創世記41:1-40

41:1 過了兩年，法老做夢，夢見自己站在河邊，
41:2 有七隻母牛從河裡上來，又美好又肥壯，在蘆荻中吃草。
41:3 隨後又有七隻母牛從河裡上來，又醜陋又乾瘦，與那七隻母牛一同站在河邊。
41:4 這又醜陋又乾瘦的七隻母牛吃盡了那又美好又肥壯的七隻母牛。法老就醒了。
41:5 他又睡著，第二回做夢，夢見一棵麥子長了七個穗子，又肥大又佳美，
41:6 隨後又長了七個穗子，又細弱又被東風吹焦了。
41:7 這細弱的穗子吞了那七個又肥大又飽滿的穗子。法老醒了，不料是個夢。
41:8 到了早晨，法老心裡不安，就差人召了埃及所有的術士和博士來；法老就把所做的夢告訴他們，卻沒有人能給法老圓解。
41:9 那時酒政對法老說：「我今日想起我的罪來。
41:10 從前法老惱怒臣僕，把我和膳長下在護衛長府內的監裡。
41:11 我們二人同夜各做一夢，各夢都有講解。
41:12 在那裡同著我們有一個希伯來的少年人，是護衛長的僕人，我們告訴他，他就把我們的夢圓解，是按著各人的夢圓解的。
41:13 後來正如他給我們圓解的成就了：我官復原職，膳長被掛起來了。
41:14 法老遂即差人去召約瑟，他們便急忙帶他出監，他就剃頭，刮臉，換衣裳，進到法老面前。
41:15 法老對約瑟說：「我做了一夢，沒有人能解；我聽見人說，你聽了夢就能解。」
41:16 約瑟回答法老說：「這不在乎我，上帝必將平安的話回答法老。」
41:17 法老對約瑟說：「我夢見我站在河邊，
41:18 有七隻母牛從河裡上來，又肥壯又美好，在蘆荻中吃草。
41:19 隨後又有七隻母牛上來，又軟弱又醜陋又乾瘦，在埃及遍地，我沒有見過這樣不好的。
41:20 這又乾瘦又醜陋的母牛吃盡了那以先的七隻肥母牛，
41:21 吃了以後卻看不出是吃了，那醜陋的樣子仍舊和先前一樣。我就醒了。
41:22 我又夢見一棵麥子，長了七個穗子，又飽滿又佳美，
41:23 隨後又長了七個穗子，枯槁細弱，被東風吹焦了。
41:24 這些細弱的穗子吞了那七個佳美的穗子。我將這夢告訴了術士，卻沒有人能給我解說。」
41:25 約瑟對法老說：「法老的夢乃是一個。上帝已將所要做的事指示法老了。
41:26 七隻好母牛是七年，七個好穗子也是七年；這夢乃是一個。
41:27 那隨後上來的七隻又乾瘦又醜陋的母牛是七年，那七個虛空、被東風吹焦的穗子也是七年，都是七個荒年。
41:28 這就是我對法老所說，上帝已將所要做的事顯明給法老了。
41:29 埃及遍地必來七個大豐年，
41:30 隨後又要來七個荒年，甚至在埃及地都忘了先前的豐收，全地必被饑荒所滅。
41:31 因那以後的饑荒甚大，便不覺得先前的豐收了。
41:32 至於法老兩回做夢，是因上帝命定這事，而且必速速成就。
41:33 所以，法老當揀選一個有聰明有智慧的人，派他治理埃及地。
41:34 法老當這樣行，又派官員管理這地。當七個豐年的時候，征收埃及地的五分之一，
41:35 叫他們把將來豐年一切的糧食聚斂起來，積蓄五穀，收存在各城裡做食物，歸於法老的手下。
41:36 所積蓄的糧食可以防備埃及地將來的七個荒年，免得這地被饑荒所滅。」
41:37 法老和他一切臣僕都以這事為妙。

41:38 法老對臣僕說：「像這樣的人，有上帝的靈在他裡頭，我們豈能找得著呢？」
41:39 法老對約瑟說：「上帝既將這事都指示你，可見沒有人像你這樣有聰明有智慧。
41:40 你可以掌管我的家；我的民都必聽從你的話。惟獨在寶座上我比你大。」

When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, ² when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. ³ After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. ⁴ And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

⁵ He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. ⁶ After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. ⁷ The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
⁸ In 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.
⁹ Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. ¹⁰ Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. ¹¹ Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. ¹² Now 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. ¹³ And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”
¹⁴ So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
¹⁵ Pharaoh 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.”
¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, ¹⁸ when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. ¹⁹ After 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. ²⁰ The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. ²¹ But 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. ²³ After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. ²⁴ The 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.”
²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. ²⁷ The 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. ²⁹ Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, ³⁰ but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. ³¹ The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. ³² The 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. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. ³⁵ They 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. ³⁶ This 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.”
³⁷ The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. ³⁸ So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God^[a]?”
³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You 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.”

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    人忘記了約瑟，可是上帝沒有忘記！在時間剛剛好的時候，上帝讓約瑟可以嶄露頭角，利用法老做異夢，大家不知如何解的時候，讓酒政想起當年在獄中的狀態，約瑟是如何為他和膳長解夢，也怎樣會到法老面前繼續服事！

    而約瑟在這樣的機會，更是謙卑將榮耀歸給上帝，讓上帝來引導他解夢，不敢像以前一般趾高氣傲！所以上帝也透過這樣的事，讓他從監獄裡出來，獲得大家的尊敬！真是上帝大大的賜恩，使他的生命有所改變！

    約瑟的生命變化，讓我們感受到人的一生，都在上帝得保守。雖然有時不順利，在苦難中上帝磨鍊，真的如保羅所說：「我們曉得萬事都互相效力，叫愛上帝的人得益處，就是按他旨意被召的人。」（羅馬書8:28）