the antiquities of the jews-1-第14章

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of　thee；　but　that　he　was　not　really　of　a　good　disposition。　This
has　been　occasioned　by　his　being　advanced　to　honor　beyond　what　he
deserved；　and　what　he　hoped　for；　insomuch　that　he　concluded；　that
he　who　was　deemed　fit　to　be　trusted　with　thy　estate　and　the
government　of　thy　family；　and　was　preferred　above　thy　eldest
servants；　might　be　allowed　to　touch　thy　wife　also。〃　Thus　when　she
had　ended　her　discourse；　she　showed　him　his　garment；　as　if　he
then　left　it　with　her　when　he　attempted　to　force　her。　But
Potiphar　not　being　able　to　disbelieve　what　his　wife's　tears
showed；　and　what　his　wife　said；　and　what　he　saw　himself；　and
being　seduced　by　his　love　to　his　wife；　did　not　set　himself　about
the　examination　of　the　truth；　but　taking　it　for　granted　that　his
wife　was　a　modest　woman；　and　condemning　Joseph　as　a　wicked　man；
he　threw　him　into　the　malefactors'　prison；　and　had　a　still　higher
opinion　of　his　wife；　and　bare　her　witness　that　she　was　a　woman　of
a　becoming　modesty　and　chastity。

CHAPTER　5。

What　Things　Befell　Joseph　In　Prison。

1。　Now　Joseph；　commending　all　his　affairs　to　God；　did　not　betake
himself　to　make　his　defense；　nor　to　give　an　account　of　the　exact
circumstances　of　the　fact；　but　silently　underwent　the　bonds　and
the　distress　he　was　in；　firmly　believing　that　God；　who　knew　the
cause　of　his　affliction；　and　the　truth　of　the　fact；　would　be　more
powerful　than　those　that　inflicted　the　punishments　upon　him　：　…　a
proof　of　whose　providence　he　quickly　received；　for　the　keeper　of
the　prison　taking　notice　of　his　care　and　fidelity　in　the　affairs
he　had　set　him　about；　and　the　dignity　of　his　countenance；　relaxed
his　bonds；　and　thereby　made　his　heavy　calamity　lighter；　and　more
supportable　to　him。　He　also　permitted　him　to　make　use　of　a　diet
better　than　that　of　the　rest　of　the　prisoners。　Now；　as　his　fellow
prisoners；　when　their　hard　labors　were　over；　fell　to　discoursing
one　among　another；　as　is　usual　in　such　as　are　equal　sufferers；
and　to　inquire　one　of　another　what　were　the　occasions　of　their
being　condemned　to　a　prison：　among　them　the　king's　cupbearer；　and
one　that　had　been　respected　by　him；　was　put　in　bonds；　upon　the
king's　anger　at　him。　This　man　was　under　the　same　bonds　with
Joseph；　and　grew　more　familiar　with　him；　and　upon　his　observing
that　Joseph　had　a　better　understanding　than　the　rest　had；　he　told
him　of　a　dream　he　had；　and　desired　he　would　interpret　its
meaning；　complaining　that；　besides　the　afflictions　he　underwent
from　the　king；　God　did　also　add　to　him　trouble　from　his　dreams。

2。　He　therefore　said；　that　in　his　sleep　he　saw　three　clusters　of
grapes　hanging　upon　three　branches　of　a　vine；　large　already；　and
ripe　for　gathering；　and　that　he　squeezed　them　into　a　cup　which
the　king　held　in　his　hand；　and　when　he　had　strained　the　wine；　he
gave　it　to　the　king　to　drink；　and　that　he　received　it　from　him
with　a　pleasant　countenance。　This；　he　said；　was　what　he　saw；　and
he　desired　Joseph；　that　if　he　had　any　portion　of　understanding　in
such　matters；　he　would　tell　him　what　this　vision　foretold。　Who
bid　him　be　of　good　cheer；　and　expect　to　be　loosed　from　his　bonds
in　three　days'　time；　because　the　king　desired　his　service；　and
was　about　to　restore　him　to　it　again；　for　he　let　him　know　that
God　bestows　the　fruit　of　the　vine　upon　men　for　good；　which　wine
is　poured　out　to　him；　and　is　the　pledge　of　fidelity　and　mutual
confidence　among　men；　and　puts　an　end　to　their　quarrels；　takes
away　passion　and　grief　out　of　the　minds　of　them　that　use　it；　and
makes　them　cheerful。　〃Thou　sayest　that　thou　didst　squeeze　this
wine　from　three　clusters　of　grapes　with　thine　hands；　and　that　the
king　received　it：　know；　therefore；　that　this　vision　is　for　thy
good；　and　foretells　a　release　from　thy　present　distress　within
the　same　number　of　days　as　the　branches　had　whence　thou
gatheredst　thy　grapes　in　thy　sleep。　However；　remember　what
prosperity　I　have　foretold　thee　when　thou　hast　found　it　true　by
experience；　and　when　thou　art　in　authority；　do　not　overlook　us　in
this　prison；　wherein　thou　wilt　leave　us　when　thou　art　gone　to　the
place　we　have　foretold；　for　we　are　not　in　prison　for　any　crime；
but　for　the　sake　of　our　virtue　and　sobriety　are　we　condemned　to
suffer　the　penalty　of　malefactors；　and　because　we　are　not　willing
to　injure　him　that　has　thus　distressed　us；　though　it　were　for　our
own　pleasure。〃　The　cupbearer；　therefore；　as　was　natural　to　do；
rejoiced　to　hear　such　an　interpretation　of　his　dream；　and　waited
the　completion　of　what　had　been　thus　shown　him　beforehand。

3。　But　another　servant　there　was　of　the　king；　who　had　been　chief
baker；　and　was　now　bound　in　prison　with　the　cupbearer；　he　also
was　in　good　hope；　upon　Joseph's　interpretation　of　the　other's
vision；　for　he　had　seen　a　dream　also；　so　he　desired　that　Joseph
would　tell　him　what　the　visions　he　had　seen　the　night　before
might　mean。　They　were　these　that　follow：　…　〃Methought；〃　says　he；
〃I　carried　three　baskets　upon　my　head；　two　were　full　of　loaves；
and　the　third　full　of　sweetmeats　and　other　eatables；　such　as　are
prepared　for　kings；　but　that　the　fowls　came　flying；　and　eat　them
all　up；　and　had　no　regard　to　my　attempt　to　drive　them　away。〃　And
he　expected　a　prediction　like　to　that　of　the　cupbearer。　But
Joseph；　considering　and　reasoning　about　the　dream；　said　to　him；
that　he　would　willingly　be　an　interpreter　of　good　events　to　him；
and　not　of　such　as　his　dream　denounced　to　him；　but　he　told　him
that　he　had　only　three　days　in　all　to　live；　for　that　the　＇three＇
baskets　signify；　that　on　the　third　day　he　should　be　crucified；
and　devoured　by　fowls；　while　he　was　not　able　to　help　himself。　Now
both　these　dreams　had　the　same　several　events　that　Joseph
foretold　they　should　have；　and　this　to　both　the　parties；　for　on
the　third　day　before　mentioned；　when　the　king　solemnized　his
birth…day；　he　crucified　the　chief　baker；　but　set　the　butler　free
from　his　bonds；　and　restored　him　to　his　former　ministration。

4。　But　God　freed　Joseph　from　his　confinement；　after　he　had
endured　his　bonds　two　years；　and　had　received　no　assistance　from
the　cupbearer；　who　did　not　remember　what　he　had　said　to　him
formerly；　and　God　contrived　this　method　of　deliverance　for　him。
Pharaoh　the　king　had　seen　in　his　sleep　the　same　evening　two
visions；　and　after　them　had　the　interpretations　of　them　both
given　him。　He　had　forgotten　the　latter；　but　retained　the　dreams
themselves。　Being　therefore　troubled　at　what　he　had　seen；　for　it
seemed　to　him　to　be　all　of　a　melancholy　nature；　the　next　day　he
called　together　the　wisest　men　among　the　Egyptians；　desiring　to
learn　from　them　the　interpretation　of　his　dreams。　But　when　they
hesitated　about　them；　the　king　was　so　much　the　more　disturbed。
And　now　it　was　that　the　memory　of　Joseph；　and　his　skill　in
dreams；　came　into　the　mind　of　the　king's　cupbearer；　when　he　saw
the　confusion　that　Pharaoh　was　in；　so　he　came　and　mentioned
Joseph　to　him；　as　also　the　vision　he　had　seen　in　prison；　and　how
the　event　proved　as　he　had　said；　as　also　that　the　chief　baker　was
crucified　on　the　very　same　day；　and　that　this　also　happened　to
him　according　to　the　interpretation　of　Joseph。　That　Joseph
himself　was　laid　in　bonds　by　Potiphar；　who　was　his　head　cook；　as
a　slave；　but；　he　said；　he　was　one　of　the　noblest　of　the　stock　of
the　Hebrews；　and　said　further；　his　father　lived　in　great
splendor。　〃If；　therefore；　thou　wilt　send　for　him；　and　not　despise
him　on　the　score　of　his　misfortunes；　thou　wilt　learn　what　thy
dreams　signify。〃　So　the　king　commanded　that　they　should　bring
Joseph　into　his　presence；　and　those　who　received　the　command　came
and　brought　him　with　them；　having　taken　care　of　his　habit；　that
it　might　be　decent；　as　the　king　had　enjoined　them　to　do。

5。　But　the　king　took　him　by　the　hand；　and；　〃O　young　man；〃　says
he；　〃for　my　servant　bears　witness　that　thou　art　at　present　the
best　and　most　skillful　person　I　can　consult　with；　vouchsafe　me
the　same　favors　which　thou　bestowedst　on　this　servant　of　mine；
and　tell　me　what　events　they　are　which　the　visions　of　my　dreams
foreshow；　and　I　desire　thee　to　suppress　nothing　out　of　fear；　nor
to　flatter　me　with　lying　words；　or　with　what　may　please　me；
although　the　truth　should　be　of　a　melancholy　nature。　For　it
seemed　to　me　that；　as　I　walked　by　the　river；　I　saw　kine　fat　and
very　large；　seven　in　number；　going　from　the　river　to　the　marshes；
and　other　kine　of　the　same　number　like　them；　met　them　out　of　the
marshes；　exceeding　lean　and　ill…favored；　which　ate　up　the　fat　and
the　large　kine；　and　yet　were　no　better　than　before；　and　not　less
miserably　pinched　with　famine。　After　I　had　seen　this　vision；　I
awaked　out　of　my　sleep；　and　being　in　disorder；　and　considering
with　myself　what　this　appearance　should　be；　I　fell　asleep　again；
and　saw　another　dream；　much　more　wonderful　than　the　foregoing；
which　still　did　more　affright　and　disturb　me：　…　I　saw　seven　ears
of　corn　growing　out　of　one　root；　having　their　heads　borne　down　by
the　weight　of　the　grains；　and　bending　down　with　the　fruit；　which
was　now　ripe　and　fit　for　reaping；　and　near　these　I　saw　seven
other　ears　of　corn；　meager　and　weak；　for　want　of　rain；　which　fell
to　eating　and　consuming　those　that　were　fit　for　reaping；　and　put
me　into　great　astonishment。〃

6。　To　which　Joseph　replied：　…　〃This　dream；〃　said　he；　〃O　king；
although　seen　under　two　forms；　signifies　one　and　the　same　event
of　things；　for　when　thou　sawest　the　fat　kine；　which　is　an　animal
made　for　the　plough　and　for　labor；　devoured　by　the　worser　kine；
and　the　ears　of　corn　eaten　up　by　the　smaller　ears；　they　foretell
a　famine；　and　want　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth　for　the　same　number
of　years；　and　equal　with　those　when　Egypt　was　in　a　happy　state；
and　this　so　far；　that　the　plenty　of　these　years　will　be　spent　in
the　same　number　of　years　of　scarcity；　and　that　scarcity　of
necessary　provisions　will　be　very　difficult　to　be　corrected；　as　a
sign　whereof；　the　ill…favored　kine；　when　they　had　devoured　the
better　sort；　could　not　be　satisfied。　But　still　God　foreshows　what
is　to　come　upon　men；　not　to　grieve　them；　but　that；　when　they　know
it　beforehand；　they　may　by　prudence　make　the　actual　experience　of
what　is　foretold　the　more　tolerable。　If　thou；　therefore；
carefully　dispose　of　the　plentiful　crops　which　will　come　in　the
former　years；　thou　wilt　procure　that　the　future　calamity　will　not
be　felt　by　the　Egyptians。〃

7。　Hereupon　the　king　wondered　at　the　discretion　and　wisdom　of
Joseph；　and　asked　him　by　what　means　he　might　so　dispense　the
foregoing　plentiful　crops　in　the　happy　years；　as　to　make　the
miserable　crops　more　tolerable。　Joseph　then　added　this　his
advice：　To　spare　the　good　crops；　and　not　permit　the　Egyptians　to
spend　them　luxuriously；　but　to　reserve　what　they　would　have　spent
in　luxury　beyond　their　necessity　against　the　time　of　want。　He
also　exhorted　him　to　take　the　corn　of　the　husbandmen；　and　give
them　only　so　much　as　will　be　sufficient　for　their　food。
Accordingly　Pharaoh　being　surprised　at　Joseph；　not　only　for　his
interpretation　of　the　dream；　but　for　the　counsel　he　had　given
him；　intrusted　him　with　dispensing　the　corn；　with　power　to　do
what　he　thought　would　be　for　the　benefit　of　the　people　of　Egypt；
and　for　the　benefit　of　the　king；　as　believing　that　he　who　first
discovered　this　method　of　acting；　would　prove　the　best