雅各全家定居埃及

47 約瑟來到法老面前,對他說:「我父親和我的弟兄們已經帶著他們的羊群、牛群和所有的一切從迦南來了,現在就在歌珊。」 約瑟從弟兄中帶了五個人去見法老。 法老問他們:「你們做什麼工作?」他們回答說:「僕人們祖祖輩輩都是牧羊的。 迦南的饑荒很嚴重,羊群沒有草吃,所以我們到這裡來寄居,求你准許僕人們住在歌珊。」 法老對約瑟說:「你父親和弟兄們都來了, 整個埃及就在你面前,儘管安排他們住在國中最好的地方。他們可以住在歌珊。如果你知道他們中間有能幹的人,可以派他們看管我的牲畜。」

約瑟又帶父親雅各去見法老,雅各就為法老祝福。 法老問雅各:「你多大歲數了?」 雅各回答說:「我在世上寄居一百三十年了,我的日子又苦又短,不像我祖先那樣高壽。」 10 雅各為法老祝福後,就告退了。 11 約瑟遵照法老之命把埃及最好的地方——蘭塞境內的土地給他父親和弟兄們居住,作他們的產業。 12 約瑟按各家人口提供糧食給父親、弟兄及其他家人。

饑荒

13 饑荒很嚴重,到處都缺糧,埃及和迦南都飽受饑荒之苦。 14 約瑟把埃及人和迦南人向他買糧的銀子收集起來,存放在法老的庫房裡。 15 埃及人和迦南人的銀子都用光了,埃及人就來見約瑟,對他說:「我們的錢財都用光了,求你給我們糧食,免得我們餓死在你面前。」 16 約瑟說:「你們的錢財如果用盡了,可以用你們的牲畜來交換糧食。」 17 於是,他們把牲畜趕到約瑟那裡,用他們的牛、羊、驢和馬跟約瑟換糧食。那一年,他們就依靠換來的糧食生活。

18 到了第二年,他們又來見約瑟,對他說:「不瞞我主,我們的錢都用光了,牲畜也給你了,除了我們自己和田地以外,我們一無所有。 19 求你不要讓我們人死地荒。我們願意用自己和我們的田地來換糧食,我們和我們的田地都歸法老。求你給我們種子,我們好活下去,不致餓死,土地也不致荒廢。」

20 埃及人為饑荒所迫,紛紛賣掉自己的田地。約瑟替法老收購了埃及全國的田地,最後,所有的田地都歸法老了。 21 約瑟使埃及全境的人都成為法老的奴僕。 22 約瑟唯獨沒有買祭司的田地,因為祭司吃法老的俸祿,有足夠的供給,不用賣地。 23 約瑟對百姓說:「我為法老買了你們和你們的土地,這裡有種子,你們可以拿去耕種。 24 但是你們要把收成的五分之一給法老,其餘的,你們可以留下來作種子和全家人的口糧。」 25 他們說:「你救了我們的命,求你恩待我們,讓我們做法老的奴僕吧。」 26 於是,約瑟立下一條法令,到今天還有效,就是埃及出產的五分之一歸給法老。只有祭司的田地不歸法老。

27 以色列人住在埃及的歌珊,在那裡獲得了產業,人口興旺。 28 雅各在埃及住了十七年,他一共活了一百四十七歲。

29 他快要離世的時候,把兒子約瑟叫來,說:「你如果恩待我,請你把手放在我大腿底下起誓,你會以慈愛和信實待我,不把我葬在埃及。 30 我與祖先同眠後,你要把我帶出埃及安葬在我祖先的身邊。」約瑟說:「我必照你說的做。」 31 雅各要約瑟起誓,約瑟照做了。於是,以色列在床頭[a]敬拜上帝。

Footnotes

  1. 47·31 在床頭」或譯「拄著拐杖」。

Jacob Settles in Goshen

47 So Joseph went and reported to Pharaoh. And he said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan. Now they are here in the land of Goshen.” And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are keepers of sheep, both we and also our ancestors.”[a] And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servant’s flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen, and if you know there is among them men of ability, then appoint them overseers of my own livestock.” Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”[b] And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty years. Few and hard have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the lives of my ancestors[c] in the days of their sojourning.” 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and he went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 And Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and he gave them property in the land of Egypt in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed. 12 And Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all the household of his father with food, according to the number of their children.

The Famine in Egypt Continues

13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe. And the land of Egypt languished, with the land of Canaan, on account of the famine. 14 And Joseph collected all the money found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain that they were buying. And Joseph brought the money into the house of Pharaoh. 15 And when the money was spent in the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, all of Egypt came to Joseph, saying, “Give us food! Why should we die before you? For the money is used up.” 16 And Joseph said, “Give your livestock and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock if your money is used up.” 17 So they brought their herds to Joseph, and Joseph gave food to them in exchange for horses, their flocks, and their cattle and donkeys. And he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 When that year ended, they came to him in the following year and said to him, “We cannot hide from my lord that our money and livestock belong to my lord. Nothing remains before my lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die in front of you, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, then we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Then give us seed and we shall live and not die, and the land will not become desolate.” 20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for each Egyptian sold his field, for the famine was severe upon them. And the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he transferred them to the cities, from one end of the territory of Egypt to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for there was an allotment for the priests from Pharaoh, and they lived on[d] the allotment that Pharaoh gave to them. Therefore they did not sell their land. 23 And Joseph said to the people, “Look, I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you so you can sow the land. 24 And it shall happen that at the harvest, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and four-fifths shall be yours, as seed for the field and for your food and for those who are in your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives. If we have found favor in the eyes of my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute unto this day concerning the land of Egypt: one fifth to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests alone did not belong to Pharaoh. 27 So Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they acquired possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time of Israel’s death drew near,[e] he called to his son, to Joseph. And he said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please put your hand under my thigh, that you might vow to deal kindly[f] and faithfully with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my ancestors.[g] Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial site.” And he said, “I will do according to your word.” 31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 47:3 Or “fathers”
  2. Genesis 47:8 Literally “How many are the days of the years of your life?”
  3. Genesis 47:9 Or “fathers”
  4. Genesis 47:22 Literally “ate”
  5. Genesis 47:29 Literally “the days of Israel drew near to die”
  6. Genesis 47:29 Or “loyal love”
  7. Genesis 47:30 Or “fathers”