41:1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile,
41:2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds.
41:3 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank.
41:4 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
41:5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk.
41:6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted–thin and scorched by the east wind.
41:7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
41:8 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.
41:10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.
41:11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
41:12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
41:13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
41:14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
41:16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
41:18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.
41:19 After them, seven other cows came up–scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.
41:20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first.
41:21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
41:22 “In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.
41:23 After them, seven other heads sprouted–withered and thin and scorched by the east wind.
41:24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me.”
41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
41:26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream.
41:27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
41:28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
41:29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
41:30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.
41:31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.
41:32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
41:33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.
41:34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
41:35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.
41:36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”
41:37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.
41:38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”
41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
41:40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41:41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”
41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
41:43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
41:44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.”
41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
41:46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.
41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.
41:48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it.
41:49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
41:50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
41:51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
41:52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
41:53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end,
41:54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.
41:55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”
41:56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt.
41:57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.
41:1 And at the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream, and there he was, standing by the River.
41:2 And there came up out of the River seven cows, fine-looking and fat-fleshed; and they grazed in the reed grass.
41:3 Then there came up after them seven other cows out of the River, ugly-looking and thin-fleshed; and they stood beside the other cows on the bank of the River.
41:4 And the ugly-looking and thin-fleshed cows ate up the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
41:5 And he slept and dreamed a second time. And there were seven ears of grain, coming up on one stalk, fat and good.
41:6 Then there were seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, that sprouted after them.
41:7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven fat and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream.
41:8 And in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
41:9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my sins today.
41:10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me in custody at the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker.
41:11 And we both had a dream in one night, I and he; each of us had a dream with its own interpretation.
41:12 And a young Hebrew man was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us; to each one he interpreted according to his dream.
41:13 And as he interpreted to us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me to my office, and he hanged the baker.
41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself and changed his garments, and he came to Pharaoh.
41:15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream, but there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.
41:16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not of me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.
41:17 And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the River.
41:18 And there came up out of the River seven cows, fat-fleshed and fine-looking; and they grazed in the reed grass.
41:19 Then there came up after them seven other cows, poor and very ugly-looking and thin-fleshed; I had never seen such in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
41:20 And the thin and ugly-looking cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
41:21 And when they had swallowed them, no one would have known that they had swallowed them, for they were still as ugly-looking as at the beginning. Then I awoke.
41:22 And I saw this in my dream: There were seven ears of grain, coming up on one stalk, full and good.
41:23 Then there were seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, that sprouted after them.
41:24 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.
41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh s dream is one dream; what God is about to do He has told Pharaoh.
41:26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one.
41:27 And the seven thin and ugly-looking cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.
41:28 This matter is just as I have spoken to Pharaoh; what God is about to do He has shown to Pharaoh.
41:29 Seven years of great abundance are now about to come throughout all the land of Egypt.
41:30 Then seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will consume the land.
41:31 And the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that famine which follows, for it will be very severe.
41:32 And as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.
41:33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out for a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
41:34 Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.
41:35 And let them gather all the food of these coming good years and lay up grain under Pharaoh s authority for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
41:36 And let the food become a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish in the famine.
41:37 And the word seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.
41:38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a man like this, in whom the Spirit of God is?
41:39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God let you know all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
41:40 You shall be over my household, and according to your word all my people shall be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than you.
41:41 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.
41:42 And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck.
41:43 And he made him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command, and they cried out before him, Bow the knee! And he set him over all the land of Egypt.
41:44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, yet without your consent no man will lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.
41:45 And Pharaoh called Joseph s name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
41:46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and passed through all the land of Egypt.
41:47 And in the seven years of abundance the earth produced copiously.
41:48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which came upon the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities; he placed the food from the surrounding fields within each city.
41:49 And Joseph stored grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea until he stopped measuring it; for it was beyond measure.
41:50 And before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, for, he said, God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father s house.
41:52 And he called the name of the second Ephraim, for, he said, God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.
41:53 And the seven years of abundance that came upon the land of Egypt came to an end.
41:54 And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
41:55 So when all the land of Egypt became hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do.
41:56 And when the famine was over all the face of the earth, Joseph opened all the storehouses of grain and sold grain to the Egyptians; and the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.
41:57 And all the earth came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.