創世記 41
1 過了兩年，法老做夢，夢見自己站在河邊，
A full two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that he was standing beside the River Nile.
2 有七隻母牛從河裏上來，又美好又肥壯，在蘆荻中吃草。
He saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
3 隨後又有七隻母牛從河裏上來，又醜陋又乾瘦，與那七隻母牛一同站在河邊。
Then he saw another seven cows that came up behind them. They looked ugly and skinny as they stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile.
4 這又醜陋又乾瘦的七隻母牛吃盡了那又美好又肥壯的七隻母牛。法老就醒了。
Then the ugly, skinny cows ate the well-fed, healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 他又睡着，第二回做夢，夢見一棵麥子長了七個穗子，又肥大又佳美，
Pharaoh fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain were growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
6 隨後又長了七個穗子，又細弱又被東風吹焦了。
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, thin and dried by the east wind.
7 這細弱的穗子吞了那七個又肥大又飽滿的穗子。法老醒了，不料是個夢。
The seven thin and dried heads of grain swallowed up the ripe and healthy ones. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized he'd been dreaming.
8 到了早晨，法老心裏不安，就差人召了埃及所有的術士和博士來；法老就把所做的夢告訴他們，卻沒有人能給法老圓解。
The next morning Pharaoh was worried by his dreams, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men in Egypt. Pharaoh told them about his dreams, but no one could interpret their meaning for him.
9 那時酒政對法老說：「我今日想起我的罪來。
But then the chief cupbearer spoke up. “Today I've just remembered a bad mistake I've made,” he explained.
10 從前法老惱怒臣僕，把我和膳長下在護衛長府內的監裏。
“Your Majesty was angry with some of your officials and you imprisoned me in the house of the commander of the guard, along with the chief baker.
11 我們二人同夜各做一夢，各夢都有講解。
We each had a dream. They were different dreams, each with its own meaning.
12 在那裏同着我們有一個希伯來的少年人，是護衛長的僕人，我們告訴他，他就把我們的夢圓解，是按着各人的夢圓解的。
A young Hebrew was there with us, a slave of the commander of the guard. When we told him our dreams, he interpreted for us the meaning of our different dreams.
13 後來正如他給我們圓解的成就了：我官復原職，膳長被掛起來了。」
Everything happened just as he said it would—I was given back my job and the baker was hanged.”
14 法老遂即差人去召約瑟，他們便急忙帶他出監，他就剃頭，刮臉，換衣裳，進到法老面前。
Pharaoh summoned Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the prison. After he'd shaved and changed his clothes, he was presented to Pharaoh.
15 法老對約瑟說：「我做了一夢，沒有人能解；我聽見人說，你聽了夢就能解。」
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but no one can interpret its meaning. But I've heard that when someone tells you a dream you know how to interpret it.”
16 約瑟回答法老說：「這不在乎我，上帝必將平安的話回答法老。」
“It's not me who can do this,” Joseph replied. “But God will explain its meaning to set Your Majesty's mind at rest.”
17 法老對約瑟說：「我夢見我站在河邊，
Pharaoh explained to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
18 有七隻母牛從河裏上來，又肥壯又美好，在蘆荻中吃草。
I saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
19 隨後又有七隻母牛上來，又軟弱又醜陋又乾瘦，在埃及遍地，我沒有見過這樣不好的。
Then I saw another seven cows that came up behind them. They looked sickly and ugly and skinny—I've never seen such ugly cows in the whole of Egypt!
20 這又乾瘦又醜陋的母牛吃盡了那以先的七隻肥母牛，
These skinny, ugly cows ate the first seven healthy-looking cows.
21 吃了以後卻看不出是吃了，那醜陋的樣子仍舊和先前一樣。我就醒了。
But afterwards you couldn't tell they'd eaten them because they looked just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22 我又夢見一棵麥子，長了七個穗子，又飽滿又佳美，
Then I fell asleep again. In my second dream I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
23 隨後又長了七個穗子，枯槁細弱，被東風吹焦了。
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, withered and thin and dried by the east wind.
24 這些細弱的穗子吞了那七個佳美的穗子。我將這夢告訴了術士，卻沒有人能給我解說。」
The seven thin heads of grain swallowed up the healthy ones. I told all this to the magicians, but none of them could explain its meaning to me.”
25 約瑟對法老說：「法老的夢乃是一個。上帝已將所要做的事指示法老了。
“Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph responded. “God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do.
26 七隻好母牛是七年，七個好穗子也是七年；這夢乃是一個。
The seven good cows and the seven good heads of grain represent seven good years of harvest. The dreams mean the same thing.
27 那隨後上來的七隻又乾瘦又醜陋的母牛是七年，那七個虛空、被東風吹焦的穗子也是七年，都是七個荒年。
The seven skinny and ugly cows that came after them and the seven thin heads of grain dried by the east wind represent seven years of famine.
28 這就是我對法老所說，上帝已將所要做的事顯明給法老了。
It's just as I told Your Majesty—God has shown Pharaoh what he is going to do.
29 埃及遍地必來七個大豐年，
There are going to be seven years with plenty of food produced throughout the whole country of Egypt.
30 隨後又要來七個荒年，甚至在埃及地都忘了先前的豐收，全地必被饑荒所滅。
But after them will come seven years of famine. People will forget the time when there was plenty of food throughout Egypt. Famine will ruin the country.
31 因那以後的饑荒甚大，便不覺得先前的豐收了。
The time of plenty will be completely forgotten because the famine that follows it will be so terrible.
32 至於法老兩回做夢，是因上帝命定這事，而且必速速成就。
The fact that the dream was repeated twice means that it has definitely been decided by God, and that God is going to do this soon.
33 所以，法老當揀選一個有聰明有智慧的人，派他治理埃及地。
So Your Majesty should choose a man with insight and wisdom, and put him in charge of the whole country of Egypt.
34 法老當這樣行，又派官員管理這地。當七個豐年的時候，征收埃及地的五分之一，
Your Majesty should also appoint officials to be in charge of the land, and have them collect one-fifth of the produce of the country during the seven years of plenty.
35 叫他們把將來豐年一切的糧食聚斂起來，積蓄五穀，收存在各城裏做食物，歸於法老的手下。
They should collect all the food during the good years that are soon coming, and store the grain under Pharaoh's authority, keeping it under guard to provide food for the towns.
36 所積蓄的糧食可以防備埃及地將來的七個荒年，免得這地被饑荒所滅。」
This will be a food reserve for the country during the seven years of famine so that the people won't die of starvation.”
37 法老和他一切臣僕都以這事為妙。
Pharaoh and all his officials thought Joseph's proposal was a good idea.
38 法老對臣僕說：「像這樣的人，有上帝的靈在他裏頭，我們豈能找得着呢？」
So Pharaoh asked them, “Where can we find a man like this who has the spirit of God in him?”
39 法老對約瑟說：「上帝既將這事都指示你，可見沒有人像你這樣有聰明有智慧。
Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, telling him, “Since God has revealed to you all this, and there's no one like you with such insight and wisdom,
40 你可以掌管我的家；我的民都必聽從你的話。惟獨在寶座上我比你大。」
you will be in charge of all my affairs, and all my people will obey your orders. Only I with my status as king will be greater than you.”
41 法老又對約瑟說：「我派你治理埃及全地。」
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Look, I'm putting you in charge of the whole country of Egypt.”
42 法老就摘下手上打印的戒指，戴在約瑟的手上，給他穿上細麻衣，把金鍊戴在他的頸項上，
Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothes and placed a golden chain around his neck.
43 又叫約瑟坐他的副車，喝道的在前呼叫說：「跪下。」這樣，法老派他治理埃及全地。
He had Joseph ride in the chariot designated for his second-in-command while his attendants went ahead, shouting, “Bow down!” This is how Pharaoh gave Joseph authority over all of Egypt.
44 法老對約瑟說：「我是法老，在埃及全地，若沒有你的命令，不許人擅自辦事。」
Then Pharaoh told Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody will lift a hand or a foot anywhere in the whole country.”
45 法老賜名給約瑟，叫撒發那忒‧巴內亞，又將安城的祭司波提非拉的女兒亞西納給他為妻。約瑟就出去巡行埃及地。
Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and arranged for him to marry Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. This is how Joseph rose to power over the whole of Egypt.
46 約瑟見埃及王法老的時候年三十歲。他從法老面前出去，遍行埃及全地。
Joseph was thirty when he started working for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. After he had left Pharaoh, Joseph traveled on an inspection tour throughout Egypt.
47 七個豐年之內，地的出產極豐極盛，
During the seven years of good harvests, the land produced plenty of food.
48 約瑟聚斂埃及地七個豐年一切的糧食，把糧食積存在各城裏；各城周圍田地的糧食都積存在本城裏。
He collected all the food during the seven good years, and he stored the grain produced in the local fields in each town.
49 約瑟積蓄五穀甚多，如同海邊的沙，無法計算，因為穀不可勝數。
Joseph piled up so much grain that it was like the sand of the seashore. Eventually he stopped keeping records because there was just so much!
50 荒年未到以前，安城的祭司波提非拉的女兒亞西納給約瑟生了兩個兒子。
It was during this time, before the years of famine came, that Joseph had two sons by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
51 約瑟給長子起名叫瑪拿西，因為他說：「上帝使我忘了一切的困苦和我父的全家。」
Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, because he said, “The Lord has made me forget all my troubles and all my father's family.”
52 他給次子起名叫以法蓮，因為他說：「上帝使我在受苦的地方昌盛。」
His second son he named Ephraim, because he said, “God has made me fruitful in the country of my misery.”
53 埃及地的七個豐年一完，
The seven years of plenty in Egypt came to an end,
54 七個荒年就來了。正如約瑟所說的，各地都有饑荒；惟獨埃及全地有糧食。
and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other countries but the whole of Egypt had food.
55 及至埃及全地有了饑荒，眾民向法老哀求糧食，法老對他們說：「你們往約瑟那裏去，凡他所說的，你們都要做。」
When all of Egypt was hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, and he told everyone, “Go and see Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
56 當時饑荒遍滿天下，約瑟開了各處的倉，糶糧給埃及人；在埃及地饑荒甚大。
The famine had spread all over the country so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the people of Egypt. The famine was very bad in Egypt,
57 各地的人都往埃及去，到約瑟那裏糴糧，因為天下的饑荒甚大。
in fact the famine was very bad everywhere, so people from other countries all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.
