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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.
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