When Ioseph sawe that his father layd his ryghte hande apon the heade
of Ephraim/ it displeased him. And he lifte vpp his fathers hãde/ to
haue removed it from Ephraims head vnto Manasses head/ and sayde vnto
his father: Not so my father/ for this is the eldest. Put thy right
hande apon his head. And his father wold not/ but sayde: I knowe it
well my sonne/ I knowe it well. He shalbe also a people ãd shalbe
great. But of a troth his yonger brother shalbe greater than he/ and
his seed shall be full of people. And he blessed them sainge. At the
ensample of these/ the Israelites shall blesse and saye: God make the
as Ephraim and as Manasses. Thus sett he Ephraim before Manasses.
And Israel sayde vnto Ioseph: beholde/ I dye. And god shalbe with you
and bringe you agayne vnto the land of youre fathers. Moreover I geue
vnto the/ a porcyon of lande aboue thy brethern/ which I gatt out of
the handes of the Amorites with my swerde and wyth my bowe.
The .xlix. Chapter.
And Iacob called for his sonnes ãd sayde: come together/ that I maye
tell you what shall happẽ you in the last dayes. Gather you together
and heare ye sonnes of Iacob/ and herken vnto Israel youre father.
Ruben/ thou art myne eldest sonne/ my myghte and the begynnynge of my
strength/ chefe in receauynge and chefe in power. As vnstable as water
wast thou: thou shalt therfore not be the chefest/ for thou wenst vp
vpõ thy fathers bedd/ and than defyledest thou my couche with goynge
vppe.
The brethern Simeon and Leui/ weked instrumentes are their wepõs. In
to their secrettes come not my soule/ and vnto their congregation be
my honoure not coupled: for in their wrath they slewe a man/ and in
their selfewill they houghed an oxe. Cursed be their wrath for it was
stronge/ and their fearsnes for it was cruell. I will therfore deuyde
them in Iacob/ & scater them in Israel.
Iuda/ thy brethern shall prayse the/ & thine hande shalbe in the necke
of thyne enimies/ & thy fathers childern shall stoupe vnto the. Iuda
is a lions whelpe. Frõ spoyle my sonne thou art come an hye: he layde
him downe and couched himselfe as a lion/ and as a lionesse. Who dare
stere him vp? The sceptre shall not departe from Iuda/ nor a ruelar
from betwene his legges/ vntill Silo come/ vnto whome the people shall
herken. He shall bynde his fole vnto the vine/ and his asses colt vnto
the vyne braunche/ ãd shall wash his garment in wyne and his mantell
in the bloud of grapes/ his eyes are roudier than wyne/ ãd his teeth
whitter then mylke.
Zabulon shall dwell in the hauen of the see and in the port of
shippes/ & shall reache vnto Sidon.
Isachar is a stronge asse/ he couched him doune betwene .ij. borders/
and sawe that rest was good and the lande that it was pleasant/ and
bowed his shulder to beare/ and became a servaunte vnto trybute.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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