WHO SELL HIM TO POTIPHAR, AN EGYPTIAN.

And ſenten it iacob in-to ebron,
And ſhewed it him, and boden him ſen
1972 If hiſ childes wede it migte ben;
Senten him bode he funden it.
ðo iacob ſag dat[[206]] ſori writ,
and sent to Jacob at Hebron.
He gret, and ſeide ðat "wilde der
1976 Hauen min ſune ſwolgen her."
"Evil beasts," said Jacob, "have swallowed my son."
Hiſ cloðes rent, in haigre ſrid,
Long grot and ſorge is him bi-tid.
Long was his lamentation and sorrow.
His ſunes comen him to ſen,
1980 And hertedin him if it migte ben;
 [Fol. 39.]
"Nai! nai!" quat he, "helped it nogt,
Mai non herting on me ben wrogt;
ic ſal ligten til helle dale,
1984 And groten ðor min ſunes bale."
Jacob would not be comforted for the loss of Joseph.
(ðor was in helle a ſundri ſtede,
wor ðe ſeli folc reſte dede;
ðor he ſtunden til helpe cam,
In hell was a separate abode where the righteous rested,
1988 Til ihesu crist fro ðeden[[207]] he nam.)
ðe chapmen ſkiuden here fare,
till Christ took them from thence.
In-to egipte ledden ðat ware;
wið putifar ðe kinges ſtiward,
1992 He maden ſwiðe bigetel forward,
So michel fe ðor iſ hem told,
He hauen him bogt, he hauen ſold.
The merchants took their ware to Egypt.
Putifar waſ wol riche man,
1996 And he bogte ioſeph al forðan
Potiphar bought Joseph.
He wulde don iſ lechur-hed
wið ioseph, for hiſe faire-hed,
Oc he wurð ðo ſo kinde cold,
2000 To don ſwilc dede adde he no wold;
He entertained impure desires towards him,
ſwilc ſelðe cam him fro a-buuen,
God dede it al for ioſeph luue[n].
Biſſop in eliopoli[[208]]
2004 Men ſeið he was ſiðen for-ði,
but Joseph was strengthened from above.

[206]

ðat?

[207]

ðeðen?

[208]

In [H]Eliopolis; the words are run together.