創世記 47
1 約瑟進去告訴法老說：「我的父親和我的弟兄帶着羊群牛群，並一切所有的，從迦南地來了，如今在歌珊地。」
Joseph went to report to Pharaoh and told him, “My father and brothers, along with their flocks and herds and all their possessions, have arrived from the land of Canaan and now they're here in Goshen.”
2 約瑟從他弟兄中挑出五個人來，引他們去見法老。
Joseph took five of his brothers to go with him and introduced them to Pharaoh.
3 法老問約瑟的弟兄說：「你們以何事為業？」他們對法老說：「你僕人是牧羊的，連我們的祖宗也是牧羊的。」
Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What work do you do?” “Your servants are shepherds, just like our fathers before us,” they replied.
4 他們又對法老說：「迦南地的饑荒甚大，僕人的羊群沒有草吃，所以我們來到這地寄居。現在求你容僕人住在歌珊地。」
“We have come to live in Egypt because there's no grass left in Canaan for our flocks to eat,” they explained. “The famine is really bad in Canaan. So we would like to please ask permission to live in Goshen.”
5 法老對約瑟說：「你父親和你弟兄到你這裏來了，
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have arrived to join you,
6 埃及地都在你面前，只管叫你父親和你弟兄住在國中最好的地；他們可以住在歌珊地。你若知道他們中間有甚麼能人，就派他們看管我的牲畜。」
you can choose wherever you like in Egypt, the best place, for them to live. Let them live in Goshen. If you know any of them who are good at what they do, put them in charge of my livestock as well.”
7 約瑟領他父親雅各進到法老面前，雅各就給法老祝福。
Then Joseph went with his father Jacob and introduced him Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh,
8 法老問雅各說：「你平生的年日是多少呢？」
Pharaoh asked him, “So how long have you lived?”
9 雅各對法老說：「我寄居在世的年日是一百三十歲，我平生的年日又少又苦，不及我列祖在世寄居的年日。」
“I have been wandering for 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My life has been short and difficult—I have not lived as long as my forefathers who also wandered from place to place.”
10 雅各又給法老祝福，就從法老面前出去了。
Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving him.
11 約瑟遵着法老的命，把埃及國最好的地，就是蘭塞境內的地，給他父親和弟兄居住，作為產業。
So Joseph arranged for his father and brothers to live in Egypt and gave them land in the best part near Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered.
12 約瑟用糧食奉養他父親和他弟兄，並他父親全家的眷屬，都是照各家的人口奉養他們。
He also provided food for all of them—his father, his brothers, and his father's whole household—depending on family size.
13 饑荒甚大，全地都絕了糧，甚至埃及地和迦南地的人因那饑荒的緣故都餓昏了。
No food was left in the whole country because the famine had become so bad. Throughout Egypt and Canaan people were starving.
14 約瑟收聚了埃及地和迦南地所有的銀子，就是眾人糴糧的銀子，約瑟就把那銀子帶到法老的宮裏。
By selling grain Joseph collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and placed it in Pharaoh's treasury.
15 埃及地和迦南地的銀子都花盡了，埃及眾人都來見約瑟，說：「我們的銀子都用盡了，求你給我們糧食，我們為甚麼死在你面前呢？」
Once the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians all came to Joseph and demanded, “Give us food! Do you want us to die right in front of you? All our money is gone!”
16 約瑟說：「若是銀子用盡了，可以把你們的牲畜給我，我就為你們的牲畜給你們糧食。」
“Bring me your livestock,” Joseph told them. “I'll give you grain in exchange for your livestock if you've run out of money.”
17 於是他們把牲畜趕到約瑟那裏，約瑟就拿糧食換了他們的牛、羊、驢、馬；那一年因換他們一切的牲畜，就用糧食養活他們。
So they brought Joseph their livestock, and he provided them with grain in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. He gave them grain in return for their livestock during that year.
18 那一年過去，第二年他們又來見約瑟，說：「我們不瞞我主，我們的銀子都花盡了，牲畜也都歸了我主。我們在我主眼前，除了我們的身體和田地之外，一無所剩。
But when that year was over, they came to him the next year and said, “My lord, we can't hide from you the fact that our money is gone and that you now own our livestock. All we have left to give you are our bodies and our land.
19 你何忍見我們人死地荒呢？求你用糧食買我們和我們的地，我們和我們的地就要給法老效力。又求你給我們種子，使我們得以存活，不致死亡，地土也不致荒涼。」
Do you want us to die right in front of you? So buy us and our land in return for food. Then our land will belong to Pharaoh, and we'll be his slaves. Just give us grain so we can live and won't die, and so the land won't be abandoned.”
20 於是，約瑟為法老買了埃及所有的地，埃及人因被饑荒所迫，各都賣了自己的田地；那地就都歸了法老。
So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. Each and every Egyptian sold their fields, because the famine was hurting them so badly. The land ended up being owned by Pharaoh,
21 至於百姓，約瑟叫他們，從埃及這邊直到埃及那邊，都各歸各城。
and all the people became his slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other.
22 惟有祭司的地，約瑟沒有買，因為祭司有從法老所得的常俸。他們吃法老所給的常俸，所以他們不賣自己的地。
The only land he didn't buy belonged to the priests because they had a food allowance provided to them by Pharaoh, so they didn't have to sell their land.
23 約瑟對百姓說：「我今日為法老買了你們和你們的地，看哪，這裏有種子給你們，你們可以種地。
Then Joseph told the people, “Listen to me! Now that I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh, I'm giving you some seed for you to sow the fields.
24 後來打糧食的時候，你們要把五分之一納給法老，四分可以歸你們做地裏的種子，也做你們和你們家口孩童的食物。」
However, when it's harvested, you have to give one fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you can keep as seed for the fields and as food for you, your households, and your children.”
25 他們說：「你救了我們的性命。但願我們在我主眼前蒙恩，我們就作法老的僕人。」
“You've saved our lives,” they declared. “May you continue to treat us well, my lord, and we'll be Pharaoh's slaves.”
26 於是約瑟為埃及地定下常例，直到今日：法老必得五分之一，惟獨祭司的地不歸法老。
So Joseph made it a law for Egypt which is still is in effect today that one fifth of all produce from the land belongs to Pharaoh. Only the priests' land was exempt since it did not belong to Pharaoh.
27 以色列人住在埃及的歌珊地。他們在那裏置了產業，並且生育甚多。
The Israelites settled in Goshen in Egypt where they became prosperous landowners and rapidly increased in number.
28 雅各住在埃及地十七年，雅各平生的年日是一百四十七歲。
Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years, so he lived in total 137 years.
29 以色列的死期臨近了，他就叫了他兒子約瑟來，說：「我若在你眼前蒙恩，請你把手放在我大腿底下，用慈愛和誠實待我，請你不要將我葬在埃及。
When the time came for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If you think well of me, place your hand under my thigh and promise to treat me with trustworthy love and faithfulness. Don't bury me here in Egypt.
30 我與我祖我父同睡的時候，你要將我帶出埃及，葬在他們所葬的地方。」約瑟說：「我必遵着你的命而行。」
When I die, bury me with my forefathers. You must take my body from Egypt to the family tomb and bury me with them.” “I will do as you say,” Joseph promised.
31 雅各說：「你要向我起誓。」約瑟就向他起了誓，於是以色列在床頭上敬拜上帝。
“Swear to me that you will,” he said. Joseph swore that he would. Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.
