1過了兩年，法郎作了一夢，夢見自己站在尼羅河畔。 1After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the river,
2看見從尼羅河中上來了七隻母牛，色美體肥，在蘆葦中吃草。 2Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places.
3隨後，從尼羅河中，又上來了七隻色醜體瘦的母牛，站在尼羅河岸上靠近那些母牛身旁。 3Other seven also came up out of the river, ill favoured, and leanfleshed: and they fed on the very bank of the river, in green places:
4這些色醜體瘦的母牛，竟將那七隻色美體肥的母牛吞了下去；法郎便驚醒了。 4And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. So Pharao awoke.
5他又睡下，作了一個夢，夢見在一根麥莖上，生出了七枝又肥又美的麥穗； 5He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair:
6隨後，又發出了七枝又細弱，而又為東風吹焦了的麥穗。 6Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted,
7這些細弱的麥穗竟將那七枝又肥又實的麥穗吞了下去。法郎驚醒了，原是一場夢。 7And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his rest:
8到了早晨，他心煩意亂，遂遣人將埃及所有的術士和賢士召來，給他們講述了自己的夢，卻沒有人能給法郎解釋。 8And when morning was come, being struck with fear, he sent to all the interpreters of Egypt, and to all the wise men: and they being called for, he told them his dream, and there was not any one that could interpret it.
9那時司酒長向法郎說：「我今天想起了我的過犯。 9Then at length the chief butler remembering, said: I confess my sin:
10有一次陛下對自己的臣僕發怒，將我和司廚長關在衛隊長府內的拘留所內。 10The king being angry with his servants, commanded me and the chief baker to be cast into the prison of the captain of the soldiers:
11我和他在同一夜裡，各作了一夢，我們每人的夢都有它的意義。 11Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream foreboding things to come.
12在那裡有個希伯來少年人與我們在一起，他是衛隊長的僕人；當我們把夢告訴了他，他就給我們加以解釋，給每個人的夢都說明了它的意義。 12There was there a young man a Hebrew, servant to the same captain of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams,
13果然，都照他給我們所解釋的應驗了：我恢復了原職，他卻被吊死了。」 13And we heard what afterwards the event of the thing proved to be so. For I was restored to my office: and he was hanged upon a gibbet.
14法郎於是遣人去召若瑟，人就快把他從地牢裡提出來；他剃了頭，刮了臉，換了衣服，來到法郎跟前。 14Forthwith at the king's command, Joseph was brought out of the prison, and they shaved him, and changing his apparel, brought him in to him.
15法郎對若瑟說：「我作了一夢，沒有人能夠解釋。我聽見人說，你聽了夢就能解釋。」 15And he said to him: I have dreamed dreams, and there is no one that can expound them: Now I have heard that thou art very wise at interpreting them.
16若瑟回答法郎說：「這不是我所能的，只有天主能給陛下一個吉祥的解答。」 16Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous answer.
17法郎遂向若瑟說：「我夢見我站在尼羅河上， 17So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,
18看見從河中上來了七隻母牛，體肥色美，在蘆葦叢中吃草。 18And seven kine came up out of the river exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.
19隨後，又上來了七隻母牛，軟弱無力，色醜體瘦，那種醜陋，我在埃及全國從未見過。 19And behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill favoured and lean, that I never saw the like in the land of Egypt:
20這些又瘦又醜的母牛，竟將先上來的那七隻肥母牛吞了下去。 20And they devoured and consumed the former,
21牠們吞下去之後，竟看不出來牠們吞了下去，因為牠們醜陋的樣子和先前一樣，我就驚醒了。 21And yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and ill favoured as before. I awoke, and then fell asleep again,
22以後我又夢見在一根麥莖上，生出了七枝粗大美麗的麥穗。 22And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, full and very fair.
23隨後，又發出了七枝枯萎細弱而又被東風吹焦了的麥穗。 23Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stock:
24這些細弱的麥穗竟將那七枝美麗的麥穗吞了。我講給了術士們聽，但沒有人能給我解說。」 24And they devoured the beauty of the former: I told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it.
25若瑟遂對法郎說：「陛下的夢只是一個。天主已將所要作的告訴陛下： 25Joseph answered: The king's dream is one: God hath shewn to Pharao what he is about to do.
26七隻美好的母牛表示七年，七枝美好的麥穗也表示七年。這原是一個夢。 26The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream.
27隨後上來的那七隻又瘦又醜的母牛，和那七枝空虛而又被東風吹焦了的麥穗，都表示七年，表示將有七個荒年。 27And the seven lean and thin kine that came up after them, and the seven thin ears that were blasted with the burning wind, are seven years of famine to come:
28這即是我對陛下所說：天主已將他要作的顯示給陛下了。 28Which shall be fulfilled in this order:
29看埃及全國將有七年大豐收。 29Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt:
30繼之而來的是七個荒年，那時人都忘記了埃及國曾有過豐收。當饑荒蹂躪此地時， 30After which shall follow other seven years of so great scarcity, that all the abundance before shall be forgotten: for the famine shall consume all the land,
31誰也覺不到此地曾有過豐收，因為相繼而來的饑荒實在太嚴重了。 31And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty.
32至於陛下的夢重複了兩次，是表示這事已由天主命定，天主就快要實行。 32And for that thou didst see the second time a dream pertaining to the same thing: it is a token of the certainty, and that the word of God cometh to pass, and is fulfilled speedily.
33所以陛下現在應當尋找一個聰明，有智慧的人，派他管理埃及國。 33Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt:
34陛下應設法在地方上派定督辦，在七個豐年內，徵收埃及國所出產的五分之一； 34That he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years,
35使他們將未來豐年內的一切食糧，聚斂起來，將五穀都儲藏在陛下手下，貯在城內備作食糧，妥為保管。 35That shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up under Pharao's hands and be reserved in the cities.
36這些食糧應作為本地的存糧，以應付那在埃及國要出現的七個荒年，免得全國因饑荒而滅亡。」 36And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with scarcity.
37這番話使法郎和他的群臣十分贊成， 37The counsel pleased Pharao and all his servants.
38於是法郎對他的臣僕說：「像他這樣的人，有天主的神住在他內，我們豈能找著另一個？」 38And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God?
39法郎遂對若瑟說：「天主既使你知道這一切，就再沒有像你這樣聰敏富有智慧的人了。 39He said therefore to Joseph: Seeing God hath shewn thee all that thou hast said, can I find one wiser and one like unto thee?
40你要掌管我的朝廷，我的人民都要聽從你的號令；只在寶座上我比你大。」 40Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above thee.
41法郎又對若瑟說：「看，我立你統治全埃及國。」 41And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.
42遂由自己手上取下打印的戒指，戴在若瑟手上，給他穿上細麻長袍，將金鏈戴在他的頸項上； 42And he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his hand: and he put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold about his neck.
43又使他坐在自己的第二部御車上，人們在他前面喊說：「跪下！」法郎就這樣立他管理全埃及國。 43And he made him go up into his second chariot, the crier proclaiming that all should bow their knee before him, and that they should know he was made governor over the whole land of Egypt.
44法郎又對若瑟說：「我是法郎，沒有你的同意，全埃及國，任何人不得做任何事。」 44And the king said to Joseph: I am Pharao; without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45法郎給若瑟起名叫匝斐納特帕乃亞，又將翁城的司祭頗提斐辣的女兒阿斯納特給他為妻。若瑟便出去巡行埃及全國。 45And he turned his name, and called him in the Egyptian tongue, The saviour of the world. And he gave him to wife Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis. Then Joseph went out to the land of Egypt:
46若瑟立於埃及王法郎前時，年三十歲。他由法郎面前出去巡行了埃及全國。 46(Now he was thirty years old when he stood before king Pharao) and he went round all the countries of Egypt.
47七個豐年內，土地出產極其豐富。 47And the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corn being bound up into sheaves was gathered together into the barns of Egypt.
48若瑟聚斂了埃及國七個豐年內所有的糧食，積蓄在城內；每城城郊田間所出的糧食，也都儲藏在本城內。 48And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city.
49這樣若瑟聚斂了大量的五穀，多得有如海沙，無法計算，無法勝數。 49And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure.
50在荒年未來以前，若瑟已有了兩個兒子，是翁城的司祭頗提斐辣的女兒阿斯納特給他生的。 50And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore unto him.
51若瑟給長子起名叫默納協，說：「天主使我忘盡了我的一切困苦和我父的全家。」 51And he called the name of the firstborn Manasses, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father's house.
52給次子起名叫厄弗辣因，說：「天主使我在我受苦的地方有了子息。」 52And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.
53埃及國的七個豐年一過， 53Now when the seven years of the plenty that had been in Egypt were past:
54七個荒年隨著就來了，恰如若瑟所預言的；各地都發生了饑荒，唯獨全埃及國還有食糧。 54The seven years of scarcity, which Joseph had foretold, began to come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.
55及至埃及全國鬧饑荒時，人民便向法郎呼求糧食；法郎對埃及民眾說：「你們到若瑟那裡去，照他對你們所說的做。」 55And when there also they began to be famished, the people cried to Pharao for food. And he said to them: Go to Joseph: and do all that he shall say to you.
56當時饑荒彌漫天下，若瑟便開了國內所有的糧倉，將糧食賣給埃及人，因為埃及的饑荒很嚴重。 56And the famine increased daily in all the land: and Joseph opened all the barns, and sold to the Egyptians: for the famine had oppressed them also.
57天下的人都來到埃及，向若瑟購買食糧，因為天下各地都大鬧饑荒。 57And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want.
注释
41:1-36
本章内「陛下」二字原文作「法郎」。法郎是埃及国君的称号，有「皇帝」、「朝庭」，「王室」的意思。若瑟像日後的梅瑟、达尼尔等，在外教的国君前显扬了真天主的光荣。
41:39-45
与若瑟同时的埃及法郎，大约是阿颇彼二世。匝斐纳特帕乃亚一名为埃及语，即「世界的养育者」或「施生命者」的意思。普提斐辣一名与37:36普提法尔同意，即「太阳神（辣）的恩赐」。翁城即日後希腊地理所称的「厄里约颇里」，即「太阳城」。翁城的司祭在希克索斯朝代既为埃及的贵族，由此可以推断，若瑟身为国家总理大臣，娶了名门的闺秀为妻。