< Genesis 47 >
1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said: 'My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.'
若瑟遂去呈報法郎說:「我父和我兄弟,帶著他們的牛羊和一切所有,從客納罕地來了,現今都在哥笙地方。」
2 And from among his brethren he took five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
若瑟由他兄弟中選了五人,引他們去謁見法郎。
3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: 'What is your occupation?' And they said unto Pharaoh: 'Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.'
法郎問若瑟的兄弟們說:「你們有何職業﹖」他們回答法郎說:「你的僕人們是放羊的人,我們和我們的祖先,都是如此。」
4 And they said unto Pharaoh: 'To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants' flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.'
繼而又對法郎說:「我們來僑居此地,因為客納罕地饑荒很凶,你僕人們的羊群找不到草地,所以請陛下讓你的僕人們住在哥笙地方。」
5 And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, saying: 'Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee;
法郎遂面對若瑟說:「你父親和你兄弟既來到了你這裏,
6 the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell. And if thou knowest any able men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.'
埃及國全在你面前,你可叫你父親和你兄弟住在最好的地方,叫他們住在哥笙地;你若知道他們中有能幹的可派他們管我的牲畜。」
7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
然後若瑟引他父親來謁見法郎;雅各伯向法郎請安。
8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: 'How many are the days of the years of thy life?'
法郎遂問雅各伯說:「請問高壽﹖」
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh: 'The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.'
雅各伯回答法郎說:「我寄居人世,已一百三十年;我一生歲月又少又苦,不會達到我祖先寄居人世的年數。」
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
雅各伯再向法郎請安,辭別法郎出來了。
11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
若瑟依照法郎的吩咐,給他父親和兄弟安排了住處,將埃及國辣默色斯境內最好的地方,給了他們作產業。
12 And Joseph sustained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to the want of their little ones.
若瑟並按照他們的人口,供給他父親和兄弟以及他父親全部家屬的食糧。
13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine.
那時因為饑荒十分嚴重,各地絕糧,連埃及國和客納罕地也因饑荒缺了糧。
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
若瑟因售糧與民眾,將埃及國和客納罕地內所有的一切銀錢,都聚斂了來,將這些銀錢盡歸入法郎王室。
15 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said: 'Give us bread; for why should we die in thy presence? for our money faileth.'
當埃及國和客納罕地的銀錢都用盡了,埃及人前來見若瑟說:「銀錢已用完了,請給我們糧食,免得我們死在你面前! 」
16 And Joseph said: 'Give your cattle, and I will give you bread for your cattle, if money fail.'
若瑟回答說:「如果沒有銀錢,可將你們的家畜送來;我將糧食給你們,交換你們的家畜。」
17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph. And Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses; and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
他們遂將家畜送來,交給若瑟;若瑟便以糧食換取了他們的馬、牛、羊、驢;那一年人們就以所有的家畜,換糧食生活。
18 And when that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him: 'We will not hide from my lord, how that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my lord's; there is nought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
這一年過後,第二年他們又來見他說:「我們實不瞞我主,銀錢都用盡了,畜養的家畜也全歸了我主,在我主面前什麼也沒有了,只剩下了我們自身和我們的田地。
19 Wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.'
為什麼要我們死在你面前﹖讓田地荒蕪呢﹖你用糧食收買我們和我們的田地罷! 好叫我們的田地都歸法郎作主。請給我們穀種,好叫我們生活,不致於死,田地也不致於荒蕪。」
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them; and the land became Pharaoh's.
埃及人為饑荒所迫,人人出賣了自己的農田;若瑟遂為法郎購得了埃及所有的田地,田地遂盡歸法郎所有。
21 And as for the people, he removed them city by city, from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
並使埃及境內的人民,從這邊直到那邊,都成了農奴;
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land.
只有司祭的田地他沒有買得,因為司祭有得自法郎的常糧,可藉法郎賜與他們的常糧生活,所以沒有賣他們的田地。
23 Then Joseph said unto the people: 'Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
那時若瑟對人民說:「今天我將你們和你們的田地,都已買下歸於法郎,這裏有你們的穀種,你們拿去播種;
24 And it shall come to pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.'
到了收穫的時候,五分之一應歸法郎,其餘四分歸你們自己,作為田地的穀種,作為你們和你們的家屬以及幼兒的食糧。」
25 And they said: 'Thou hast saved our lives. Let us find favour in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's bondmen.'
他們答說:「你救了我們的性命! 唯願我們在我主前蒙恩,我們情願給法郎為奴! 」
26 And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh's.
由此若瑟為埃及的田地立了法例,至今有效:五分之一應歸法郎;只有司祭的田地例外,不歸法郎。
27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
以色列人住在埃及國哥笙地方,那裏置業繁殖,人數大為增加。
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and seven years.
雅各伯在埃及國又活了十七年;雅各伯的一生歲月共計一百四十七年。
29 And the time drew near that Israel must die; and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him: 'If now I have found favour in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.
以色列自知死期已近,便叫了他兒子若瑟來,對他說:「如果我在你眼內得寵,請將你的手放在我的胯下許下,以恩情和忠實對待我,不要將我埋在埃及。
30 But when I sleep with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place.' And he said: 'I will do as thou hast said.'
我與我的祖先同眠了,你應將我帶出埃及,葬在他們的墓地裏。」若瑟答說:「我必照你的話去行。」
31 And he said: 'Swear unto me.' And he swore unto him. And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head.
雅各伯接著說:「你對我發誓。」若瑟遂對他發了誓;以色列便靠著床頭屈身下拜。