Liber Genesis, 37

1. habitavit autem Jacob in terra Chanaan in qua peregrinatus est pater suus

1. And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.

2. et hæ sunt generationes ejus Joseph cum sedecim esset annorum pascebat gregem cum fratribus suis adhuc puer et erat cum filiis Balæ et Zelphæ uxorum patris sui accusavitque fratres suos apud patrem crimine pessimo

2. And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the dock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of and of Zelpha his father's wives : and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.

3. Israël autem diligebat Joseph super omnes filios suos eo quod in senectute genuisset eum fecitque ei tunicam polymitam

3. Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.

4. videntes autem fratres ejus quod a patre plus cunctis filiis amaretur oderant eum nec poterant ei quicquam pacificum loqui

4. And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

5. accidit quoque ut visum somnium referret fratribus quæ causa majoris odii seminarium fuit

5. Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.

6. dixitque ad eos audite somnium meum quod vidi

6. And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.

7. putabam ligare nos manipulos in agro et quasi consurgere manipulum meum et stare vestrosque manipulos circumstantes adorare manipulum meum

7. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, end stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.

8. responderunt fratres ejus numquid rex noster eris aut subiciemur dicioni tuæ hæc ergo causa somniorum atque sermonum invidiæ et odii fomitem ministravit

8. His brethren answered : Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.

9. aliud quoque vidit somnium quod narrans fratribus ait vidi per somnium quasi solem et lunam et stellas undecim adorare me

9. He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.

10. quod cum patri suo et fratribus rettulisset increpavit eum pater et dixit quid sibi vult hoc somnium quod vidisti num ego et mater tua et fratres adorabimus te super terram

10. And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?

11. invidebant igitur ei fratres sui pater vero rem tacitus considerabat

11. His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.

12. cumque fratres illius in pascendis gregibus patris morarentur in Sychem

12. And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father's docks,

13. dixit ad eum Israël fratres tui pascunt oves in Sycimis veni mittam te ad eos quo respondente

13. Israel said to him : Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:

14. præsto sum ait vade et vide si cuncta prospera sint erga fratres tuos et pecora et renuntia mihi quid agatur missus de valle Hebron venit in Sychem

14. I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:

15. invenitque eum vir errantem in agro et interrogavit quid quæreret

15. And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.

16. at ille respondit fratres meos quæro indica mihi ubi pascant greges

16. But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the docks.

17. dixitque ei vir recesserunt de loco isto audivi autem eos dicentes eamus in Dothain perrexit ergo Joseph post fratres suos et invenit eos in Dothain

17. And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.

18. qui cum vidissent eum procul antequam accederet ad eos cogitaverunt illum occidere

18. And when they saw him afar off, be- fore he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.

19. et mutuo loquebantur ecce somniator venit

19. And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.

20. venite occidamus eum et mittamus in cisternam veterem dicemusque fera pessima devoravit eum et tunc apparebit quid illi prosint somnia sua

20. Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit : and we will say : Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him :

21. audiens hoc Ruben nitebatur liberare eum de manibus eorum et dicebat

21. And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, end said:

22. non interficiamus animam ejus nec effundatis sanguinem sed proicite eum in cisternam hanc quæ est in solitudine manusque vestras servate innoxias hoc autem dicebat volens eripere eum de manibus eorum et reddere patri suo

22. Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

23. confestim igitur ut pervenit ad fratres nudaverunt eum tunica talari et polymita

23. And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:

24. miseruntque in cisternam quæ non habebat aquam

24. And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.

25. et sedentes ut comederent panem viderunt viatores Ismahelitas venire de Galaad et camelos eorum portare aromata et resinam et stacten in Ægyptum

25. And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Calaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.

26. dixit ergo Judas fratribus suis quid nobis prodest si occiderimus fratrem nostrum et celaverimus sanguinem ipsius

26. And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?

27. melius est ut vendatur Ismahelitis et manus nostræ non polluantur frater enim et caro nostra est adquieverunt fratres sermonibus ejus

27. It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.

28. et prætereuntibus Madianitis negotiatoribus extrahentes eum de cisterna vendiderunt Ismahelitis viginti argenteis qui duxerunt eum in Ægyptum

28. And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.

29. reversusque Ruben ad cisternam non invenit puerum

29. And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:

30. et scissis vestibus pergens ad fratres ait puer non conparet et ego quo ibo

30. And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?

31. tulerunt autem tunicam ejus et in sanguinem hedi quem occiderant tinxerunt

31. And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed :

32. mittentes qui ferrent ad patrem et dicerent hanc invenimus vide utrum tunica filii tui sit an non

32. Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not.

33. quam cum agnovisset pater ait tunica filii mei est fera pessima comedit eum bestia devoravit Joseph

33. And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.

34. scissisque vestibus indutus est cilicio lugens filium multo tempore

34. And tearing his garments, he put an sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.

35. congregatis autem cunctis liberis ejus ut lenirent dolorem patris noluit consolationem recipere et ait descendam ad filium meum lugens in infernum et illo perseverante in fletu

35. And alibis children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,

36. Madianei vendiderunt Joseph in Ægypto Putiphar eunucho Pharaonis magistro militiæ

36. The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.