Joseph Is Sold to Chapmen
| 1936 Hate hem on ros, in herte numen; Swilc nið & hate roſ hem on, | |
| He redden alle him for to ſlon. “Nai,” quad ruben, “ſlo we him nogt, | and took counsel to slay him. |
| 1940 Oðer ſinne may ben wrogt, Quat-ſo him drempte ðor quiles he ſlep, In ðiſ ðiſterneſſe, old and dep, Get wurðe200 worpen naked and cold, 1944 Quat-ſo hiſ dremeſ owen a-wold.” ðiſ dede waſ don wid herte ſor, | Reuben advised them to throw Joseph into an old and deep pit. |
| Ne wulde ruben nogt drechen ðor; He gede and ſogte an oðer ſtede, 1948 Hiſ erue in bettre lewſe he dede; | Reuben left his brethren to seek better pasture for his cattle. |
| Vdas dor quiles gaf hem red, ðat was fulfilt of derne ſped; fro galaad men wið chafare 1952 Sag he ðor kumen wid ſpices ware; | Judah gave them bad advice, |
| To-warde egipte he gunne ten. Iudas tagte hu it ſulde ben, | [Fol. 38b.] |
| Ioseph ſolde ðe breðere ten, 1956 for.xxx. plates to ðe chapmen; Get waſt bettre he ðuſ waſ ſold, dan he ðor ſtorue in here wold. | and Joseph was sold for thirty pieces of silver. |
| Ðan ruben cam ðider a-gen, 1960 to ðat ciſterneſſe he ran to ſen; He miſſed Ioseph and ðhogte ſwem, | Reuben came thither again and found Joseph gone. |
| wende him ſlagen, ſet up an rem; Nile he blinnen, ſwilc ſorwe he cliued, 1964 Til him he ſweren ðat he liued. ðo nomen he ðe childes ſrud, ðe iacob hadde mad im205 in prud; | Great was his outcry, which did not cease until he was assured that Joseph lived. |
| In kides blod he wenten it, 1968 ðo waſ ðor-on an rewli lit. Sondere men he it leiden on, | Joseph’s coat was dipt in kid’s blood, |
cisterneſſe?
wið?
ðor?
ðan?
MS. cifterneſſe.
Notes
200 he is inserted in the later hand.
205 madim in MS.