

18   And the third day bringing them out of prison, he said: Doe as I haue said, and you shal liue: for I feare God.

19   If you be men of peace, let one of your brethren be bounde in prison: and goe ye your wayes, and carie the corne that you haue bought, vnto your houses,

20   and bring your youngest brother to me, that I may proue your sayings to be true, and that you die not. They did as he had said,

21   and they talked one to an other: Worthely do we suffer these thinges, because we haue sinned against our brother, seing the distresse of his soule, whilest he besought vs, and we heard not: therfore is this tribulation come vpon vs.

22   Among whom Ruben one of them, said: Why, did not I say to you: Sinne not against the boy: and you heard me not? Loe his blood is required.

23   And they knew not that Ioseph vnderstood: because he spake to them by an interpreter.

24   And he turned away himselfe a litle while, and wept: and returning he spake to them.

25   And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he commanded his seruantes that they should fil vp their sackes with wheat, and put euerie mans money againe in their bagges, geuing them besides for to eate on the way: who did so.

26   But they carying their corne vpon their asses, tooke their iourney.

27   And one of them opening his sacke, to geue his beast prouender in the inne, beholding the money in the sackes mouth,

28   he said to his brethren: My money is geuen me againe, behold it is in the

Ioseph. sacke. And being astonyed, and trubled amongest themselues, they said: What is this, that God hath done vnto vs?

29   And they came to Iacob their father into the land of Chanaan, and they told him al thinges that had chanced vnto them, saying:

30   The lord of the land spake to vs roughly, and thought vs to be spies of the prouince,

31   to whom we answered: We are men of peace, ne&ibar;ther do we attempt any treachery.

32   We are twelue brethren borne of one father: one is not liuing, the youngest is with our father in the Land of Chanaan.

33   Who said to vs: Thus shal I trie that you be men of peace: Leaue one of your brethren with me, and take ye prouision necessarie for your houses, and goe your wayes,

34   and bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know you are not spies: and you may receiue this felowe againe, that is kept in prison: and afterwardes may haue licence to bye what thinges you wil.

35   This being said, when they powred out their corne, euerie man found his money tied in the mouth of the sackes: and al being astonyed together,

36   their father Iacob said: You haue made me to be without children, Ioseph is not liuing, Simeon is kept in bondes, and Beniamin you wil take away: al these euils are fallen vpon me.

37   To whom Ruben answered: Kil my two sonnes, if I bring him not againe to thee: deliuer him into my hand, and I wil restore him vnto thee.

38   But he said: My sonne shal not go downe with you: his brother is dead, and he alone is remayning: if any aduersitie shal chance to him in the land to the which you goe, you shal bring downe ^note my hoare heares with sorowe 09Q0094 vnto hel.

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