Pharaoh’s Dreams
1When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, 2when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 3After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 4And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
8In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”
14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22“In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
28“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
33“And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”
37The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God41:38 Or of the gods?”
39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Joseph in Charge of Egypt
41So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,41:43 Or in the chariot of his second-in-command; or in his second chariot and people shouted before him, “Make way41:43 Or Bow down!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,41:45 That is, Heliopolis; also in verse 50 to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
50Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh41:51 Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget. and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52The second son he named Ephraim41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for twice fruitful. and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
53The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”
56When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.
约瑟为法老解梦
1两年后，法老做了个梦，梦见自己站在尼罗河边， 2有七头肥美、健壮的母牛从河里上来，在芦苇丛中吃草。 3随后又有七头丑陋、瘦弱的母牛从河里上来，与那七头母牛一同站在河边。 4后来，七头丑陋、瘦弱的母牛吃掉了七头肥美、健壮的母牛。这时，法老醒了过来。
5之后，他又睡着了，又做了个梦。他梦见一株麦子上长了七个饱满的穗子。 6后来这株麦子上面又长了七个干瘪的穗子，它们被东风吹焦了。 7七个干瘪的穗子吞食了七个饱满的穗子。法老醒过来，原来是一场梦。
8早上法老心中不安，就派人召来埃及所有的术士和智者，把梦告诉他们，可是没有一个人能为他解梦。
9这时酒侍对法老说：“我今天才想起我的罪过。 10我从前和膳司惹法老生气，被他囚禁在护卫长府内的牢里。 11一天晚上，我俩都做了梦，我们的梦各有不同的意思。 12当时有一个希伯来青年跟我们一起被囚在牢里，他是护卫长的仆人。我们把梦告诉他，他就分别为我们解梦。 13后来，他为我们解的梦都应验了，我恢复了原职，膳司被挂在木头上处死了。”
14于是，法老派人去召约瑟，他们急忙从牢里释放约瑟。约瑟剃头刮脸，更换衣服，去见法老。 15法老对约瑟说：“我做了一个梦，没有人能为我解梦。我听说你能解梦。” 16约瑟回答说：“我自己不会解梦，但上帝却能给王圆满的解释。”
17法老对约瑟说：“我梦见自己站在尼罗河边， 18有七头肥美、健壮的母牛从河里上来，在芦苇丛中吃草。 19随后又有七头丑陋、瘦弱的母牛从河里上来，我在全埃及从来没有见过有这么丑陋的牛。 20这些丑陋、瘦弱的母牛吃掉先前的七头肥母牛。 21可是，它们吃了以后就像没吃一样，仍然和以前一样丑陋。这时，我就醒了。 22后来我又梦见一株麦子，上面长了七个饱满的穗子， 23接着又长出七个被东风吹焦的干瘪穗子， 24这些干瘪的穗子吞了那七个饱满的穗子。我把梦告诉了术士，却没有人能为我解梦。”
25约瑟对法老说：“王的梦都是同一个意思，上帝已经借着梦把祂将要做的事指示王了。 26七头肥美的母牛和七个饱满的穗子都代表七年，是同样的意思。 27随后上来的七头瘦弱、丑陋的母牛和七个干瘪、被东风吹焦的穗子也代表七年，是七年饥荒。 28正如我刚才说的，上帝已经把祂将要做的事向王显明了。 29埃及全境很快会有七年大丰收， 30随后是七年饥荒肆虐全国，之前的丰收将被忘记。 31饥荒将非常严重，之前的丰收将荡然无存。 32王的梦出现了两次，表示上帝的心意已定，上帝必很快成就这事。 33王应该选一个精明聪慧的人，派他治理埃及。 34王也应该在各地委派官员，在七年丰收期内征收全国出产的五分之一， 35把在丰年收集的粮食储存在各城，归王管理。 36这些粮食要留到埃及七年饥荒时用，免得这片土地被饥荒毁灭。”
约瑟做埃及宰相
37法老和他所有的臣仆都赞同约瑟的建议。 38法老对臣仆说：“我们哪里找像这样有上帝的灵同在的人呢？” 39法老对约瑟说：“上帝既然把梦的意思指示给你，可见没人有你这样的见识和智慧。 40你要管理我家，我的人民都要遵从你的命令，只有我权力比你大。” 41法老又说：“我现在派你治理埃及全国。” 42于是，法老摘下手上用来盖印的戒指，戴在约瑟的手上，给他穿上细麻袍，把金链戴在他颈上， 43让他坐在自己的第二辆御车上，并有人在御车前高呼：“跪下！”这样，法老派约瑟治理整个埃及。 44法老对约瑟说：“我是法老，但没有你的命令，埃及的任何人都不得擅自行事。” 45法老赐给约瑟一个名字，叫撒发那忒·巴内亚，又把安城祭司波提非拉的女儿亚西纳赐给他为妻。约瑟巡视了整个埃及。
46约瑟三十岁开始为法老效劳，他离开法老去巡视埃及各地。 47七个丰年之内，埃及粮食大丰收， 48约瑟收集埃及七个丰年出产的所有粮食，储藏进各城，每一座城附近出产的粮食都存放在本城。 49约瑟积存了大量五谷，多如海沙，不可胜数。
50荒年到来前，安城祭司波提非拉的女儿亚西纳给约瑟生了两个儿子。 51约瑟给长子取名叫玛拿西，因为他说：“上帝使我忘记一切困苦和父亲全家。” 52约瑟给次子取名叫以法莲，因为他说：“上帝使我在受苦之地昌盛。”
53七个丰年结束后， 54七个荒年接踵而至，正如约瑟所言。各地都有饥荒，只有埃及全国有粮食。 55后来，埃及全国也遭遇饥荒，百姓就向法老求粮，法老对他们说：“你们去找约瑟吧，要照他的吩咐做。”
56饥荒蔓延到整个埃及时，约瑟便开仓卖粮给埃及人。那时，埃及的饥荒非常严重。 57各地的人都到埃及来向约瑟买粮，因为天下到处都是大饥荒。
