創世記41:41-57

41:41 法老又對約瑟說：「我派你治理埃及全地。」
41:42 法老就摘下手上打印的戒指，戴在約瑟的手上，給他穿上細麻衣，把金鍊戴在他的頸項上，
41:43 又叫約瑟坐他的副車，喝道的在前呼叫說：「跪下。」這樣，法老派他治理埃及全地。
41:44 法老對約瑟說：「我是法老，在埃及全地，若沒有你的命令，不許人擅自辦事（原文是動手動腳）。」
41:45 法老賜名給約瑟，叫撒發那忒‧巴內亞，又將安城的祭司波提非拉的女兒亞西納給他為妻。約瑟就出去巡行埃及地。
41:46 約瑟見埃及王法老的時候年三十歲。他從法老面前出去，遍行埃及全地。
41:47 七個豐年之內，地的出產極豐極盛（原文是一把一把的），
41:48 約瑟聚斂埃及地七個豐年一切的糧食，把糧食積存在各城裡；各城周圍田地的糧食都積存在本城裡。
41:49 約瑟積蓄五穀甚多，如同海邊的沙，無法計算，因為穀不可勝數。
41:50 荒年未到以前，安城的祭司波提非拉的女兒亞西納給約瑟生了兩個兒子。
41:51 約瑟給長子起名叫瑪拿西（就是使之忘了的意思），因為他說：「上帝使我忘了一切的困苦和我父的全家。」
41:52 他給次子起名叫以法蓮（就是使之昌盛的意思），因為他說：「上帝使我在受苦的地方昌盛。」
41:53 埃及地的七個豐年一完，
41:54 七個荒年就來了。正如約瑟所說的，各地都有饑荒；惟獨埃及全地有糧食。
41:55 及至埃及全地有了饑荒，眾民向法老哀求糧食，法老對他們說：「你們往約瑟那裡去，凡他所說的，你們都要做。」
41:56 當時饑荒遍滿天下，約瑟開了各處的倉，糶糧給埃及人；在埃及地饑荒甚大。
41:57 各地的人都往埃及去，到約瑟那裡糴糧，因為天下的饑荒甚大。

⁴¹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then 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. ⁴³ He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,^[b] and people shouted before him, “Make way^[c]!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
⁴⁴ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” ⁴⁵ Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,^[d] to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
⁴⁶ Joseph 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. ⁴⁷ During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. ⁴⁸ Joseph 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. ⁴⁹ Joseph 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.
⁵⁰ Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. ⁵¹ Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh^[e] and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” ⁵² The second son he named Ephraim^[f] and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
⁵³ The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and 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. ⁵⁵ When 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.”
⁵⁶ When 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. ⁵⁷ And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

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

    上帝讓約瑟在埃及地越來越昌盛，相對於世上其他的人。因為上帝讓他在埃及得妻個豐年儲存了許多糧食，不怕將要來臨的七個荒年。因為上帝將未來要發生的事情啟示他，讓他早做準備，也因為如此，使他在荒年的時候，更顯明出他的光輝！

    其實，真正的蒙福就是這樣：也就是，在有的時候，要想到沒有的時候，好好的存留下一些，這樣就會不致於缺乏，甚至還可以拯救到別人，就像約瑟一樣！願上帝給我們這樣的恩典，使我們成為真正對人有益處的人！

    感謝上帝，祂藉著我們成為別人得福的管道，我們越是放下自己的想法，越是不要自以為義，越是以上帝的愛，來接納有罪與軟弱的人，補足別人的缺乏，讓上帝的豐盛和恩惠與世人同在！

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！