William Tyndale

ANd the derth waxed sore in the lande. And when they had eate vp that corne which they brought out of the lande of Egipte/ their father sayde vnto them: goo agayne and by vs a litle food. Than sayde Iuda vnto him: the man dyd testifie vnto vs saynge: loke that ye see not my face excepte youre brother be with you. Therfore yf thou wilt sende oure brother with vs/ we wyll goo and bye the food. But yf thou wylt not sende him/ we wyll not goo: for the man sayde vnto vs: loke that ye see not my face/ excepte youre brother be with you.

And Israell sayde: wherfore delt ye so cruelly with me/ as to tell the man that ye had yet another brother? And they sayde: The man asked vs of oure kynred saynge: is youre father yet alyue? haue ye not another brother? And we tolde him acordynge to these wordes. How cowd we knowe that he wolde byd vs brynge oure brother downe with vs? Than sayde Iuda vnto Israell his father: Send the lad with me/ and we wyll ryse and goo/ that we maye lyue and not dye: both we/ thou and also oure childern. I wilbe suertie for him/ and of my handes requyre him. Yf I brynge him not to the and sett him before thine eyes/ than let me bere the blame for euer. For except we had made this tari?g: by this we had bene there twyse and come agayne.

Than their father Israel sayde vnto th?: Yf it must nedes be so now: than do thus/ take of the best frutes of the lande in youre vesselles/ and brynge the man a present/ a curtesie bawlme/ and a curtesie of hony/ spyces and myrre/ dates and almondes. And take as moch money more with you. And the money that was brought agayne in youre sackes/ take it agayne with you in youre handes/ peraduenture it was some ouersyghte.

Take also youre brother with you/ and aryse and goo agayne to the man. And God almightie geue you mercie in the sighte of the man and send you youre other brother and also B? Iamin/ and I wilbe as a mà robbed of his childern.

Thus toke they the present and twise so moch more money with them/ and Ben Iamim. And rose vp/ went downe to Egipte/ and presented them selfe to Ioseph. When Ioseph sawe Ben Iamin with them/ he sayde to the ruelar of his house: brynge these men home/ and sley and make redie: for they shall dyne with me at none. And the man dyd as Ioseph bad/ and brought them in to Iosephs house.

When they were brought to Iosephs house/ they were afrayde Ãd sayde: be cause of the money y^t came in oure sackes mouthes at the first tyme/ are we brought/ to pyke a quarell with vs & to laye some thinge to oure charge: to brynge us in bondage and oure asses also. Therfore came they to the man that was the ruelar ouer Iosephs house/ and comened with him at the doore and sayde:

Sir/ we came hither at the first tyme to bye foode/ and as we came to an Inne and opened oure sackes: beholde/ euery mannes money was in his sacke with full weghte: But we haue broght it agene with us/ & other mony haue we brought also in oure handes/ to bye foode/ but we can not tell who put oure money in oure sackes.

And he sayde: be of good chere/ feare not: Youre God and the God of youre fathers hath put you that treasure in youre sackes/ for I had youre money. And he brought Simeon out to them Ãd led th? in to Iosephs house/ and gaue th? water to washe their fete/ and gaue their asses prauender: And they made redie their present agaynst Ioseph came at none/ for they herde saye that they shulde dyne there.

When Ioseph came home/ they brought the present in to the house to him/ which they had in their handes/ Ãd fell flat on the grounde befor him. And he welcomed th? curteously sainge: is youre father that old man which ye tolde me of/ in good health? and is he yet alyue? they answered: thy servaunte oure father is in good health/ Ãd is yet alyue. And they bowed them selues and fell to the grounde.

And he lyfte vp his eyes & behelde his brother Ben Iamin his mothers sonne/ & sayde: is this youre yongest brother of whome ye sayde vnto me? And sayde: God be mercyfull vnto y^e my sonne. And Ioseph made hast (for his hert dyd melt apon his brother) and soughte for to wepe/ & entred in to his chambre/ for to wepe there. And he wasshed his face and came out & refrayned himselfe/ & had sett bread on the table

And they prepared for him by himselfe/ and for them by them selues/ and for the Egiptians which ate with him by them selues/ because the Egyptians may not eate bread with the Hebrues/ for that is an abhomynacyon vnto the Egiptians. And they satt before him: the eldest acordynge vnto his age/ and the yongest acordyng vnto his youth. And the men marveled amonge them selves. And they broughte rewardes vnto them from before him: but Ben Iamins parte was fyue tymes so moch as any of theirs. And they ate and they dronke/ and were dronke wyth him.