< 創世記 37 >

1 雅各住在迦南地,就是他父親寄居的地。
Now Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father sojourned.
2 雅各的記略如下。 約瑟十七歲與他哥哥們一同牧羊。他是個童子,與他父親的妾辟拉、悉帕的兒子們常在一處。約瑟將他哥哥們的惡行報給他們的父親。
And these are his generations. Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, when he was still a boy. And he was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the wives of his father. And he accused his brothers to their father of a most sinful crime.
3 以色列原來愛約瑟過於愛他的眾子,因為約瑟是他年老生的;他給約瑟做了一件彩衣。
Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven of many colors.
4 約瑟的哥哥們見父親愛約瑟過於愛他們,就恨約瑟,不與他說和睦的話。
Then his brothers, seeing that he was loved by his father more than all his other sons, hated him, and they were not able to say anything peacefully to him.
5 約瑟做了一夢,告訴他哥哥們,他們就越發恨他。
Then it also happened that he recounted the vision of a dream to his brothers, for which reason a greater hatred began to be nurtured.
6 約瑟對他們說:「請聽我所做的夢:
And he said to them, “Listen to my dream that I saw.
7 我們在田裏捆禾稼,我的捆起來站着,你們的捆來圍着我的捆下拜。」
I thought we were binding sheaves in the field. And my sheaf seemed to rise up and stand, and your sheaves, standing in a circle, reverenced my sheaf.”
8 他的哥哥們回答說:「難道你真要作我們的王嗎?難道你真要管轄我們嗎?」他們就因為他的夢和他的話越發恨他。
His brothers responded: “Would you be our king? Or will we be subject to your dominion?” Therefore, this matter of his dreams and words provided kindling to their envy and hatred.
9 後來他又做了一夢,也告訴他的哥哥們說:「看哪,我又做了一夢,夢見太陽、月亮,與十一個星向我下拜。」
Likewise, he saw another dream, which he explained to his brothers, saying, “I saw by a dream, as if the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars were reverencing me.”
10 約瑟將這夢告訴他父親和他哥哥們,他父親就責備他說:「你做的這是甚麼夢!難道我和你母親、你弟兄果然要來俯伏在地,向你下拜嗎?」
And when he had related this to his father and brothers, his father rebuked him, and he said: “What does it mean to you, this dream that you have seen? Should I, and your mother, and your brothers reverence you upon the earth?”
11 他哥哥們都嫉妒他,他父親卻把這話存在心裏。
Therefore, his brothers were envious of him. Yet truly, his father considered the matter silently.
12 約瑟的哥哥們往示劍去放他們父親的羊。
And while his brothers were lodging at Shechem, pasturing their father’s flocks,
13 以色列對約瑟說:「你哥哥們不是在示劍放羊嗎?你來,我要打發你往他們那裏去。」約瑟說:「我在這裏。」
Israel said to him: “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” And when he answered,
14 以色列說:「你去看看你哥哥們平安不平安,群羊平安不平安,就回來報信給我」;於是打發他出希伯崙谷,他就往示劍去了。
“I am ready,” he said to him, “Go, and see if everything is prospering with your brothers and the cattle, and report to me what is happening.” So, having been sent from the valley of Hebron, he arrived at Shechem.
15 有人遇見他在田野走迷了路,就問他說:「你找甚麼?」
And a man found him wandering in a field, and he asked him what he was seeking.
16 他說:「我找我的哥哥們,求你告訴我,他們在何處放羊。」
So he responded: “I seek my brothers. Tell me where they pasture the flocks.”
17 那人說:「他們已經走了,我聽見他們說要往多坍去。」約瑟就去追趕他哥哥們,遇見他們在多坍。
And the man said to him: “They have withdrawn from this place. But I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” Therefore, Joseph continued on after his brothers, and he found them at Dothan.
18 他們遠遠地看見他,趁他還沒有走到跟前,大家就同謀要害死他,
And, when they had seen him from afar, before he approached them, they decided to kill him.
19 彼此說:「你看!那做夢的來了。
And they said one to another: “Behold, the dreamer approaches.
20 來吧!我們將他殺了,丟在一個坑裏,就說有惡獸把他吃了。我們且看他的夢將來怎麼樣。」
Come, let us kill him and cast him into the old cistern. And let us say: ‘an evil wild beast has devoured him.’ And then it will become apparent what his dreams will do for him.”
21 呂便聽見了,要救他脫離他們的手,說:「我們不可害他的性命」;
But Reuben, on hearing this, strove to free him from their hands, and he said:
22 又說:「不可流他的血,可以把他丟在這野地的坑裏,不可下手害他。」呂便的意思是要救他脫離他們的手,把他歸還他的父親。
“Do not take away his life, nor shed blood. But throw him into this cistern, which is in the wilderness, and so keep your hands harmless.” But he said this, wanting to rescue him from their hands, so as to return him to his father.
23 約瑟到了他哥哥們那裏,他們就剝了他的外衣,就是他穿的那件彩衣,
And so, as soon as he came to his brothers, they very quickly stripped him of his tunic, which was ankle-length and woven of many colors,
24 把他丟在坑裏;那坑是空的,裏頭沒有水。
and they cast him into an old cistern, which held no water.
25 他們坐下吃飯,舉目觀看,見有一夥米甸 的以實瑪利人從基列來,用駱駝馱着香料、乳香、沒藥,要帶下埃及去。
And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ishmaelites, travelers coming from Gilead, with their camels, carrying spices, and resin, and oil of myrrh into Egypt.
26 猶大對眾弟兄說:「我們殺我們的兄弟,藏了他的血有甚麼益處呢?
Therefore, Judah said to his brothers: “What will it profit us, if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 我們不如將他賣給以實瑪利人,不可下手害他;因為他是我們的兄弟,我們的骨肉。」眾弟兄就聽從了他。
It is better that he be sold to the Ishmaelites, and then our hands will not be defiled. For he is our brother and our flesh.” His brothers agreed to his words.
28 有些米甸的商人從那裏經過,哥哥們就把約瑟從坑裏拉上來,講定二十舍客勒銀子,把約瑟賣給以實瑪利人。他們就把約瑟帶到埃及去了。
And when the Midianite merchants were passing by, they drew him from the cistern, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And these led him into Egypt.
29 呂便回到坑邊,見約瑟不在坑裏,就撕裂衣服,
And Reuben, returning to the cistern, did not find the boy.
30 回到兄弟們那裏,說:「童子沒有了。我往哪裏去才好呢?」
And rending his garments, he went to his brothers and said, “The boy is not present, and so where shall I go?”
31 他們宰了一隻公山羊,把約瑟的那件彩衣染了血,
Then they took his tunic, and they dipped it in the blood of a young goat, which they had killed,
32 打發人送到他們的父親那裏,說:「我們撿了這個;請認一認是你兒子的外衣不是?」
sending those who carried it to their father, and they said: “We found this. See whether it is the tunic of your son or not.”
33 他認得,就說:「這是我兒子的外衣。有惡獸把他吃了,約瑟被撕碎了!撕碎了!」
And when the father acknowledged it, he said: “It is the tunic of my son. An evil wild beast has eaten him; a beast has devoured Joseph.”
34 雅各便撕裂衣服,腰間圍上麻布,為他兒子悲哀了多日。
And tearing his garments, he was clothed in haircloth, mourning his son for a long time.
35 他的兒女都起來安慰他,他卻不肯受安慰,說:「我必悲哀着下陰間,到我兒子那裏。」約瑟的父親就為他哀哭。 (Sheol h7585)
Then, when all of his sons gathered together to ease their father’s sorrow, he was not willing to accept consolation, but he said: “I will descend in mourning to my son in the underworld.” And while he persevered in weeping, (Sheol h7585)
36 米甸人帶約瑟到埃及,把他賣給法老的內臣-護衛長波提乏。
the Midianites in Egypt sold Joseph to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, instructor of the soldiers.

< 創世記 37 >