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On the Shores of the Great Sea, 03. An Old Trade-Route

03. An Old Trade-Route

"Then there passed by . merchantmen. " —GEN. xxxvii. 28.

It was a much larger caravan which passed out of Egypt, when the time came at last for Abraham to go back to Canaan; there were more flocks and herds, sheep and cattle, camels and asses. They returned by the same way they came, till they reached one of their old camping-grounds near Bethel.

But Abraham and Lot were no longer wandering explorers, in search of pasture for their flocks. They were rich men now, with numerous attendants, and the pasture that was enough to feed all, in the old days, was no longer enough for both. And there was some quarrelling between the herdmen of Abraham's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle. Together, the two men stood on a piece of rising ground, from which they could look over the surrounding country.

"Is not the whole land before thee?" said the older man, who had already made up his mind as to the future. "Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. " And Lot, knowing the value of the river Jordan which flowed through the midst of the land, chose its fertile plain, which was well watered everywhere, like the land of Egypt, from which he had just come. So he took his servants, his cattle, and his sheep, and there he made his new home.

Abraham lived in Canaan, right away from Lot; but he did not forget the little colony that had settled in the plains of Jordan—like a branch from the old root,—and when Lot was in difficulties with his foes, Abraham was the first to go to his help.

It was the same in those old days as it is now; the mother country helps her colonies, when they are in trouble.

After a time Abraham's descendants possessed the whole land of Canaan, which reached from his old home beyond the river Euphrates to the river Nile in Egypt. But the love of the old country was still strong within him; and when it was time to choose a wife for his son Isaac, it was to the land beyond the Euphrates that he turned.

Thence came Rebekah, who became the grandmother of Joseph, the story of whose life in Egypt is at once so pathetic and interesting.

As time went on, there was more and more traffic between the two settlements in Asia and Africa, through the land of Canaan. More than one route was discovered by which the long lines of camels and caravans could pass with safety from the one country to the other. And why should they want to go from one land to the other? For purposes of trade.

If one settlement could make and produce what another settlement could not, it was natural that an exchange should take place. And so it came to pass that long lines of camels were constantly journeying across Canaan bearing spices, balm, and myrrh into Egypt, and taking back with them silk and ivory from that country. It was to one of these parties of merchantmen, that Joseph was sold—merchants, on their way down into Egypt.

The story of Joseph is familiar to every child. They know how he was loved by his father Jacob, and how he lived with his parents in the land of Canaan, inherited from his grandfather Abraham. How his elder brothers had gone south to pasture their flocks, like the Arabs of the present day, wherever the wild country was unowned. How by-and-by Jacob, growing uneasy about his elder sons, sent Joseph,—then a boy of seventeen,—clad in his coat of many colours, to see how they were getting on. How the elder brothers hated Joseph because he was his father's favourite, and how, when they saw him coming, they whispered among themselves, "Come now, therefore, and let us slay him. " Finally, they sold him to the party of merchants passing with their camels, laden with spices, for Egypt. So the boy Joseph, now robbed of his coat of many colours, was carried off to Egypt, and there sold to one Potiphar, a courtier of the great Pharaoh of the country.

And while Joseph was serving in Egypt his old father was weeping for him away in Canaan.

"All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted. " Little did Jacob think, as he mourned for Joseph as dead, that some day he too should travel down to Egypt, where he should find his son again, "governor over all the land. "

03. An Old Trade-Route 03. Eine alte Handelsroute 03. Una vieja ruta comercial 03. Une vieille route commerciale 03. Una vecchia rotta commerciale 03. An Old Trade-Route 03\. Старый торговый путь 03. Старий торговий шлях 03. 古老的贸易路线

"Then there passed by . "Dann ging es vorbei. "Потом проходил мимо. merchantmen. " —GEN. xxxvii. 28.

It was a much larger caravan which passed out of Egypt, when the time came at last for Abraham to go back to Canaan; there were more flocks and herds, sheep and cattle, camels and asses. Była to znacznie większa karawana, która wyjechała z Egiptu, kiedy w końcu nadszedł czas powrotu Abrahama do Kanaanu; było więcej stad i stad, owiec i bydła, wielbłądów i osłów. Это был гораздо более крупный караван, вышедший из Египта, когда Аврааму, наконец, пришло время вернуться в Ханаан; мелкого и крупного скота, овец и крупного рогатого скота, верблюдов и ослов было больше. They returned by the same way they came, till they reached one of their old camping-grounds near Bethel. Wrócili tą samą drogą, którą przyszli, aż dotarli do jednego ze swoich starych pól biwakowych w pobliżu Betel. Они возвращались тем же путем, которым пришли, пока не достигли одного из своих старых стоянок возле Вефиля.

But Abraham and Lot were no longer wandering explorers, in search of pasture for their flocks. Но Авраам и Лот больше не были странствующими исследователями в поисках пастбища для своих стад. They were rich men now, with numerous attendants, and the pasture that was enough to feed all, in the old days, was no longer enough for both. Byli teraz bogaczami, z liczną obsługą, a pastwisko, które w dawnych czasach wystarczało, by wszystkich wyżywić, nie wystarczało już obojgu. Они были теперь богатые люди, с многочисленными слугами, и пастбища, которого было достаточно, чтобы прокормить всех, в прежние времена уже не хватало для обоих. And there was some quarrelling between the herdmen of Abraham's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle. Together, the two men stood on a piece of rising ground, from which they could look over the surrounding country. Вместе двое мужчин стояли на возвышении, с которого они могли смотреть на окрестности.

"Is not the whole land before thee?" "Liegt nicht das ganze Land vor dir?" «Разве не вся земля пред Тобою?» said the older man, who had already made up his mind as to the future. sagte der ältere Mann, der sich bereits eine Meinung über die Zukunft gebildet hatte. сказал старший человек, который уже принял решение о будущем. "Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. " «Отойди, прошу тебя, от меня; если ты возьмешь левую руку, то я пойду направо; если же ты отойдёшь направо, то я пойду налево». And Lot, knowing the value of the river Jordan which flowed through the midst of the land, chose its fertile plain, which was well watered everywhere, like the land of Egypt, from which he had just come. И Лот, зная значение реки Иордан, протекавшей посреди земли, избрал ее плодородную равнину, которая была повсюду хорошо орошена, как земля Египетская, из которой он только что вышел. So he took his servants, his cattle, and his sheep, and there he made his new home. Итак, он взял своих слуг, свой скот и своих овец, и там он построил свой новый дом.

Abraham lived in Canaan, right away from Lot; but he did not forget the little colony that had settled in the plains of Jordan—like a branch from the old root,—and when Lot was in difficulties with his foes, Abraham was the first to go to his help. Abraham lebte in Kanaan, weit weg von Lot; aber er vergaß die kleine Kolonie nicht, die sich in der Jordanebene niedergelassen hatte - wie ein Zweig aus der alten Wurzel -, und als Lot in Schwierigkeiten mit seinen Feinden geriet, war Abraham der erste, der ihm zu Hilfe kam. Авраам жил в Ханаане, сразу за Лотом; но он не забыл маленькую колонию, обосновавшуюся на равнинах Иордана, как ветвь старого корня, и когда у Лота были трудности с его врагами, Авраам первым пришел к нему на помощь.

It was the same in those old days as it is now; the mother country helps her colonies, when they are in trouble. В те старые времена было то же самое, что и теперь; метрополия помогает своим колониям, когда они в беде.

After a time Abraham's descendants possessed the whole land of Canaan, which reached from his old home beyond the river Euphrates to the river Nile in Egypt. Nach einiger Zeit besaßen Abrahams Nachkommen das ganze Land Kanaan, das von seiner alten Heimat jenseits des Euphrat bis zum Nil in Ägypten reichte. Через некоторое время потомки Авраама владели всей землей Ханаанской, которая простиралась от его старого дома за рекой Евфрат до реки Нил в Египте. But the love of the old country was still strong within him; and when it was time to choose a wife for his son Isaac, it was to the land beyond the Euphrates that he turned. Aber die Liebe zum alten Land war immer noch stark in ihm, und als es an der Zeit war, eine Frau für seinen Sohn Isaak zu wählen, wandte er sich dem Land jenseits des Euphrat zu. Pero el amor por la vieja patria seguía siendo fuerte en él, y cuando llegó el momento de elegir esposa para su hijo Isaac, se dirigió a la tierra de más allá del Éufrates. Но любовь к старой стране была еще сильна в нем; и когда пришло время выбирать жену для своего сына Исаака, он обратился к земле за Евфратом.

Thence came Rebekah, who became the grandmother of Joseph, the story of whose life in Egypt is at once so pathetic and interesting. Von dort kam Rebekka, die Großmutter von Joseph, dessen Lebensgeschichte in Ägypten so ergreifend und interessant zugleich ist. Оттуда пришла Ревекка, ставшая бабушкой Иосифа, история жизни которого в Египте одновременно и трогательна, и интересна.

As time went on, there was more and more traffic between the two settlements in Asia and Africa, through the land of Canaan. Шло время, между двумя поселениями в Азии и Африке через землю Ханаанскую становилось все больше и больше трафика. More than one route was discovered by which the long lines of camels and caravans could pass with safety from the one country to the other. Было обнаружено несколько путей, по которым длинные вереницы верблюдов и караванов могли безопасно проходить из одной страны в другую. And why should they want to go from one land to the other? И почему они должны хотеть идти из одной страны в другую? For purposes of trade. В целях торговли.

If one settlement could make and produce what another settlement could not, it was natural that an exchange should take place. Если одно поселение могло производить и производить то, чего не могло другое поселение, то естественно должен был иметь место обмен. And so it came to pass that long lines of camels were constantly journeying across Canaan bearing spices, balm, and myrrh into Egypt, and taking back with them silk and ivory from that country. И так случилось, что длинные вереницы верблюдов постоянно путешествовали через Ханаан, неся благовония, бальзам и смирну в Египет и увозя с собой шелк и слоновую кость из той страны. It was to one of these parties of merchantmen, that Joseph was sold—merchants, on their way down into Egypt. An eine dieser Gruppen von Kaufleuten wurde Joseph verkauft - Kaufleute, die auf dem Weg nach Ägypten waren. Именно одной из этих групп купцов был продан Иосиф — купцы, направлявшиеся в Египет.

The story of Joseph is familiar to every child. История Иосифа знакома каждому ребенку. They know how he was loved by his father Jacob, and how he lived with his parents in the land of Canaan, inherited from his grandfather Abraham. Они знают, как любил его отец Иаков и как жил он с родителями в земле Ханаанской, доставшейся ему от деда Авраама. How his elder brothers had gone south to pasture their flocks, like the Arabs of the present day, wherever the wild country was unowned. Как его старшие братья ушли на юг, чтобы пасти свои стада, подобно современным арабам, везде, где дикая страна была никому не нужна. How by-and-by Jacob, growing uneasy about his elder sons, sent Joseph,—then a boy of seventeen,—clad in his coat of many colours, to see how they were getting on. Nach und nach wurde Jakob wegen seiner älteren Söhne unruhig und schickte Joseph, der damals siebzehn Jahre alt war, in seinen bunten Mantel, um zu sehen, wie es ihnen ging. Jacob, inquieto por la situación de sus hijos mayores, envió a José, entonces un muchacho de diecisiete años, vestido con su túnica multicolor, para ver cómo les iba. Как мало-помалу Иаков, беспокоясь о своих старших сыновьях, послал Иосифа, тогда семнадцатилетнего мальчика, одетого в разноцветную одежду, посмотреть, как у них дела. How the elder brothers hated Joseph because he was his father's favourite, and how, when they saw him coming, they whispered among themselves, "Come now, therefore, and let us slay him. " Как старшие братья ненавидели Иосифа за то, что он был любимцем своего отца, и как, когда они увидели, что он идет, они шептались между собой: «Итак, пойдем теперь, и давайте убьем его». Finally, they sold him to the party of merchants passing with their camels, laden with spices, for Egypt. Наконец, они продали его группе купцов, направлявшихся на своих верблюдах, нагруженных благовониями, в Египет. So the boy Joseph, now robbed of his coat of many colours, was carried off to Egypt, and there sold to one Potiphar, a courtier of the great Pharaoh of the country. So wurde der Junge Joseph, der nun seines bunten Mantels beraubt war, nach Ägypten verschleppt und dort an einen gewissen Potiphar, einen Höfling des großen Pharaos des Landes, verkauft. Итак, мальчика Иосифа, лишенного разноцветной одежды, увезли в Египет и продали там некоему Потифару, придворному великого фараона страны.

And while Joseph was serving in Egypt his old father was weeping for him away in Canaan. И когда Иосиф служил в Египте, его старый отец оплакивал его в Ханаане.

"All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted. " «Все сыновья его и все дочери его встали утешать его, но он не хотел утешаться». Little did Jacob think, as he mourned for Joseph as dead, that some day he too should travel down to Egypt, where he should find his son again, "governor over all the land. " Als Jakob um den toten Joseph trauerte, ahnte er nicht, dass auch er eines Tages nach Ägypten hinunterreisen würde, wo er seinen Sohn als "Statthalter über das ganze Land" wiederfinden würde. " Иаков и не думал, оплакивая Иосифа как умершего, что однажды он тоже отправится в Египет, где снова найдет своего сына, «правителя всей земли».