http://gospeltranslations.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Joseph%2C_Part_3 2026-04-23T20:44:13Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.16alpha http://gospeltranslations.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph,_Part_3&diff=14485&oldid=prev 2008-10-13T12:37:33Z

<p>New page: {{info}}The locks were checked, the bread was slid&lt;br&gt;Beneath the doors, the keys were hid&lt;br&gt;Where only Joseph and the head&lt;br&gt;Of Pharaoh&#39;s prison knew. The red&lt;br&gt;And golden rays of dusk...</p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{info}}The locks were checked, the bread was slid&lt;br&gt;Beneath the doors, the keys were hid&lt;br&gt;Where only Joseph and the head&lt;br&gt;Of Pharaoh's prison knew. The red&lt;br&gt;And golden rays of dusk, that he&lt;br&gt;Had come to love, shone silently&lt;br&gt;Through iron shafts around the porch,&lt;br&gt;And made each window like a torch&lt;br&gt;Of heaven's fire, with shadows thrown&lt;br&gt;Like slender pillars on the stone,&lt;br&gt;Reminding Joseph: though he be&lt;br&gt;A trusted man, he was not free.&lt;br&gt;They sat together on this night,&lt;br&gt;And talked of many things, as light&lt;br&gt;Gave way. And which dark figures were&lt;br&gt;The warden or the prisoner&lt;br&gt;Was hard to tell, nor did they care,&lt;br&gt;So trusting was the spirit there.&amp;nbsp;<br /> <br /> Twelve years had passed since Joseph came&lt;br&gt;To Egypt as a slave. The shame&lt;br&gt;He felt in early years was all&lt;br&gt;But gone, though he could still recall&lt;br&gt;The days when he was doubly scorned&lt;br&gt;As shepherd slave, and often warned&lt;br&gt;To keep his distance from the maids,&lt;br&gt;Who swished their skirts, and wore their braids,&lt;br&gt;And called him “boy,” and brushed against&lt;br&gt;Him in the barn, and when he tensed,&lt;br&gt;Would roll their eyes, and sometimes curse:&lt;br&gt;“A virgin is a fool, or worse.” <br /> <br /> Twelve years of chastity, and now&lt;br&gt;A prisoner, because the vow&lt;br&gt;He never broke was not believed,&lt;br&gt;And Potiphar, with craft deceived,&lt;br&gt;Put Joseph in the prison where&lt;br&gt;The king's defectors lie. And there&lt;br&gt;The hand of God, from year to year,&lt;br&gt;Was daily with him, and the fear&lt;br&gt;Of God grew deeper night by night,&lt;br&gt;As Joseph set his heart to fight&lt;br&gt;The fear of man, and put his trust,&lt;br&gt;Against each doubt and painful thrust&lt;br&gt;Of disappointment, yet in all&lt;br&gt;The promises of God, and call&lt;br&gt;On him for wisdom how to be&lt;br&gt;A pris'ner for his majesty. <br /> <br /> The keeper of the prison turned&lt;br&gt;To Joseph, as the twilight burned&lt;br&gt;Its fiery red into their eyes,&lt;br&gt;And said to him, “Do you despise&lt;br&gt;The woman? She must fill your mind&lt;br&gt;With rage, because you've been confined&lt;br&gt;Here seven years for nothing – just&lt;br&gt;A lie – a young man gathering dust,&lt;br&gt;Like some forgotten souvenir.&lt;br&gt;How long had you been there, a year?” <br /> <br /> “Five years. They bought me when I was&lt;br&gt;Almost eighteen. And then, because&lt;br&gt;The Lord was good to me, the man&lt;br&gt;Gave me authority to plan&lt;br&gt;The purchasing of all his wares,&lt;br&gt;And told me often that his cares&lt;br&gt;Were lifted, since I served his house.”&lt;br&gt;The jailer said, “One lustful spouse!&lt;br&gt;And you spend seven years in jail,&lt;br&gt;And maybe all your life! No bail,&lt;br&gt;No friends, no relatives to bring&lt;br&gt;You gifts, the malice of the king,&lt;br&gt;Who trusts the captain of his guard,&lt;br&gt;And would as soon let you be tarred&lt;br&gt;As hang his baker by the neck.&lt;br&gt;And yet, she didn't get a speck&lt;br&gt;Of fault on you. Now tell me, was&lt;br&gt;It easy all those years? Or does&lt;br&gt;Your body work another way?&lt;br&gt;She's beautiful, and bid you lay&lt;br&gt;With her!” <br /> <br /> “My body doesn't work&lt;br&gt;Another way. My passions lurk&lt;br&gt;Like every man's, and steal up from&lt;br&gt;Behind my eyes, awaiting some&lt;br&gt;Allurement. And hers was not small,&lt;br&gt;Nor was it only once in all&lt;br&gt;Those years. And it was so much more&lt;br&gt;Than physical, or what she wore. <br /> <br /> In early days, when I first came,&lt;br&gt;She was the one who used my name.&lt;br&gt;She'd call me Joseph, as if we&lt;br&gt;Were friends. And she would say, ‘I see&lt;br&gt;You dreaming after work. You must&lt;br&gt;Be lonely here. It seems unjust,&lt;br&gt;I guess, for you to be cut off&lt;br&gt;From everyone you love. Some scoff,&lt;br&gt;I know, and call you “boy,” but I&lt;br&gt;Think you're a man.' Thus she would try&lt;br&gt;To steal my heart, before I knew&lt;br&gt;She had designs on more. All through&lt;br&gt;Those years she tried to undermine&lt;br&gt;My hope in God. ‘It is a sign,'&lt;br&gt;She'd say, about my slavery,&lt;br&gt;‘That your great, holy God would see&lt;br&gt;You stolen from your home, and look&lt;br&gt;The other way while traders took&lt;br&gt;You captive as a slave. What kind&lt;br&gt;Of God is that? Or is he blind?'&lt;br&gt;‘No ma'am, he is not blind,' I'd say,&lt;br&gt;Nor did he look the other way.' <br /> <br /> In time she took away the veil&lt;br&gt;And said, “Because you are a male&lt;br&gt;Your noble vow and long travail&lt;br&gt;With purity is bound to fail.&lt;br&gt;Your God demands what cannot be.&lt;br&gt;The flesh is not for chastity.&lt;br&gt;Your soul perhaps may be;&lt;br&gt;Your body has been made for me.&lt;br&gt;And mark this, Joseph, I can make&lt;br&gt;You ecstasy, or I can break&lt;br&gt;You with one word.' <br /> <br /> I said to her,&lt;br&gt;‘You do not know my God, and err&lt;br&gt;At almost every point. I grant&lt;br&gt;You that what God commands I can't&lt;br&gt;Perform, and that there is an ecstasy,&lt;br&gt;Of sorts, that you could give to me,&lt;br&gt;And that, if I decline, you can&lt;br&gt;Indeed dispose of such a man.&lt;br&gt;But what I do not grant, and you&lt;br&gt;Cannot conceive, though it is true,&lt;br&gt;Is this: God gives what God demands.&lt;br&gt;Although I may be bound with bands&lt;br&gt;Of passion in my flesh, one word&lt;br&gt;From my Creator God, unheard&lt;br&gt;By human ears, will make me free,&lt;br&gt;And I will see this “ecstasy”&lt;br&gt;You offer me for what it is,&lt;br&gt;And with revulsion turn to his.&lt;br&gt;You have the power, even now,&lt;br&gt;To break my back, not my vow.&lt;br&gt;So mark this ma'am, I will not plow&lt;br&gt;My fields with someone else's cow.'” <br /> <br /> The warden smiled at Joseph on&lt;br&gt;The prison porch. “You could have gone&lt;br&gt;To feed the lions for a tongue&lt;br&gt;Like that. Perhaps you would have sung&lt;br&gt;A diff'rent tune, if you had fears&lt;br&gt;That it would cost you seven years.&lt;br&gt;Perhaps today you would be free.&lt;br&gt;It seems a waste, don't you agree?” <br /> <br /> “Sir, I would rather lose my life,&lt;br&gt;Than even touch another's wife.&lt;br&gt;Let lions feed on Hebrew meat&lt;br&gt;Before I touch the scented feet&lt;br&gt;Of Lady Potiphar. You know&lt;br&gt;I don't agree. And I can show&lt;br&gt;You why. My father chided me&lt;br&gt;For dreams. My brothers, for a fee,&lt;br&gt;Sold me to Egypt like a sack&lt;br&gt;Of corn tossed on a wagon back.&lt;br&gt;My master's crafty wife betrayed&lt;br&gt;Me with a lie. Yet I obeyed&lt;br&gt;The word of God. And now for these&lt;br&gt;Twelve months the royal butler sees&lt;br&gt;The light of liberty, and leaves&lt;br&gt;Me here to die. My friend, it grieves&lt;br&gt;Me, I admit; but I believe&lt;br&gt;With all my heart, that God will weave&lt;br&gt;These dark and deadly strands of my&lt;br&gt;Short life into a cord before I die,&lt;br&gt;To save the people of my birth,&lt;br&gt;And free the scepter of the earth.” <br /> <br /> Now let the flame of purity&lt;br&gt;Ignite the light of candle three.&lt;br&gt;And let both man and woman say,&lt;br&gt;With Joseph on this advent day,&lt;br&gt;“We will not recompense our pain&lt;br&gt;With lawless pleasures, nor disdain&lt;br&gt;The promises of God, as though&lt;br&gt;He will not on our lives bestow&lt;br&gt;The highest rapture we could know,&lt;br&gt;And deepest gladness here below.&lt;br&gt;So let us then the Lord obey,&lt;br&gt;And pluck out our right eye today,&lt;br&gt;Before we look in lust to find&lt;br&gt;Delights that God has not designed&lt;br&gt;For us to have. But let us feed&lt;br&gt;On this: God gives us what we need;&lt;br&gt;And sweetest pleasures are in store&lt;br&gt;At his right hand for evermore.</div>

Greetje