Works of John Bunyan — Volume 02

by John Bunyan

CHAP XXXVII.

When Jacob from his brother Esau fled,
He by the hand of providence was led
To Padan-aram, in Assyria, where
He serv'd his uncle Laban twenty year;
During which time he was in all things blest,
And with a num'rous issue 'mongst the rest:
Amongst whom none so pleasing in his sight
As Joseph was, who was his chief delight:
Who by the time that Jacob was return'd
Into the land, where's fathers had sojourn'd,
Was full arrived at seventeen years of age;
And by his hopefulness did then presage,
He was endued with a noble mind,
That would to virtuous actions be inclin'd;
For being sent to feed his father's flock,
Among his brethren he great notice took
Of what they did, and if in any sort
They did amiss, he thereof made report
Unto his father, and did thus create
His father's favour, but his brethren's hate.
His father loved him better than the rest,
As being the son wherewith his age was blest.
And that his kindness might the more appear,
Made him a party colour'd coat to wear.
But as it often haps, his father's love
Did in his brethren greater hatred move.
But that which most incens'd them was his dreams,
By which, in a prophetic way, he seems
Their low submission, and his future state
Of greatness plainly to prognosticate.
For to his brethren thus his dreams he told,
And said, As we were binding sheaves, behold,
My sheaf arose and stood up in the field,
And all your sheaves stood round about, to yield
Obeisance unto mine: And what, must we
Indeed, say they, be subject unto thee?
Their wrath increas'd, this added to his crime.
And Joseph dreamed yet a second time;
And said, Behold, I saw the sun and moon,
And the eleven stars to me fall down.
At which his father highly was offended,
And for these words, the lad he reprehended,
And said, Fond youth, dost thou pretend to shew
That I, thy mother, and thy brethren too,
Must all submit to thee? Thou dost but dream:
But Jacob kept his words, and thought of them.
Now Jacob's sons did feed their flocks in Shechem,
And he desired Joseph to go seek them,
And find them out, and come again and tell
If all things with them and their flocks were well.
So Joseph went, and wander'd here and there,
But could not find out where his brethren were,
Until a man had told him their intent
Of going to Dotham, where he also went.
And when his brethren at a distance saw him,
They held a consultation how to slay him,
And said, Here comes the dreamer, we shall see
What the event of all his dreams will be;
For we will kill, and in a pit will hide him,
And say some beast or other hath destroy'd him.
But Reuben somewhat tend'rer than the rest,
Endeavour'd to persuade them to desist
From murder, saying, Into this pit let's cast him,
And this he said in hopes to have releas'd him.
And now when Joseph came not dreading ought,
They stript him of his party colour'd coat,
And led him to a pit that was hard by,
And threw him into't, but the pit was dry.
And sitting down to eat, they chanc'd to spy,
A company of Ishmaelites pass by,
Who with balm, myrrh, and spice, their camels lading,
From Gilead came, and were to Egypt trading.
Then Judah said, 'Twill do us little good
To slay our brother, and conceal his blood;
Come therefore, brethren, be advis'd by me,
Let's sell him to these Ishmaelites, for he
Is our own flesh, and 'tis a cruel deed,
To kill him, and to this they all agreed.
Their brother then out of the pit they hale,
And to these merchants offer'd him to sale:
Who, him for twenty silver pieces bought,
And with them to the land of Egypt brought.
But Reuben, ignorant of what was done,
Came to the pit, and seeing the lad was gone,
He rent his clothes in a great consternation,
Returning back with heavy lamentation.
And now that they might make their story good
They kill'd a kid, and dipped in the blood
Their brother Joseph's coat, and home they came,
And to their father's view expos'd the same,
And said, This we have found, now thou dost know
Whether it be thy son's coat, yea or no.
And Jacob knew the coat full well, and said,
Now hath some evil beast devour'd the lad;
Joseph is torn in pieces without doubt,
For, too, too well I know this is his coat.
He rent his clothes, and putting sackcloth on,
He for a long time mourned for his son.
His children striving to assuage his grief
Endeavour'd to administer relief:
But he refus'd, and said, Since he is gone,
I will in sorrow to the grave go down.
Such lamentation made he for his son.

CHAP. XXXIX.

And now these merchants, sons of Ishmael,
Again did poor afflicted Joseph sell,
To an Egyptian, named Potiphar,
The captain of King Pharaoh's men of war.
And God was with him, and did greatly bless,
And crown his undertakings with success.
Whereof his master being well aware,
Committed all he had to Joseph's care;
And made him overseer of his house,
And, from the time his master us'd him thus,
The Lord was pleas'd to give him to partake,
So many blessings, e'en for Joseph's sake:
Of that with plenty he was hedg'd about,
And prospered within door and without.
Such was his master's love, and he so just,
That all things were committed to his trust.
Now Joseph was grown up to manly stature,
Of goodly presence, and most comely feature.
Wherefore his mistress, with a lustful eye,
Beheld his beauty, and resolv'd to try,
If to unchaste embraces she could gain
The youth, but her endeavours prov'd in vain:
For he refus'd, and said, My master knows
In all the house of nothing that he owes,[9]
For his concerns are all at my dispose:
There's not a thing that he hath kept from me
But all is in my hand, save only thee;
Then how can I commit so foul a fact,
And the displeasure of my God contract?
Yet still she sued, and still did he deny her,
Refusing to be with her, or lie by her.
Now on a time when all the men were gone
Out of the house, and she was left alone:
And Joseph at that instant coming in,
About some business he'd to do within;
She took advantage of their being together,
And held his clothes to force him to lie with her.
But Joseph strove, and from her hands got loose,
And left his coat, and fled out of the house.
And when she saw that he had made's escape,
She call'd her servants, and proclaim'd a rape:
Come see now how this Hebrew slave, said she,
Your master's favourite, hath affronted me.
He came to violate my chastity,
And when he heard that I began to cry,
And call for help, afraid lest you should find him,
He's fled, and left his garment here behind him.
And now to give her words the greater credit,
Until her husband's coming home, she hid it,
To whom she spake, and said, Why hast thou brought
This Hebrew here, to set me thus at nought?
The slave attempted to defile my bed,
And when I cry'd, he left his coat and fled,
See here it is. Which when he saw, and heard
The heavy accusation she preferr'd,
He was exceeding wroth at his behavior,
And utterly cashier'd him from his favour;
Nay more, he cast him into prison, where
In fetters bound, King Pharaoh's pris'ners were.
But Joseph's God, who never yet forsook
Him in extremity, was pleas'd to look
With great compassion on his injuries,
And gave him favour in the keeper's eyes;
So that he was entrusted with the care
And charge of all the pris'ners that were there:
All were committed unto Joseph's hand,
And what was done, was done at his command.
The prison-keeper took no care at all,
Of ought that he entrusted him withal;
Because he saw that God was with him, and
All things did prosper that he took in hand.

CHAP. XL.

And now, whilst Joseph in confinement lay,
It came to pass upon a certain day,
That Pharaoh King of Egypt, being wroth
With his chief butler, and chief baker both,
For their offences, put them both in ward,
In the house of the captain of the guard:
Into the place where Joseph was confin'd,
Unto whose custody they were resign'd;
And he attended on them in the prison.
And there they were continue'd for a season,
During which time it chanced both of them
Did in the same night dream each man his dream:
Which dreams, according to interpretation,
Had to themselves particular relation.
And Joseph coming early the next day,
Into the room where Pharaoh's servants lay,
Beheld their countenances much dejected:
Wherefore he said, What evil hath effected
This melancholy frame, what is't that causes
These marks of discontentment in your faces?
Then said they, We have dream'd each man his dream,
And there is no man to interpret them.
Then Joseph said, Your dreams to me make known.
Interpretations are from God alone.
Then unto Joseph the chief butler told
His dream, and said, Methought I did behold
A vine, whereon three branches did appear,
Which seem'd to bud, to blossom, and to bear
Clusters of full ripe grapes, which to my thinking
I press'd into the cup for Pharaoh's drinking.
And Joseph said, Thy dream doth signify,
Thou shalt enjoy thy former dignity:
The branches which thou sawest are three days,
In which King Pharaoh will his butler raise
And to thy place again will thee restore,
And thou shalt serve him as thou'st done before:
But do not, when it shall be well with thee,
Forget me, but show kindness unto me,
And unto Pharaoh represent my case,
That I may be deliver'd from this place;
For I was stol'n out of the Hebrew's land,
And also here am wrongfully detained.
Then the chief baker having understood,
That the interpretation was so good,
He told his dream to Joseph too, and said,
Lo, I had three white baskets on my head,
And in the uppermost there seem'd to be,
Of baked provision, great variety,
Fit for King Pharaoh's table, and there came
A flock of birds, and seem'd to eat the same.
And Joseph said, Thy dream portends thy fall,
For at the end of three days Pharaoh shall
Lift up thy head, and hang thee on a tree,
So that the birds shall feast themselves on thee.
And on the third day Pharaoh made a feast
Unto his servants, and among the rest
The butler and the baker were brought forth,
The day being kept in memory of his birth.
And to his place King Pharaoh did restore
His butler, and he served him as before.
But the chief baker he condemn'd to die,
According unto Joseph's prophecy.
Yet though the butler had regain'd his place,
He was unmindful of poor Joseph's case.

CHAP. XLI.

And now when two years' time was fully past,
And Joseph from confinement not releast,
It came to pass that Pharaoh dream'd, and
He seemed by a river-side to stand,
Whence he seven fat well-favour'd kine beheld,
Come up and grazed in the neighbouring field.
And after them there came up seven more,
Lean and ill-favour'd, and did soon devour
The seven fat kine which came up just before.
So Pharaoh 'woke, and mus'd awhile, and then
Soon as his sleep his dream returned again:
Wherein he saw upon one stalk there stood
Seven ears of corn exceeding rank and good,
And seven others, with the east wind blasted,
And withered, sprang up, and quickly wasted
The seven good ears, and quite devour'd them:
And Pharaoh 'woke, and lo, it was a dream.
And in the morning he was discontent,
And for the wise men and magicians sent,
To ease his mind; but there was none of them
That could interpret to the king his dream.
Then the chief butler, making his address
Unto King Pharaoh, said, I now confess
My former faults, for when the king was wroth
With his chief butler, and chief baker both,
It pleased him, to put us both in ward,
In the house of the captain of the guard:
And in one night we dream'd a dream, each one
According to 's interpretation:
And there was then an Hebrew there in ward,
A youth that serv'd the captain of the guard:
To whom we told whereof we had been dreaming,
And he interpreted to us the meaning;
And what he said fell out accordingly,
Me he restored to my dignity,
But told the baker he should surely die.
Then Pharaoh sent a messenger in haste,
And Joseph from the dungeon was releas'd:
And having shav'd himself and chang'd his clothes,
Into the presence of the king he goes.
To whom King Pharaoh said, I have been told
Thou canst the meaning of a dream unfold:
Now I have dream'd a dream, and there is none
Can give me the interpretation.
And Joseph said, I cannot do this thing
Myself, but God shall answer thee, oh king.
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream,
As I stood by a river's side, there came
Up from the river seven well-favour'd kine,
And fed upon the banks, all fat and fine,
And after them there came up seven more,
Lean and ill-favour'd, and exceeding poor:
Such as the land of Egypt never bred,
And on the seven well-favour'd kine they fed,
And eat them up, but 'twas not to be seen
That they had eat them, they look'd still so thin.
So I awoke, and mus'd awhile, and then
Soon as my sleep, my dream return'd again;
Wherein I saw upon one stalk there stood
Seven ears of corn, exceeding rank and good:
Then seven others, with the east wind blasted,
And withered, came up, and quickly wasted
The seven good ears, and quite devoured them.
And being unsatisfied about my dream,
I sought unto the wise men of the nation,
But they could give me no interpretation.
And Joseph said, Thy dream, oh king! is one,
God shews to Pharaoh what he will have done.
The seven fat kine and seven good ears agree
To shew, seven years of plenty there shall be.
The seven lean kine, and seven blasted ears,
Denote there shall be famine seven years.
This I declare to Pharaoh, God doth shew
To thee, oh king! what he's about to do.
Behold seven years of plenty are at hand,
Which shall be very great throughout the land.
And after them seven years of famine shall
Arise, and shall consume the land, and all
The former plenty shall not be perceiv'd,
So much the land with famine shall be griev'd.
And since the dream was doubl'd to the king,
It is because God hath decreed the thing,
And on this land the same will shortly bring:
Now therefore if I may the king advise,
Let him look out a man discreet and wise,
And make him overseer of the land:
And substitute men under his command
To gather a fifth part for public use,
Of what the seven plenteous years produce;
And in the cities lay it up for store,
Against the famine in the land grows sore;
And let it be repos'd in Pharaoh's hand,
That so the famine may not waste the land.
And when King Pharaoh and his servants heard
The propositions Joseph had preferr'd,
They were acceptable in Pharaoh's eyes,
And in the eyes of all his court likewise:
So that he said, Can such an one be found?
A man in whom God's Spirit doth abound.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Forasmuch
As God's great kindness unto thee is such,
As to reveal this thing to thee, I know
No man so wise or so discreet as thou.
Be thou therefore the ruler of the land,
And let my people be at thy command;
Thou shalt in all things be as great as I,
Save only in the royal dignity.
Behold this day I have advanced thee
Said he, to be a man of high degree
Throughout the land. And therewithal the king
Bestow'd on Joseph his own royal ring;
And him with robes of state did richly deck,
And put a chain of gold about his neck,
And in his second chariot made him ride,
And as he past, Bow down the knee they cry'd,
With so great honour was he dignifi'd.
And Pharaoh said moreover, I am king,
No man shall dare to purpose any thing,
Or move his hand or foot in all this nation,
Unless it shall be by thy approbation.
He also gave to Joseph a new name,
And for a wife gave him a princely dame,
Who was the daughter of a priest of fame.
(Now Joseph had attained his thirtieth year,
When he before King Pharaoh did appear.)
And he went out from Pharaoh's presence, and
Began his progress over all the land.
Now in the seven plenteous years, the field
Did its increase in great abundance yield.
And Joseph gather'd all that plenteous crop,
And in th' adjacent cities laid it up:
Which like unto the sand upon the shore,
Did so abound that he could count no more,
Such was the plenty that the earth then bore.
And unto Joseph there was born a son,
Even by the daughter of the priest of On,
Before the years of famine were begun;
The which he call'd Manasseh, for, said he,
God makes me to forget my misery,
And all my father's house. And after him
Was born another he called Ephraim;
For God, saith he, hath made me to possess
Abundance in the land of my distress.
And when the seven plenteous years were gone,
The seven years of famine next came on,
As Joseph said, and there was a great dearth
In every nation throughout all the earth;
But in the land of Egypt there was bread.
And when the people almost famished,
Complained to the king, he bade them go
To Joseph, and whate'er he said to do.
And now the famine daily waxing sore,
Joseph began to bring forth of his store,
Which he had laid up for the public good;
To whom th' Egyptians came and bought their food.
And people from all countries far and near
To Egypt came to buy provision there;
For in all lands the famine was severe.

CHAP. XLII.

And now, behold, when Jacob had been told
That there was corn in Egypt to be sold,
He said unto his sons, Why stand ye thus?
Go down to Egypt and buy corn for us;
That so our craving stomachs may be fed,
And not be here and die for lack of bread.
Thus Jacob's ten sons were to Egypt sent,
But Joseph's brother Benjamin ne'er went.
For why, his father said, I will not send him,
Lest peradventure some ill chance attend him.
And Joseph's brethren came among the rest
To buy provision, for they were distress'd.
Now he was governor of all the land,
And all the corn of Egypt in his hand.
Wherefore his brethren, when they came to treat
With him for corn, bow'd down e'en at his feet:
And he no sooner saw them but he knew them,
And show'd himself extremely strange unto them:
And very roughly asked who they were,
From whence they came, and what their bus'ness there.
And they made answer, We thy servants from
The land of Canaan to buy food are come.
Now tho' they knew him not, yet he knew them,
And calling now to mind his former dream,
He said, I do suspect ye're come as spies,
To see in what distress our country lies.
But they reply'd again, My lord, we're come
Only to buy some food to carry home.
Think not thy servants spies, but true men rather,
For we are all the children of one father.
Nay, nay, said he, but ye are come to pry
Into the nation's great necessity.
But they reply'd again, Thy servants are
Inhabitants of Canaan, and declare,
That we're twelve brethren, whom one man begot,
The youngest is at home, and one is not
Well then, said Joseph, hereby shall I know,
Whether ye're spies, as I have said, or no;
Now by the life of Pharaoh do I swear,
Until your brother come I'll keep you here.
Send one of you and fetch the lad to me,
And you shall be confin'd, so shall there be
A proof of what you say before mine eyes,
Or by the life of Pharaoh ye are spies.
Then he for three days put them all in ward,
And on the third day said, I have regard
To equity, therefore if ye are true
And honest men, do this; let one of you
Be bound in prison here, and let the other
Go carry corn home and bring me your brother;
So shall ye be approv'd and shall not die.
And they prepared to do accordingly.
And as they were discoursing to each other,
They said, We were in fault about our brother,
In that we saw his soul in great distress,
And yet were so exceeding pitiless,
As not to hearken to his earnest cries:
This is the cause of these our miseries.
And Reuben said, You know I did forewarn,
And beg that you would do the child no harm;
But you would not do then as I desir'd,
And now his blood is at our hands requir'd.
Thus they discours'd about the cause that brought
Their present trouble, but they little thought
That Joseph knew of what they did confer,
Because he spake by an interpreter.
And he being moved at their words withdrew
To weep, and then returned to renew
His former talk; and choosing Simeon out,
Before them all he bound him hand and foot.
And gave command to fill their sacks with grain,
And to restore their money to 'em again;
And for their journey gave them food to eat;
In such sort Joseph did his brethren treat.
Then with their asses laden towards home
They went, and when into their inn they come
As one of them his sack of corn unty'd,
To give his ass some provender, he spy'd
His money in his sack again return'd;
Wherefore he call'd his brethren and inform'd
Them that his money was returned back.
Behold, said he, it is here in my sack.
On sight whereof their hearts were sore dismay'd,
And being very much affrighted said,
What is the thing that God's about to do,
That we do thus these troubles undergo?
Then coming to their father they related,
After what sort they were in Egypt treated:
And said, the man that's lord of all the land,
And hath the store of corn all in his hand,
Spake roughly to us, and affirm'd that we
Were come the weakness of the land to see.
To whom we said, We are all honest men;
We are twelve brethren, whereof here are ten,
And two elsewhere, all which one man begot,
The youngest's with our father, one is not.
Then said the ruler of the land, Hereby
Shall I make proof of your integrity:
Let one of you continue here with me,
And take provision for your family;
And get you gone and bring the youngest hither,
That so I may be satisfied whether
Ye are true men, as you make protestation,
Then I'll release him, and give toleration
To you to come and traffic in the nation.
And now behold as they their sacks unloos'd
To empty out their corn, there was unclos'd
In each man's sack his money therein bound,
As when they came from home, which when they found,
Both they and their old father were afraid;
And to his sons afflicted Jacob said,
You of my children have bereaved me,
Joseph and Simeon now do cease to be;
And of my Benjamin you would deprive me,
These things do ev'n into distraction drive me.
Then Reuben said, My father I resign
To thy disposing these two sons of mine;
Give me the lad, and let them both be slain,
If I do not return him safe again.
But he reply'd, I will not let him go,
For why his brother is deceas'd you know;
And if upon the way some evil thing
Should happen to the lad, you then will bring
These my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave;
For he's the only comfort that I have.