< Genesis 41 >
1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
過了兩年,法郎作了一夢,夢見自己站在尼羅河畔。
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, well favoured and fatfleshed; and they fed in the reed-grass.
看見從尼羅河中上來了七隻母牛,色美體肥,在蘆葦中吃草。
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
隨後,從尼羅河中,又上來了七隻色醜體瘦的母牛,站在尼羅河岸上靠近那些母牛身旁。
4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
這些色醜體瘦的母牛,竟將那七隻色美體肥的母牛吞了下去;法郎便驚醒了。
5 And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
他又睡下,作了一個夢,夢見一根麥莖上,生出了七枝又肥又美的麥穗;
6 And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
隨後,又發出了七枝又細弱,而又為東風吹焦了的麥穗。
7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
這些細弱的麥穗竟將那七枝又肥又實的麥穗吞了下去。法郎驚醒了,原是一場夢。
8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
到了早晨,他心煩意亂,遂遣人將埃及所有的術士和賢士召來,給他們講述了自己的夢,卻沒有人能給法郎解釋。
9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
那時司酒長向法郎說:「我今天想起了我的過犯。
10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker:
有一次陛下對自己的臣僕發怒,將我和司廚長關在衛隊長府內的拘留所內。
11 and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
我和他在同一夜裏,各作了一夢,我們每人的夢都有它的意義。
12 And there was with us there a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
在那裏有個希伯來少年人與我們在一起,他是衛隊長的僕人;當我們把夢告訴了他,他就給我們加以解釋,給每個人的夢都說明了它的意義。
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
果然都照他給我們所解釋的應驗了:我恢復了原職,他卻被吊死了。」
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
法郎於是遣人去召若瑟,人就快把他從地牢裏提出來;他剃了頭,刮了臉,換了衣服,來到法郎跟前。
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it.
法郎對若瑟說:「我作了一夢,沒有人能夠解釋。我聽見人說,你聽了夢就能解釋。」
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
若瑟回答法郎說:「這不是我所能的,只有天主能給陛下一個吉祥的解答。」
17 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river:
法郎遂向若瑟說:「我夢見我站在尼羅河上,
18 and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in the reed-grass:
看見從河中上來了七隻母牛,體肥色美,在蘆葦叢中吃草。
19 and, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
隨後,又上來了七隻母牛,軟弱無力,色醜體瘦,那種醜陋,我在埃及全國從未見過。
20 and the lean and ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
這些又瘦又醜的母牛,竟將先上來的那七隻肥母牛吞了下去。
21 and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
牠們吞下去之後,竟看不出來牠們吞了下去,因為牠們醜陋的樣子和先前一樣,我就驚醒了。
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good:
以後我又夢見在一根麥莖上,生出了七枝粗大美麗的麥穗。
23 and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, [and] blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
隨後,又發出了七枝枯萎細弱而又被東風吹焦了的麥穗。
24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears: and I told it unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
這些細弱的麥穗竟將那七枝美麗的麥穗吞了。我講給了術士們聽,但沒有人能給我解說。」
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: what God is about to do he hath declared unto Pharaoh.
若瑟遂對法郎說:「陛下的夢只是一個。天主已將所要作的告訴陛下:
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
七隻美好的母牛表示七年,七枝美好的麥穗也表示七年。這原是一個夢。
27 And the seven lean and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of famine.
隨後上來的那七隻又瘦又弱的母牛,和那七枝空虛而又被東風吹焦了的麥穗,都表示將有七個荒年。
28 That is the thing which I spake unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do he hath shewed unto Pharaoh.
這即是我對陛下所說:天主已將他要作的顯示給陛下了。
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
看埃及全國將有七年大豐收。
30 and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
繼之而來的是七個荒年,那時人都忘記了埃及國曾有過豐收。當飢荒蹂躪此地時,
31 and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which followeth; for it shall be very grievous.
誰也覺不到此地曾有過豐收,因為相繼而來的飢荒實在太嚴重了。
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
至於陛下的夢重複了兩次,是表示這事已由天主命定,天主就快要實行。
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
所以陛下現在應當尋找一個聰明,有智慧的人,派他管理埃及國。
34 Let Pharaoh do [this], and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
陛下應設法在地方上派定督辦,在七個豐年內,徵收埃及國所出產的五分之一;
35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
使他們將未來豐年內的一切食糧,聚斂起來,將五穀都儲藏在陛下手下,貯在城內備作食糧,妥為保管。
36 And the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
這些食糧應作為本地的存糧,以應付那在埃及國要出現的七個荒年,免得全國因飢荒而滅亡。
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
這番話使法郎和他的群臣十分贊成,
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?
於是法郎對他的臣僕說:「像他這樣的人,有天主的神住在他內,我們豈能找著另一個﹖」
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou:
法郎遂對若瑟說:「天主既使你知道這一切,就再沒有像你這樣聰敏富有智慧的人了。
40 thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
你要掌管我的朝廷,我的人民都要聽從你的號令;只在寶座上我比你大。」
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
法郎又對若瑟說:「看,我立你統治全埃及國。」
42 And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
遂由自己手上取下打印的戒指,戴在若瑟手上,給他穿上細麻長袍,將金鏈戴在他的頸項上;
43 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he set him over all the land of Egypt.
又使他坐在自己的第二部御車上,人們在他前面喊說:「跪下! 」法郎就這樣立他管理全埃及國。
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.
法郎又對若瑟說:「我是法郎,沒有你的同意,全埃及國,任何人不得做任何事。」
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
法郎給若瑟起名叫匝斐納特帕乃亞,又將翁城的司祭頗提斐辣的女兒阿斯納特給他為妻。若瑟便出去巡行埃及全國。
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
若瑟立於埃及王法郎前時,年三十歲。他由法郎面前出去巡行了埃及全國。
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
七個豐年內,土地出產極其豐富。
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
若瑟聚斂了埃及國七個豐年內所有的糧食,積蓄在城內;每城城郊田間所出的糧食,也都儲藏在本城內。
49 And Joseph laid up corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
這樣若瑟聚斂了大量的五穀,多得有如海沙,無法計算,無法勝數。
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On bare unto him.
在荒年未來以前,若瑟已有了兩個兒子,是翁城的司祭頗提斐辣的女兒阿斯納特給他生的。
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For, [said he], God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.
若瑟給長子起名叫默納協,說:「天主使我忘盡了我的一切困苦和我父的全家。
52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.
給次子起名叫厄弗辣因,說:「天主使我在我受苦的地方有了子息。」
53 And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end.
埃及國的七個豐年一過,
54 And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
七個荒年隨著就來了,恰如若瑟所預言的;各地都發生了飢荒,唯獨全埃及國還有食糧。
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
及至埃及全國鬧飢荒時,人民便向法郎呼求糧食;法郎對埃及民眾說:「你們到若瑟那裏去,照他對你們所說的做。」
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt.
當時飢荒彌漫天下,若瑟便開了國內所有的糧倉,將糧食賣給埃及人,因為埃及的飢荒很嚴重。
57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all the earth.
天下的人都來到埃及,向若瑟購買食糧,因為天下各地都大鬧飢荒。