Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

My Lord asked his seruants, saying, Haue ye a father, or a brother?

And we answered my Lord, We haue a father that is olde, and a young childe, which he begate in his age: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loueth him.

Now thou saidest vnto thy seruants, Bring him vnto me, that I may set mine eye vpon him.

And we answered my lord, The childe can not depart from his father: for if he leaue his father, his father would die.

Then saydest thou vnto thy seruants, Except your yonger brother come downe with you, looke in my face no more.

So when we came vnto thy seruant our father, and shewed him what my lord had sayd,

And our father sayde vnto vs, Goe againe, bye vs a litle foode,

Then we answered, We can not go downe: but if our yongest brother go with vs, then will we go downe: for we may not see the mans face, except our yongest brother be with vs.

Then thy seruant my father sayde vnto vs, Ye knowe that my wife bare me two sonnes,

And the one went out from me, and I said, Of a suretie he is torne in pieces, and I sawe him not since.

Nowe yee take this also away from me: if death take him, then yee shall bring my graye head in sorowe to the graue.

Nowe therefore, when I come to thy seruant my father, and the childe be not with vs (seeing that his life dependeth on the childes life)

Then when hee shall see that the childe is not come, he will die: so shall thy seruants bring the graye head of thy seruant our father with sorowe to the graue.

Doubtlesse thy seruant became suertie for the childe to my father, and said, If I bring him not vnto thee againe, then I will beare the blame vnto my father for euer.

Nowe therefore, I pray thee, let me thy seruant bide for the childe, as a seruant to my Lord, and let the childe go vp with his brethren.

For how can I go vp to my father, if the childe be not with me, vnlesse I woulde see the euil that shall come on my father?

Then Ioseph could not refraine him selfe before all that stoode by him, but hee cryed, Haue forth euery man from me. And there taryed not one with him, while Ioseph vttered himselfe vnto his brethren.

And hee wept and cried, so that the Egyptians heard: the house of Pharaoh heard also.

Then Ioseph sayde to his brethren, I am Ioseph: doeth my father yet liue? But his brethren coulde not answere him, for they were astonished at his presence.

Againe, Ioseph sayde to his brethren, Come neere, I pray you, to mee. And they came neere. And he sayde, I am Ioseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

Nowe therefore be not sad, neither grieued with your selues, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you for your preseruation.

For nowe two yeeres of famine haue bene through ye land, and fiue yeeres are behind, wherein neither shalbe earing nor haruest.

Wherefore God sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land, and to saue you aliue by a great deliuerance.

Now the you sent not me hither, but God, who hath made mee a father vnto Pharaoh, and lorde of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Haste you and go vp to my father, and tel him, Thus saieth thy sonne Ioseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come downe to me, tary not.