參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本    

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

13. And no bread was in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan wasted because of the famine.

14. And Joseph gathered up all the silver found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, in payment for the grain which they bought. And Joseph brought the silver into Pharaoh’s house.

15. And when the silver was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence, for the silver is gone?”

16. And Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the silver is gone.”

17. And they brought their livestock to Joseph. And Joseph gave them bread for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. And he fed them with bread for all their livestock for that year.

18. When that year was ended, they came to him the second year and said, “We will not hide it from my lord, that our silver is spent, also our herds of livestock have gone to my lord. Nothing is left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies and our lands.

19. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants for Pharaoh. And give us seed to plant, that we may live and not die, that the land be not desolate.”

20. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold every man his field because the famine prevailed over them and the land became Pharaoh’s.

21. And as for the people, he caused them to go into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end of it.

22. Only he did not buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not sell their land.

23. And Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you this day, and your land, for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.

24. And it shall be, as you gather you shall give the fifth part to Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for those of your household, and for food for your little ones.”

25. And they said, “You have saved our lives. Let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”

26. And Joseph made it a law of the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, excepting only the land of the priests, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

27. So the children of Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they had possession in it and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.

28. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty-seven years.

29. And the time drew near for Israel to die. And he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found grace in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt.

30. So that I may sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial site.” And he said, “I will do according to your words.”

31. And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself at the head of the bed.

 (A Faithful Version)

13. 進入第五年，遍地不出糧食，旱災極為嚴重，埃及地和迦南地都顯得荒蕪。

14. 約瑟將埃及地和迦南地從買賣糧草中得來的貨銀收集後，全數歸回法老的庫房。

15. 當埃及地和迦南地的人，購糧的銀子花光後，都來求見約瑟，要求給糧，否則會因缺糧致死。

16. 約瑟以此回應：銀子用完，可以用牲畜交換。

17. 於是這些人把牲畜牽到約瑟那裡，用以交換糧食。這一年，都把這些牧畜，包括馬、羊、牛和驢子等，都妥為照顧。

18. 第二年，這些人再來見約瑟，說：我們不敢去隱瞞我主，銀子用盡了，牲畜也沒有，有的就是這個身體和土地，再沒有其他。

19. 我們實在沒有辦法，都願意把土地賣給法老，用糧換作為法老作僕人的工酬，只要給我們種子，土地就不至荒蕪，我們也得以存活。

20. 約瑟一聲，就替法老買下埃及人所屬的土地，是因為旱災，埃及人如今願意賣掉，土地就歸法老所有。

21. 至於迦南人，約瑟安置在城的另一邊。

22. 約瑟沒有把屬於祭司的地買下，那是因為這地，是從法老意思，用這一份去供養他們。

23. 既有約定，約瑟對埃及人說：今日為法老收買了你們眾人和你們的地。這是種子，可以拿去播種。

24. 到了收割的時候，將五分之一糧獻給法老便可。剩下的四分之三歸你們自己，當中包括作種子的，也包括養家的口糧在內。

25. 眾人聽罷，齊說：是你救了我們，都願意成為法老的僕人，是因為大人你的恩典所賜。

26. 約瑟當時所立的律例，沿用至今，就是法老得五分之一的土地收成，祭司土地上的收成，不歸法老所有。

27. 以色列的子孫就住在歌珊地，在那裡擁有自己的產業，人口增多，極為繁盛。

28. 雅各在埃及地住了十七年，一生共享一百四十七歲。

29. 以色列的氣數已近。於是叫來約瑟，對他說：若你願意，把手放在我大腿底下，以仁慈和誠實起誓，不要把我葬在埃及地。

30. 而是離開埃及，帶去列祖安葬之地，與他們同眠。約瑟回應：必照你話的去做。

31. 雅各說：你起誓。約瑟就起誓。以色列這才安心躺臥。

摩西似乎是描述約瑟，這人有信有愛有自控。

有信是因為堅持耶和華承諾的真實，從而守約，即使是口頭沒有人證明證，因為在耶和華不是看證據，是看承諾，是人自己的尊嚴。

有愛是因為耶和華愛創造的人，供給天地以發展其潛在的能力。人在進步的成長路上，總有犯錯的可能，那是正常不匠過。愛，就是一種體會；一份明智；一份給予改正的機會；一條上進必經之路，不必過多的指責；一副相助的情懷，在跌趺撞撞中予以足夠的心力支撐。不發怨言，在身旁不離不棄。

自控是因為自己有權，為此作出自我犧牲。這犧牲精神不同於為國為民那麼雄壯偉大，那是有私之士，有權之人用以欺詐的言詞。愈大的口號，愈能得益，不是他呼召的人，是他自己，因為發言中的承諾，從來不曾實現。看共你產的宣言有那個時間落實過一次？選領袖是的口號，在位時有那位把承諾實踐出來？你身邊的朋友，時時歡聚，甚至是家中人，有相當數目的，不就是有難時不見人？為什麼那麼少人明白？是因為私心大自控沒有中呈現出來的現象。

約瑟在他的人生中，產生出來的智慧，不會自私，不把不如意事當作有仇，不會因為有權而不自重，甘作犧牲。人生種種不如意，不用人的標準：為何壞事總在我身上？而是看耶和華的放任當中，有份誠意，助人長成基督的身量。人的成長不單是早期食奶粉的階段，是心智在不斷經歷中成長。華人為何總是去求助而不是自助，追求良善卻不懂自強？約瑟，是雅各之後，雅各不同於亞伯拉罕也不同於以撒，是耶和華親自說出，祂喜歡，並予以改名。約瑟承繼了這份信仰。

約瑟正因為繼承了以色列這份能自控懂分辨知盡責這人性真實的一面，他處理旱災出現的情況，為自己家人保平安，也為法老增加國庫和個人的影響力，利己利人。他，約瑟這些行為放在華人的觀感，那是不忠不考的行為。你有沒有這想法？沒有！那恭喜，信仰這門，給你開了，有感覺，可以多多分享。