Chapter 51
should cause it to be proclaimed throughout the land of Egypt, saying:
33. It is the pleasure of the king, of his second and of their great men, that any person who wishes to buy corn in Egypt shall not send his servants to Egypt to purchase, but his sons, and also any Egyptian or Canaanite, who shall come from any of the stores from buying corn in Egypt, and shall go and sell it throughout the land, he shall die, for no one shall buy but for the support of his household.
34. And anyone leading two or three beasts shall die, for a man shall only lead his own beast.
35. And Joseph placed sentinels at the gates of Egypt, and commanded them, saying: any person who may come to buy corn, suffer him not to enter until his name, and the name of his father, and the name of his father's father be written down, and whatever is written by day, send their names unto me in the evening that I may know their names.
36. And Joseph placed officers throughout the land of Egypt, and he commanded them to do all these things.
37. And Joseph did all these things, and made these statutes in order that he might know when his brethren had come to Egypt to buy corn; and Joseph's people caused it daily to be proclaimed in Egypt according to these words and statutes, which Joseph had commanded.
38. And all the inhabitants of the east and west of the country, and of all the world, heard of the statutes and regulations, which Joseph had enacted in Egypt; and the inhabitants of the extreme parts of the earth came and they bought corn in Egypt day after day, and then left.
39. And all the officers of Egypt did as Joseph had commanded. Of all who came to Egypt to buy corn, the gate keepers would write their names and their fathers' names down, to daily bring the names in the evening before Joseph.
1. AND Jacob afterward heard that there was corn in Egypt, and he called unto his sons to go to Egypt to buy corn, for upon them also did the famine prevail, and he called unto his sons, saying:
2. Behold I hear that there is corn in Egypt and all the people of the earth go there to purchase, now therefore why will you show yourselves satisfied before the whole earth? Go you also down to Egypt and buy us a little corn amongst those that come there, that we may not die.
3. And the sons of Jacob hearkened to the voice of their father, and they rose up to go down to Egypt in order to buy corn amongst the rest that came there .
4. And Jacob their father commanded them, saying, when you come into the city do not enter together in one gate, on account of the inhabitants of the land.
5. And the sons of Jacob went forth and they went to Egypt, and the sons of Jacob did all as their father had commanded them, and Jacob did not send Benjamin, for he said, lest an accident might befall him on the road like his brother; and ten of Jacob's sons went forth.
6. And whilst the sons of Jacob were going on the road, they repented of what they had done to Joseph, and they spoke to each other, saying, we know that our brother Joseph went down to Egypt, and now we will seek him where we go, and if we find him we will take him from his master for a ransom, and if not, by force, and we will die for him.
7. And the sons of Jacob agreed to this thing and strengthened themselves on account of Joseph, to deliver him from the hand of his master. And the sons of Jacob went to Egypt; and when they came near to Egypt they separated from each other and they came through ten gates of Egypt, and the gate keepers wrote their names on that day, and brought them to Joseph in the evening.
8. And Joseph read the names from the hand of the gate-keepers of the city, and he found that his brethren had entered at the ten gates of the city, and Joseph at that time commanded that it should be proclaimed throughout the land of Egypt, saying:
9. Go forth all ye store guards, close all the corn stores and let only one remain open, that those who come may purchase from it.
10. And all the officers of Joseph did so at that time, and they closed all the stores and left only one open.
11. And Joseph gave the written names of his brethren to him that was set over the open store, and he said unto him, whosoever shall come to thee to buy corn, ask his name, and when men of these names shall come before thee, seize them and send them, and they did so.
12. And when the sons of Jacob came into the city, they joined together in the city to seek Joseph before they bought themselves corn.
13. And they went to the walls of the harlots, and they sought Joseph in the walls of the harlots for three days, for they thought that Joseph would come in the walls of the harlots, for Joseph was very comely and well favored, and the sons of Jacob sought Joseph for three days, and they could not find him.
14. And the 120 . man who was set over the open store sought for those names which Joseph had given him, and he did not find them .
15. And he sent to Joseph, saying, these three days have passed, and those men whose names thou didst give unto me have not come; and Joseph sent servants to seek the men in all Egypt, and to bring them before Joseph.
16. And Joseph's servants went and came into Egypt and could not find them, and went to Goshen and they were not there, and then went to the city of Raamses and could not find them.
17. And Joseph continued to send sixteen servants to seek his brothers, and they went and spread themselves in the four corners of the city, and four of the servants went into the house of the harlots, and they found the ten men there seeking their brother.
18. And those four men took them and brought them before him [Joseph], and they bowed down to him to the ground, and Joseph was sitting upon his throne in his temple, clothed with princely garments, and upon his head was a large crown of gold, and all the mighty men were sitting around him.
19. And the sons of Jacob saw Joseph, and his figure and comeliness and dignity of countenance seemed wonderful in their eyes, and they again bowed down to him to the ground.
20. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but they knew him not, for Joseph was very great in their eyes, therefore they knew him not.
21. And Joseph spoke to them, saying, from whence come ye? And they all answered and said, thy servants have come from the land of Canaan to buy corn, for the famine prevails throughout the world, and thy servants heard that there was corn in Egypt, so they have come amongst the other comers to buy corn for their support.
22. And Joseph answered them, saying, if you have come to purchase as you say, why do you come through ten gates of the city? It can only be that you have come to spy through the land.
23. And they all together answered Joseph, and said: Not so my lord, we are upright; thy servants are not spies, but we have come to buy corn, for thy servants are all brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and our father commanded us, saying, when you come to the city do not enter together at one gate on account of the inhabitants of the land.
24. And Joseph again answered them and said: That is the thing which I spoke unto you, you have come to spy through the land; therefore you all came through ten gates of the city; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.
25. Surely, every one that cometh to buy corn goeth his way, and you are already three days in the land, and what do you do in the walls of harlots in which you have been for these three days? Surely spies do these kind of things .
26. And they said unto Joseph: Far be it from our lord to speak thus, for we are twelve brothers, the sons of our father Jacob, in the land of Canaan, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the Hebrew, and behold the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan, and one is not, for he was lost from us, and we thought perhaps he might be in this land, so we are seeking him throughout the land, and have come even to the houses of harlots to seek him there.
27. And Joseph said unto them, and have you then sought him throughout the earth, that there only remained Egypt for you to seek him in? And what also should your brother do in the houses of harlots, although he were in Egypt? Have you not said that you are from the sons of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and what shall the sons of Jacob do then in the houses of harlots?
28. And they said unto him, because we heard that Ishmaelites stole him from us, and it was told unto us that they sold him in Egypt; and thy servant, our brother, is very comely and well favored, so we thought he would surely be in the houses of harlots, therefore thy servants went there to seek him and give ransom for him.
29. And Joseph still answered them, saying, surely you speak falsely and utter lies, to say of yourselves that you are the sons of Abraham; as Pharaoh liveth you are spies, therefore have you come to the houses of harlots that you should not be known.
30. And Joseph said unto them, and now if you find him, and his master requireth of you a great price, will you give it for him? And they said, it shall be given.
31. And he said unto them, and if his master will not consent to part with him for a great price, what will you do unto him on his account? And they answered him, saying, if he will not give him unto us, we will slay him and take our brother and go away.
32. And Joseph said unto them, that is the thing which I have spoken to you; you are spies, for you have come to slay the inhabitants of the land, for we heard that two of your brethren smote all the inhabitants of Shechem in the land of Canaan on account of your sister, and you have now come to do the like in Egypt on account of your brother.
33. Only hereby shall I know that you are true men; if you will send home one from amongst you to fetch your youngest brother from your father, and bring him here unto me. By doing this thing I will know that you are upright.
34. And Joseph called to seventy of his mighty men, and he said unto them, take these men and bring them into the ward.
35. And the mighty men took the ten men, they laid