47:1 約瑟進去告訴法老說:「我的父親和我的弟兄帶著羊群牛群,並一切所有的,從迦南地來了,如今在歌珊地。」
47:2 約瑟從他弟兄中挑出五個人來,引他們去見法老。
47:3 法老問約瑟的弟兄說:「你們以何事為業?」他們對法老說:「你僕人是牧羊的,連我們的祖宗也是牧羊的。」
47:4 他們又對法老說:「迦南地的饑荒甚大,僕人的羊群沒有草吃,所以我們來到這地寄居。現在求你容僕人住在歌珊地。」
47:5 法老對約瑟說:「你父親和你弟兄到你這裡來了,
47:6 埃及地都在你面前,只管叫你父親和你弟兄住在國中最好的地;他們可以住在歌珊地。你若知道他們中間有甚麼能人,就派他們看管我的牲畜。」
47:7 約瑟領他父親雅各進到法老面前,雅各就給法老祝福。
47:8 法老問雅各說:「你平生的年日是多少呢?」
47:9 雅各對法老說:「我寄居在世的年日是一百三十歲,我平生的年日又少又苦,不及我列祖在世寄居的年日。」
47:10 雅各又給法老祝福,就從法老面前出去了。
47:11 約瑟遵著法老的命,把埃及國最好的地,就是蘭塞境內的地,給他父親和弟兄居住,作為產業。
47:12 約瑟用糧食奉養他父親和他弟兄,並他父親全家的眷屬,都是照各家的人口奉養他們。
47:13 饑荒甚大,全地都絕了糧,甚至埃及地和迦南地的人因那饑荒的緣故都餓昏了。
47:14 約瑟收聚了埃及地和迦南地所有的銀子,就是眾人糴糧的銀子,約瑟就把那銀子帶到法老的宮裡。
47:15 埃及地和迦南地的銀子都花盡了,埃及眾人都來見約瑟,說:「我們的銀子都用盡了,求你給我們糧食,我們為甚麼死在你面前呢?」
47:16 約瑟說:「若是銀子用盡了,可以把你們的牲畜給我,我就為你們的牲畜給你們糧食。」
47:17 於是他們把牲畜趕到約瑟那裡,約瑟就拿糧食換了他們的牛、羊、驢、馬;那一年因換他們一切的牲畜,就用糧食養活他們。
47:18 那一年過去,第二年他們又來見約瑟,說:「我們不瞞我主,我們的銀子都花盡了,牲畜也都歸了我主。我們在我主眼前,除了我們的身體和田地之外,一無所剩。
47:19 你何忍見我們人死地荒呢?求你用糧食買我們和我們的地,我們和我們的地就要給法老效力。又求你給我們種子,使我們得以存活,不致死亡,地土也不致荒涼。」
47:20 於是,約瑟為法老買了埃及所有的地,埃及人因被饑荒所迫,各都賣了自己的田地;那地就都歸了法老。
47:21 至於百姓,約瑟叫他們,從埃及這邊直到埃及那邊,都各歸各城。
47:22 惟有祭司的地,約瑟沒有買,因為祭司有從法老所得的常俸。他們吃法老所給的常俸,所以他們不賣自己的地。
47:23 約瑟對百姓說:「我今日為法老買了你們和你們的地,看哪,這裡有種子給你們,你們可以種地。
47:24 後來打糧食的時候,你們要把五分之一納給法老,四分可以歸你們做地裡的種子,也做你們和你們家口孩童的食物。」
47:25 他們說:「你救了我們的性命。但願我們在我主眼前蒙恩,我們就作法老的僕人。」
47:26 於是約瑟為埃及地定下常例,直到今日:法老必得五分之一,惟獨祭司的地不歸法老。
47:27 以色列人住在埃及的歌珊地。他們在那裡置了產業,並且生育甚多。
47:28 雅各住在埃及地十七年,雅各平生的年日是一百四十七歲。
47:29 以色列的死期臨近了,他就叫了他兒子約瑟來,說:「我若在你眼前蒙恩,請你把手放在我大腿底下,用慈愛和誠實待我,請你不要將我葬在埃及。
47:30 我與我祖我父同睡的時候,你要將我帶出埃及,葬在他們所葬的地方。」約瑟說:「我必遵著你的命而行。」
47:31 雅各說:「你要向我起誓。」約瑟就向他起了誓,於是以色列在床頭上【或譯:扶著杖頭】敬拜上帝。
Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks
and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are
now in Goshen.” 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before
Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”
“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our
fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,
because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no
pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you,
6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in
the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any
among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before
Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[a] Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are
you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and
thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years
of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” 10 Then Jacob blessed[b] Pharaoh and went out
from his presence.
11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them
property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh
directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his
father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.
13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was
severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph
collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for
the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace. 15 When the
money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and
said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all
gone.”
16 “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in
exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17 So they brought
their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,
their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through
that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said,
“We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our
livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies
and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well?
Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in
bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the
land may not become desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one
and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land
became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[c] from one
end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests,
because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from
the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land
today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But
when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths
you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your
households and your children.”
25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes
of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”
26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in
force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the
land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.
27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They
acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.
28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a
hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he
called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,
put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and
faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers,
carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped
as he leaned on the top of his staff.[d]
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雅各為將來安葬之處告訴約瑟。