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.”

************

    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）

箴言26章

        箴言26:1 , 箴言26:2 , 箴言26:3 , 箴言26:4-12 , 箴言26:13-16 ,

        箴言26:17 ,  箴言26:18-19, 箴言26:20-22 ,  箴言26:23-28 ,

箴言26:1

夏天落雪，收割時下雨，都不相宜；愚昧人得尊榮也是如此。

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.

***********

    愚昧人在《箴言》是指不敬畏耶和華的人，因為這是相對於智慧人而言。智慧人之所以稱之為智慧人，是因為這些人是敬畏耶和華，並且是遠離惡事，也因為這樣，智慧人是配得尊榮。

    然而不敬畏耶和華的愚昧人，常常讓自己沉溺於罪中之樂，還自以為是、自以為義，追求虛浮的榮耀，不會將榮耀歸給上帝，常常將榮耀歸給自己。所以，他們是不配得著榮耀！

    因此《箴言》在這裡說到愚昧人得尊榮，就像「夏天落雪，收割時下雨」，是非常得不適當！

    求主保守，讓我們真正成為敬畏上帝的智慧人，會遠離惡事，並且會將榮耀歸給上帝！

創世記40章

                   創世記40: 1-23    ,

創世記40: 1-23

40:1 這事以後，埃及王的酒政和膳長得罪了他們的主─埃及王，
40:2 法老就惱怒酒政和膳長這二臣，
40:3 把他們下在護衛長府內的監裡，就是約瑟被囚的地方。
40:4 護衛長把他們交給約瑟，約瑟便伺候他們；他們有些日子在監裡。
40:5 被囚在監之埃及王的酒政和膳長二人同夜各做一夢，各夢都有講解。
40:6 到了早晨，約瑟進到他們那裡，見他們有愁悶的樣子。
40:7 他便問法老的二臣，就是與他同囚在他主人府裡的，說：「你們今日為甚麼面帶愁容呢？」
40:8 他們對他說：「我們各人做了一夢，沒有人能解。」約瑟說：「解夢不是出於上帝嗎？請你們將夢告訴我。」
40:9 酒政便將他的夢告訴約瑟說：「我夢見在我面前有一棵葡萄樹，
40:10 樹上有三根枝子，好像發了芽，開了花，上頭的葡萄都成熟了。
40:11 法老的杯在我手中，我就拿葡萄擠在法老的杯裡，將杯遞在他手中。」
40:12 約瑟對他說：「你所做的夢是這樣解：三根枝子就是三天；
40:13 三天之內，法老必提你出監，叫你官復原職，你仍要遞杯在法老的手中，和先前作他的酒政一樣。
40:14 但你得好處的時候，求你記念我，施恩與我，在法老面前提說我，救我出這監牢。
40:15 我實在是從希伯來人之地被拐來的；我在這裡也沒有做過甚麼，叫他們把我下在監裡。」
40:16 膳長見夢解得好，就對約瑟說：「我在夢中見我頭上頂著三筐白餅；
40:17 極上的筐子裡有為法老烤的各樣食物，有飛鳥來吃我頭上筐子裡的食物。」
40:18 約瑟說：「你的夢是這樣解：三個筐子就是三天；
40:19 三天之內，法老必斬斷你的頭，把你掛在木頭上，必有飛鳥來吃你身上的肉。」
40:20 到了第三天，是法老的生日，他為眾臣僕設擺筵席，把酒政和膳長提出監來，
40:21 使酒政官復原職，他仍舊遞杯在法老手中；
40:22 但把膳長掛起來，正如約瑟向他們所解的話。
40:23 酒政卻不記念約瑟，竟忘了他。

Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. ² Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, ³ and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴ The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.

After they had been in custody for some time, ⁵ each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
⁶ When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. ⁷ So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”
⁸ “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
⁹ So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹ Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”
¹² “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. ¹³ Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴ But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. ¹⁵ I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”
¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread.^{[a] 17} In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
¹⁸ “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. ¹⁹ Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”
²⁰ Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: ²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— ²² but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
²³ The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

************

    約瑟在監獄裡，有機會接觸到一些落難的權貴，就像在這裡遇見酒政和膳長。雖然不是什麼大官，卻是和法老王十分親近的人，是極有可能讓約瑟脫離牢獄的生活。但是我們看到，事實並非如此！

    約瑟分別為他們解夢，也述說夢境所要啟示出來的將來之情形為何，雖然會讓人覺得這不過是巧和罷了！但是，後來事情的發展真的如他所述說。而在解夢之後，對酒政說：「但你得好處的時候，求你記念我，施恩與我，在法老面前提說我，救我出這監牢。」

    然而酒政很順利出去監獄之後，並沒有可憐約瑟，在法老面前求情。正如聖經所描述：「酒政卻不記念約瑟，竟忘了他！」這也告訴我們，人實在是不可靠，在落難中稱兄道弟，可是在發達時就忘記的一乾二淨了！

創世記39章

         創世記39: 1-23 , 創世記39:3 ,

創世記39: 1-23

39:1 約瑟被帶下埃及去。有一個埃及人，是法老的內臣─護衛長波提乏，從那些帶下他來的以實瑪利人手下買了他去。
39:2 約瑟住在他主人埃及人的家中，耶和華與他同在，他就百事順利。
39:3 他主人見耶和華與他同在，又見耶和華使他手裡所辦的盡都順利，
39:4 約瑟就在主人眼前蒙恩，伺候他主人，並且主人派他管理家務，把一切所有的都交在他手裡。
39:5 自從主人派約瑟管理家務和他一切所有的，耶和華就因約瑟的緣故賜福與那埃及人的家；凡家裡和田間一切所有的都蒙耶和華賜福。
39:6 波提乏將一切所有的都交在約瑟的手中，除了自己所吃的飯，別的事一概不知。約瑟原來秀雅俊美。
39:7 這事以後，約瑟主人的妻以目送情給約瑟，說：「你與我同寢吧！」
39:8 約瑟不從，對他主人的妻說：「看哪，一切家務，我主人都不知道；他把所有的都交在我手裡。
39:9 在這家裡沒有比我大的；並且他沒有留下一樣不交給我，只留下了你，因為你是他的妻子。我怎能作這大惡，得罪上帝呢？」
39:10 後來她天天和約瑟說，約瑟卻不聽從她，不與她同寢，也不和她在一處。
39:11 有一天，約瑟進屋裡去辦事，家中人沒有一個在那屋裡，
39:12 婦人就拉住他的衣裳，說：「你與我同寢吧！」約瑟把衣裳丟在婦人手裡，跑到外邊去了。
39:13 婦人看見約瑟把衣裳丟在她手裡跑出去了，
39:14 就叫了家裡的人來，對他們說：「你們看！他帶了一個希伯來人進入我們家裡，要戲弄我們。他到我這裡來，要與我同寢，我就大聲喊叫。
39:15 他聽見我放聲喊起來，就把衣裳丟在我這裡，跑到外邊去了。」
39:16 婦人把約瑟的衣裳放在自己那裡，等著他主人回家，
39:17 就對他如此如此說：「你所帶到我們這裡的那希伯來僕人進來要戲弄我，
39:18 我放聲喊起來，他就把衣裳丟在我這裡，跑出去了。」
39:19 約瑟的主人聽見他妻子對他所說的話，說「你的僕人如此如此待我」，他就生氣，
39:20 把約瑟下在監裡，就是王的囚犯被囚的地方。於是約瑟在那裡坐監。
39:21 但耶和華與約瑟同在，向他施恩，使他在司獄的眼前蒙恩。
39:22 司獄就把監裡所有的囚犯都交在約瑟的手下；他們在那裡所辦的事都是經他的手。
39:23 凡在約瑟手下的事，司獄一概不察，因為耶和華與約瑟同在；耶和華使他所做的盡都順利。

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

² The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, ⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. ⁵ From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. ⁶ So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, ⁷ and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
⁸ But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
¹³ When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, ¹⁴ she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. ¹⁵ When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
¹⁶ She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. ¹⁸ But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
¹⁹ When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. ²⁰ Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, ²¹ the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. ²² So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. ²³ The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

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    約瑟被賣到埃及，上帝仍然與他同在，使他不論在什麼景況，都被人所重用與喜愛。雖然被陷害，上帝卻不離棄他。

    我們的人生的確有許多的不順遂、不如意！甚至讓我們感受到，家人和環境週遭的人對我們很大的傷害，以致失去活下去的勇氣。然而，在這樣的狀況，從基督來的盼望，是我們生活下去的重要支持！

    人常常要用自己的努力和想法來尋求人生的出入，然而屬基督得我們，不要忘記，我們是要倚靠基督而活，讓上帝在基督裡永恆的應許，成為我們人生的動力，沒有什麼力量比交託給主更有力量的！