1Aftir twei yeer Farao seiy a dreem; he gesside that he stood on a flood,

2fro which seuene faire kiyn and ful fatte stieden, and weren fed in the places of mareis;

3and othere seuene, foule and leene, camen out of the flood, and weren fed in thilk brenke of the watir, in grene places;

4and tho deuoureden thilke kien of whiche the fairnesse and comelynesse of bodies was wondurful.

5Farao wakide, and slepte eft, and seiy another dreem; seuen eeris of corn ful and faire camen forth in o stalke,

6and othere as many eeris of corn, thinne and smytun with corrupcioun of brennynge wynd,

7camen forth, deuourynge al the fairenesse of the firste. Farao wakide aftir reste,

8and 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.

9Thanne at the laste the maistir `of boteleris bithouyte, and seide, Y knowleche my synne;

10the 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,

11where we bothe saien a dreem in o nyyt, biforeschewynge of thingis to comynge.

12An Ebrew child, seruaunt of the same duk of knyytis was there, to whom we telden the dremes,

13and herden what euer thing the bifallyng of thing preuede afterward; for Y am restorid to myn office, and he was hangid in a cros.

14Anoon 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.

15To 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.

16Joseph answerde, With out me, God schal answere prosperitees to Farao.

17Therfor Farao telde that that he seiy; Y gesside that Y stood on the brenke of the flood,

18and 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;

19and lo! seuene othere kiyn, so foule and leene, sueden these, that Y seiy neuere siche in the lond of Egipt;

20and whanne the formere kien weren deuourid and wastid, tho secounde yauen no steppe of fulnesse,

21but weren slowe bi lijk leenesse and palenesse. I wakide, and eft Y was oppressid bi sleep, and Y seiy a dreem;

22seuene eeris of corn, ful and faireste, camen forth in o stalke,

23and othere seuene, thinne and smytun with `corrupcioun of brennynge wynd, camen forth of the stobil,

24whiche deuouriden the fairenesse of the formere;

25Y 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.

26Seuene faire kiyn, and seuene ful eeris of corn, ben seuene yeeris of plentee, and tho comprehenden the same strengthe of dreem;

27and 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,

28whiche schulen be fillid bi this ordre.

29Lo! seuene yeer of greet plentee in al the lond of Egipt schulen come,

30and 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,

31and the greetnesse of pouert schal leese the greetnesse of plentee.

32Forsothe 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.

33Now therfor puruey the kyng a wijs man and a redi, and make the kyng hym souereyn to the lond of Egipt,

34which man ordeyne gouernouris bi alle cuntreis, and gadere he in to bernys the fyuethe part of fruytis bi seuene yeer of plentee,

35that schulen come now; and al the wheete be kept vndur the power of Farao, ⁸and be it kept in citees,

36and be it maad redi to the hungur to comynge of seuene yeer that schal oppresse Egipt, and the lond be not wastid bi pouert.

37The counsel pleside Farao,

38and alle his mynystris, and he spak to hem, Wher we moun fynde sich a man which is ful of Goddis spirit?

39Therfor 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?

40Therfor 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.

41And eft Farao seide to Joseph, Lo! Y haue ordeyned thee on al the lond of Egipt.

42And 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;

43and 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.

44And the kyng seide to Joseph, Y am Farao, without thi comaundement no man shal stire hond ether foot in al the lond of Egipt.

45And he turnede the name of Joseph, and clepide him bi Egipcian langage, the sauyour ⁹of 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.

46Forsothe Joseph was of thretti yeer, whanne he stood in the siyt of kyng Farao, and cumpasside alle the cuntreis of Egipt.

47And the plente of seuene yeer cam, and ripe corn weren bounden into handfuls, and weren gaderid into the bernys of Egipt,

48also al the aboundaunce of cornes weren kept in alle citeis,

49and so greet aboundaunce was of wheete, that it was maad euene to the grauel of the see, and the plente passide mesure.

50Sotheli twei sones were born to Joseph bifor that the hungur came, whiche Asenech, douytir of Putifar, preest of Heliopoleos, childide to hym.

51And 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;

52and he clepide the name of the secunde sone Effraym, and seide, God hath maad me to encreesse in the lond of my pouert.

53Therfor whanne seuene yeer of plentee that weren in Egipt weren passid,

54seuene 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;

55and 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.

56Forsothe hungur encreesside ech dai in al the lond, and Joseph openyde alle the bernys, and seelde to Egipcians, for also hungur oppresside hem;

57and alle prouynces camen in to Egipt to bie metis, and to abate the yuel of nedynesse.