pentephres

And there was a certain man in that city by name Pentephres, who was a priest of Heliopolis and a satrap of Pharaoh, and chief of all Pharaoh's satraps and princes; and this man was exceeding rich and very sage and gentle, and he was also a counsellor of Pharaoh, because he was prudent beyond all Pharaoh's princes.

And Pharaoh's firstborn son also heard about her, and he continued entreating his father to give her to him to wife and saying to him: "Give me, father, Asenath, the daughter of Pentephres, the first man of Heliopolis, to wife."

But Asenath set at naught and scorned every man, being boastful and haughty, and never had a man seen her, inasmuch as Pentephres had in his house a tower adjoining, great and high exceedingly, and above the tower was a loft containing ten chambers.

And, when Joseph drew near to that city, he sent twelve men before him to Pentephres, the priest of Heliopolis, saying: "I will come in to thee to-day, because it is the time of noon and of the midday meal, and there is great heat of the sun, and that I may cool myself under the roof of thine house."

And Pentephres, when he heard these things, rejoiced with exceeding great joy, and said: "Blessed be the Lord God of Joseph, because my lord Joseph hath thought me worthy."

And Pentephres called the overseer of his house and said to him: "Haste and make mine house ready, and prepare a great dinner, because Joseph the mighty one of God cometh to us to-day."

And Pentephres and his wife rejoiced over their daughter Asenath with exceeding great joy, for that they beheld her adorned and embellished as the bride of God; and they brought forth all the good things which they had brought from the possession of their inheritance and gave them to their daughter; and Asenath rejoiced over all the good things, over the late summer fruit and the grapes and the dates and over the doves, and over the mulberries and the figs, because they were all fair and pleasant to taste.

And Pentephres said to his daughter Asenath: "Child."

And she sat down between her father and her mother, and Pentephres her father took hold of her right hand with his right hand and kissed it tenderly and said: "Dearest child."

And Pentephres said to her: "Lo! Joseph, the mighty one of God, cometh to us to-day, and this man is ruler of all the land of Egypt; and King Pharaoh appointed him ruler of all our land and king, and he himself giveth corn to all this country, and saveth it from the coming famine; and this Joseph is a man that worshippeth God, and discreet and a virgin as thou art to-day, and a man mighty in wisdom and knowledge, and the spirit of God is upon him and the grace of the Lord is in him.

When he heard these things Pentephres was ashamed to speak further to his daughter Asenath about Joseph, for that she answered him with boastfulness and anger.

And lo! a young man of Pentephres' servants sprang in, and he saith to him: "Lo! Joseph standeth before the doors of our court."

And Pentephres came out and his wife and all their kindred and their servants to meet Joseph; and, when the gates of the court that looked east were opened, Joseph came in seated in the second chariot of Pharaoh; and there were yoked four horses white like snow with golden bits, and the chariot was fashioned all of pure gold.

When, then, Joseph had come into the court and the doors thereof had been shut, and every strange man and woman remained outside the court, for that the guards of the gates drew to and closed the doors, Pentephres came and his wife and all their kindred except their daughter Asenath, and they made obeisance to Joseph upon their faces upon the earth; and Joseph descended from his chariot and greeted them with his hand.

And Joseph came into the house of Pentephres and sat upon a chair.

And Joseph looked up and saw Asenath peeping out, and he saith to Pentephres: "Who is that woman who is standing in the loft by the window?

And Pentephres said to him: "My lord, that woman whom thou hast seen standing in the loft is not a stranger, but is our daughter, one who hateth every man, and no other man hath ever seen her save thou only to-day; and, if thou wishest, lord, she shall come and speak to thee, for that our daughter is as thy sister."

And Joseph rejoiced with exceeding great joy, for that Pentephres said: "She is a virgin hating every man."

And Joseph said to Pentephres and his wife: "If she is your daughter, and is a virgin, let her come, for that she is my sister, and I love her from to-day as my sister."

Then her mother went up into the loft and brought Asenath to Joseph, and Pentephres said to her: "Kiss thy brother, because he also is a virgin even as thou to-day, and hateth every strange woman even as thou hatest every strange man."

Pentephres saith then to his daughter Asenath: "Come and kiss thy brother."

And Pentephres said to Joseph: "Let my lord lodge here to-day, and in the morning thou shalt go thy way."

And, when Joseph had left the house, Pentephres also and all his kindred departed to their inheritance, and Asenath was left alone with the seven virgins, listless and weeping till the sun set; and she neither ate bread nor drank water, but while all slept she herself alone was awake and weeping and frequently beating her breast with her hand.

Spare me, Lord, spare, for that I committed many sins against thee, I did lawlessness and ungodliness, I have spoken things not to be uttered, and wicked in thy sight; my mouth, Lord, hath been polluted from the sacrifices of the idols of the Egyptians, and from the table of their gods: I sinned, Lord, I sinned in thy sight, both in knowledge and in ignorance I did ungodliness in that I worshipped dead and deaf idols, and I am not worthy to open my mouth unto thee, Lord, I the miserable Asenath daughter of Pentephres the priest, the virgin and queen, who was once proud and haughty and one that prospered in my father's riches above all men, but now an orphan and desolate and abandoned of all men.

For lo! all the houses of my father Pentephres which he hath given me for an inheritance are for a time and vanishing; but the houses of thine inheritance, Lord, are incorruptible and eternal."

And she took hold of his right hand and led him into her house and seated him on the chair of Pentephres her father; and she brought water to wash his feet.

And after these things they ate and drank; and, all having made cheer, Pentephres said to Joseph: "To-morrow I will call all the princes and satraps of all the land of Egypt, and will make a wedding for you, and thou shalt take my daughter Asenath to wife."

And Pentephres said to him: "Go in peace."

And Joseph stayed that day with Pentephres, and he went not in to Asenath, for that he was wont to say: "It is not meet for a man who worshippeth God to sleep with his wife before his marriage."

And Joseph rose early and departed to Pharaoh and said to him: "Give me Asenath, daughter of Pentephres, priest of Heliopolis, to wife."

Then Pharaoh sent and called Pentephres, and Pentephres brought Asenath and set her before Pharaoh; and Pharaoh when he saw her marvelled at her beauty and said: "The Lord God of Joseph shall bless thee, child, and this thy beauty shall remain to eternity, for that the Lord God of Joseph chose thee as bride for him: for Joseph is as the son of the Most High, and thou shalt be called his bride henceforth and for ever."

Then Pharaoh sent and called Pentephres, and Pentephres brought Asenath and set her before Pharaoh; and Pharaoh when he saw her marvelled at her beauty and said: "The Lord God of Joseph shall bless thee, child, and this thy beauty shall remain to eternity, for that the Lord God of Joseph chose thee as bride for him: for Joseph is as the son of the Most High, and thou shalt be called his bride henceforth and for ever."