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And when they told him what had been done, he ceased from his grief. And having stained the boy's tunic with the blood of a goat, they came to their father and said that they had neither seen Joseph nor known how he had perished, but that they had found this tunic bloodied and torn. And Jacob, mourning for the boy, sat down, having put on sackcloth. And Potiphar, an Egyptian man, chief of the cooks of Pharaoh the king, bought Joseph from the merchants, and held him in honor. But when his master's wife, being disposed to love him both on account of his beauty and his skill, made proposals to him about lying with her, he rejected the request. But she, being terribly besieged by love, made a second attempt, and despairing of persuading him, she wished to force him. And when the young man, leaving his cloak behind, leaped out, she sat downcast and confused. And when her husband came, she accused Joseph and showed him the cloak, as if he had left it behind when he tried 1.35 to force her. And Potiphar casts Joseph into the prison for criminals, in which also the cupbearer of Pharaoh was locked up in anger, and the chief baker. Having become familiar with them, he was asked to tell them the meaning of their dreams. For the cupbearer dreamed he saw a vine, from which grew three branches, on which hung large and ripe clusters of grapes, and that he was squeezing them into a cup and offering it to Pharaoh, and that he received it graciously. Joseph therefore explained that the dream signified good things for him; for in the next three days he would be restored to his former service. And he asked him to remember him when he prospered. But the chief baker said that he dreamed he was carrying three baskets on his head, two full of bread, and the other of delicacies and various foods, and that these were snatched away by birds flying down. And Joseph said to this one also that the three baskets were significant of three days, and that on the third day he would be hanged and become food for flesh-eating birds. And it happened to both as Joseph had explained. Then God sends to Pharaoh twofold visions in dreams, and the interpretations of both. But he remembered the visions, but had forgotten the interpretations. He therefore summons the wise men of the Egyptians, and tells them the dreams, and demands the interpretation; but when they were at a loss, he became angry. But the cupbearer, if not before, then at last came to the memory of Joseph, and informs Pharaoh about him. He is therefore brought immediately. And he says, "Tell me, 1.36 young man, the interpretation of the dreams which I have seen. I dreamed that seven well-fed cows came out of the river and went toward the marsh; and that seven others, lean and wasted with famine, came out of the marsh and met them, and that the first and fat ones were eaten by the second, and that they still remained likewise lean. Again I see seven ears of corn springing from one root, flourishing and bowed down with the weight of the grain. And near them I seemed to see an equal number of ears, withered by lack of dew and unpleasant to look at, which also consumed the fruitful and beautiful ones." And Joseph says, "Even if the dreams are twofold, O king, yet they have one meaning of the things to come. For both the cows, an animal toiling at the plow, being eaten by the inferior ones, and the flourishing ears being consumed by the withered ones, announce a famine for so many years for your country, which for an equal number of years previously abounded in produce, so that the plenty of the former will be consumed by the latter. But if you will store up the things of the former prosperity for the years of scarcity, you will make the misfortune imperceptible to the Egyptians." And Pharaoh, amazed at Joseph's wisdom, both because of the interpretation and the counsel, said, "You yourself will be the judge and counselor and steward of these plans." And he gave him his own authority, so that he could use Pharaoh's seal and wear purple and ride in a chariot. Joseph was then thirty years old. And Pharaoh called him Psonthomphanech; and the name means finder of hidden things. And he joins to him also a wife called Aseneth,
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τῶν δὲ τὸ πραχθὲν φρασάντων παύεται τοῦ πένθους. τὸν δὲ χιτωνίσκον τοῦ μειρακίου αιματι τράγου μολύναντες ηκον πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ειπον τὸν μὲν ̓Ιωσὴφ μήτ' ἰδεῖν μήθ' οπως διέφθαρται γνῶναι, χιτῶνα δὲ τοῦτον εὑρεῖν ᾑμαγμένον καὶ διερρηγμένον. ̓Ιακὼβ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ μειρακίῳ πενθῶν ἐκαθέζετο σάκκον ἐνδύς. τὸν ̓Ιωσὴφ δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἐμπόρων ὠνήσατο Πετεφρὴς ἀνὴρ Αἰγύπτιος ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέως Φαραὼ μαγείρων, καὶ ειχεν αὐτὸν ἐν τιμῇ. τῆς δὲ τοῦ δεσπότου γυναικὸς διά τε εὐμορφίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ δεξιότητα ἐρωτικῶς διατεθείσης καὶ λόγους περὶ μίξεως προσαγούσης, παρέπεμπε τὴν ἀξίωσιν. ἡ δὲ δεινῶς πολιορκουμένη τῷ ερωτι, δευτέραν ἐπῆγε πεῖραν, καὶ τὸ πείθειν ἀπογνοῦσα βιάζεσθαι ηθελεν. ὡς δὲ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον καταλιπὼν ὁ νεανίσκος ἐξεπήδησε, καθῆστο κατηφὴς καὶ συγκεχυμένη. ἐλθόντι δὲ τἀνδρὶ κατηγόρει τοῦ ̓Ιωσὴφ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐπεδείκνυεν, ὡς οτ' ἐπε1.35 χείρει βιάζεσθαι καταλιπόντος αὐτό. Πετεφρὴς δὲ εἰς τὴν τῶν κακούργων εἱρκτὴν ἐμβάλλει τὸν ̓Ιωσήφ, ἐν ῃ καὶ ὁ οἰνοχόος τοῦ Φαραὼ κατ' ὀργὴν ἐνεκέκλειστο καὶ ὁ ἀρχισιτοποιός. οις συνήθης γενόμενος ἠξιοῦτο φράσαι αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐνυπνίων τὴν δήλωσιν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ οἰνοχόος αμπελον ὁρᾶν εδοξεν, ἐξ ης τρία ἐφύοντο κλήματα, ων ἀπῃώρηντο μεγάλοι καὶ πέπειροι βότρυες, τούτους δ' ἀποθλίβειν εἰς φιάλην καὶ προσάγειν τῷ Φαραώ, κἀκεῖνον λαβεῖν προσηνῶς. ἀγαθὰ ουν αὐτῷ σημαίνειν τὸν ονειρον ἐξηγεῖτο ὁ ̓Ιωσήφ· ἐν γὰρ τρισὶν ἡμέραις ταῖς προσαγούσαις εἰς τὸ πρότερον ἀποκαταστήσεσθαι διακόνημα. καὶ ἠξίου μεμνῆσθαι αὐτοῦ εὐπραγήσαντα. ὁ δὲ ἀρχισιτοποιὸς κανᾶ εφη δοκεῖν τρία φέρειν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς, δύο μὲν αρτων πλήρη, τὸ δὲ ετερον οψου καὶ ποικίλων βρωμάτων, ταῦτα δὲ διαρπαγῆναι ὑπὸ πτηνῶν καθιπταμένων. εφη δὲ καὶ τούτῳ ὁ ̓Ιωσὴφ τὰ τρία κανᾶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ειναι σημαντικά, καὶ ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ μέλλειν αὐτὸν κρεμασθέντα σαρκοφάγοις εσεσθαι βορὰν πετεινοῖς. γέγονε δ' ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν ὡς ̓Ιωσὴφ ἐξηγήσατο. Ειτα τῷ Φαραὼ ὁ θεὸς οψεις ἐνυπνίων ἐπιπέμπει διττὰς καὶ τὰς δηλώσεις ἀμφοῖν. ὁ δὲ τῶν μὲν οψεων ἐμιμνήσκετο, τῶν δ' ἐξηγήσεων ἐπελάθετο. συγκαλεῖται τοίνυν τοὺς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων σοφούς, καὶ ἀπαγγέλλει αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐνύπνια, καὶ τὴν δήλωσιν ἀπαιτεῖ· ἀπορούντων δ' ἐκείνων ὠργίζετο. ὁ δ' οἰνοχόος, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον, ἀλλὰ τότε πρὸς μνήμην ηκε τοῦ ̓Ιωσήφ, καὶ διδάσκει περὶ ἐκείνου τὸν Φαραώ. αγεται τοίνυν αὐτίκα. ὁ δέ "φράσον μοι" φησί, 1.36 "νεανία, τὴν κρίσιν τῶν ἐνυπνίων ωνπερ τεθέαμαι. εδοξα βόας εὐτραφεῖς ἑπτὰ προϊόντας τοῦ ποταμοῦ πρὸς τὸ ελος χωρεῖν· ἑτέρους δ' ἑπτὰ ἰσχνοὺς καὶ τετηγμένους λιμῷ τοῦ ελους ἐξελθόντας συναντῆσαι τούτοις, καὶ βρωθῆναι παρὰ τῶν δευτέρων τοὺς πρώτους καὶ πίονας, καὶ μένειν ετ' αὐτοὺς ὁμοίως ἰσχνούς. αυθις δ' ὁρῶ στάχυας ἑπτὰ ἐκφύντας ῥίζης μιᾶς θαλεροὺς καὶ κεκλιμένους τῷ βάρει τοῦ καρποῦ. πλησίον δ' αὐτῶν ἰσαρίθμους ἐδόκουν ὁρᾶν στάχυας ἀδρανεῖς ὑπὸ ἀδροσίας καὶ πρὸς ορασιν ἀηδεῖς, οι καὶ ἀνήλισκον τοὺς εὐκάρπους τε καὶ ὡραίους." ὁ δ' ̓Ιωσήφ "καν διττά" φησίν, "ω βασιλεῦ, τὰ ἐνύπνιά εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ μίαν εχουσι τῶν μελλόντων τὴν δήλωσιν. οι τε γὰρ βόες, ζῷον ἐπ' ἀρότρῳ πονοῦν, ὑπὸ τῶν χειρόνων κατεσθιόμενοι, καὶ οἱ θάλλοντες στάχυες ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδρανῶν δαπανώμενοι, λιμὸν ἐπὶ τοσαῦτα ετη τῇ χώρᾳ σου καταγγέλλουσιν ἐν ἰσαρίθμοις ἐνιαυτοῖς εὐθηνηθείσῃ πρότερον τοῖς καρποῖς, ὡς τὴν τούτων εὐφορίαν ἀναλωθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν επειτα. εἰ δὲ σὺ ταμιεύσεις τὰ τῆς προτέρας εὐδαιμονίας εἰς τοὺς τῆς ἀφορίας ἐνιαυτούς, θήσεις τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἀνεπαίσθητον τὸ δυστύχημα." Φαραὼ δὲ τὴν τοῦ ̓Ιωσὴφ ἐκπλαγεὶς σοφίαν διά τε τὴν ἐξήγησιν καὶ τὴν συμβουλήν "αὐτὸς ὁ τούτων" εφη "κριτής τε καὶ σύμβουλος καὶ οἰκονόμος εσῃ τῶν βουλευθέντων." καὶ παρέσχεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἐξουσίαν αὐτοῦ, ωστε σφραγῖδι χρῆσθαι τῇ Φαραὼ καὶ πορφύραν ἐνδύεσθαι καὶ ἐλαύνειν ἐφ' αρματος. ην δὲ τότε τριάκοντα ἐτῶν γεγονὼς ̓Ιωσήφ. προσηγόρευσε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Φαραὼ Ψοθομφάνηχον· σημαίνει δὲ τὸ ονομα κρυπτῶν εὑρετήν. ζεύγνυσι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ γυναῖκα ̓Ασενὲθ κεκλημένην,