| 創世紀 |
Genesis |
| 1過了兩年，法郎作了一夢，夢見自己站在尼羅河畔。 |
1After a lapse of two years, Pharaoh had a dream. He saw himself standing by the Nile, |
| 2看見從尼羅河中上來了七隻母牛，色美體肥，在蘆葦中吃草。 |
2when up out of the Nile came seven cows, handsome and fat; they grazed in the reed grass. |
| 3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。 |
3Behind them seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile; and standing on the bank of the Nile beside the others, |
| 4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。 |
4the ugly, gaunt cows ate up the seven handsome, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. |
| 5他又睡下，作了一個夢，夢見在一根麥莖上，生出了七枝又肥又美的麥穗； |
5He fell asleep again and had another dream. He saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single stalk. |
| 6隨後，又發出了七枝又細弱，而又為東風吹焦了的麥穗。 |
6Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, thin and blasted by the east wind; |
| 7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。 |
7and the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven fat, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up, to find it was only a dream. |
| 8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。 |
8Next morning his spirit was agitated. So he summoned all the magicians and sages of Egypt and recounted his dreams to them; but no one could interpret his dreams for him. |
| 9那時司酒長向法郎說：「我今天想起了我的過犯。 |
9Then the chief cupbearer spoke up and said to Pharaoh: "On this occasion I am reminded of my negligence. |
| 10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。 |
10Once, when Pharaoh was angry, he put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the chief steward. |
| 11我和他在同一夜裡，各作了一夢，我們每人的夢都有它的意義。 |
11Later, we both had dreams on the same night, and each of our dreams had its own meaning. |
| 12在那裡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。 |
12There with us was a Hebrew youth, a slave of the chief steward; and when we told him our dreams, he interpreted them for us and explained for each of us the meaning of his dream. |
| 13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。」 |
13And it turned out just as he had told us: I was restored to my post, but the other man was impaled." |
| 14法郎於是遣人去召若瑟，人就快把他從地牢裡提出來；他剃了頭，刮了臉，換了衣服，來到法郎跟前。 |
14Pharaoh therefore had Joseph summoned, and they hurriedly brought him from the dungeon. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he came into Pharaoh's presence. |
| 15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。」 |
15Pharaoh then said to him: "I had certain dreams that no one can interpret. But I hear it said of you that the moment you are told a dream you can interpret it." |
| 16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。」 |
16"It is not I," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God who will give Pharaoh the right answer." |
| 17法郎遂向若瑟說：「我夢見我站在尼羅河上， |
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: "In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile, |
| 18看見從河中上來了七隻母牛，體肥色美，在蘆葦叢中吃草。 |
18when up from the Nile came seven cows, fat and well-formed; they grazed in the reed grass. |
| 19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。 |
19Behind them came seven other cows, scrawny, most ill-formed and gaunt. Never have I seen such ugly specimens as these in all the land of Egypt! |
| 20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。 |
20The gaunt, ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. |
| 21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。 |
21But when they had consumed them, no one could tell that they had done so, because they looked as ugly as before. Then I woke up. |
| 22以後我又夢見在一根麥莖上，生出了七枝粗大美麗的麥穗。 |
22In another dream I saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single stalk. |
| 23隨後，又發出了七枝枯萎細弱而又被東風吹焦了的麥穗。 |
23Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, shriveled and thin and blasted by the east wind; |
| 24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。」 |
24and the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven healthy ears. I have spoken to the magicians, but none of them can give me an explanation." |
| 25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： |
25Joseph said to Pharaoh: "Both of Pharaoh's dreams have the same meaning. God has thus foretold to Pharaoh what he is about to do. |
| 26七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。 |
26The seven healthy cows are seven years, and the seven healthy ears are seven years--the same in each dream. |
| 27隨後上來的那七隻又瘦又醜的母牛，和那七枝空虛而又被東風吹焦了的麥穗，都表示七年，表示將有七個荒年。 |
27So also, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven thin, wind-blasted ears; they are seven years of famine. |
| 28這即是我對陛下所說：天主已將他要作的顯示給陛下了。 |
28It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. |
| 29看埃及全國將有七年大豐收。 |
29Seven years of great abundance are now coming throughout the land of Egypt; |
| 30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， |
30but these will be followed by seven years of famine, when all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. When the famine has ravaged the land, |
| 31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。 |
31no trace of the abundance will be found in the land because of the famine that follows it--so utterly severe will that famine be. |
| 32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。 |
32That Pharaoh had the same dream twice means that the matter has been reaffirmed by God and that God will soon bring it about. |
| 33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。 |
33"Therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a wise and discerning man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. |
| 34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； |
34Pharaoh should also take action to appoint overseers, so as to regiment the land during the seven years of abundance. |
| 35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。 |
35They should husband all the food of the coming good years, collecting the grain under Pharaoh's authority, to be stored in the towns for food. |
| 36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。」 |
36This food will serve as a reserve for the country against the seven years of famine that are to follow in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine." |
| 37這番話使法郎和他的群臣十分贊成， |
37This advice pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. |
| 38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？」 |
38"Could we find another like him," Pharaoh asked his officials, "a man so endowed with the spirit of God?" |
| 39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。 |
39So Pharaoh said to Joseph: "Since God has made all this known to you, no one can be as wise and discerning as you are. |
| 40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。」 |
40You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people shall dart at your command. Only in respect to the throne shall I outrank you. |
| 41法郎又對若瑟說：「看，我立你統治全埃及國。」 |
41Herewith," Pharaoh told Joseph, "I place you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." |
| 42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； |
42 With that, Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it on Joseph's finger. He had him dressed in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. |
| 43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。 |
43 He then had him ride in the chariot of his vizier, and they shouted "Abrek!" before him. Thus was Joseph installed over the whole land of Egypt. |
| 44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。」 |
44"I, Pharaoh, proclaim," he told Joseph, "that without your approval no one shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." |
| 45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。 |
45 Pharaoh also bestowed the name of Zaphnath-paneah on Joseph, and he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. |
| 46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。 |
46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. After Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he traveled throughout the land of Egypt. |
| 47七個豐年內，土地出產極其豐富。 |
47During the seven years of plenty, when the land produced abundant crops, |
| 48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。 |
48he husbanded all the food of these years of plenty that the land of Egypt was enjoying and stored it in the towns, placing in each town the crops of the fields around it. |
| 49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。 |
49Joseph garnered grain in quantities like the sands of the sea, so vast that at last he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure. |
| 50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。 |
50Before the famine years set in, Joseph became the father of two sons, borne to him by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. |
| 51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。」 |
51 He named his first-born Manasseh, meaning, "God has made me forget entirely the sufferings I endured at the hands of my family"; |
| 52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。」 |
52 and the second he named Ephraim, meaning, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." |
| 53埃及國的七個豐年一過， |
53When the seven years of abundance enjoyed by the land of Egypt came to an end, |
| 54七個荒年隨著就來了，恰如若瑟所預言的；各地都發生了飢荒，惟獨全埃及國還有食糧。 |
54the seven years of famine set in, just as Joseph had predicted. Although there was famine in all the other countries, food was available throughout the land of Egypt. |
| 55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：「你們到若瑟那裡去，照他對你們所說的做。」 |
55When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them. |
| 56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。 |
56When the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the cities that had grain and rationed it to the Egyptians, since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt. |
| 57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。 |
57In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world. |
