Genesis 41
1 After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,
After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the river,
2 when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places.
3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river.
Other seven also came up out of the river, ill favoured, and leanfleshed: and they fed on the very bank of the river, in green places:
4 And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,
And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. So Pharao awoke.
5 but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.
He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair:
6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.
Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted,
7 And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.
And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his rest:
8 In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
And when morning was come, being struck with fear, he sent to all the interpreters of Egypt, and to all the wise men: and they being called for, he told them his dream, and there was not any one that could interpret it.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures.
Then at length the chief butler remembering, said: I confess my sin:
10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard.
The king being angry with his servants, commanded me and the chief baker to be cast into the prison of the captain of the soldiers:
11 One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.
Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream foreboding things to come.
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 individually.
There was there a young man a Hebrew, servant to the same captain of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams,
13 And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
And we heard what afterwards the event of the thing proved to be so. For I was restored to my office: and he was hanged upon a gibbet.
14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.
Forthwith at the king’s command, Joseph was brought out of the prison, and they shaved him, and changing his apparel, brought him in to him.
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.”
And he said to him: I have dreamed dreams, and there is no one that can expound them: Now I have heard that thou art very wise at interpreting them.
16 “I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”
Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous answer.
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,
18 when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
And seven kine came up out of the river exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.
19 After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!
And behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill favoured and lean, that I never saw the like in the land of Egypt:
20 Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.
And they devoured and consumed the former,
21 When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.
And yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and ill favoured as before. I awoke, and then fell asleep again,
22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.
And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, full and very fair.
23 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.
Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stock:
24 And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”
And they devoured the beauty of the former: I told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it.
25 At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
Joseph answered: The king’s dream is one: God hath shewn to Pharao what he is about to do.
26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning.
The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream.
27 Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.
And the seven lean and thin kine that came up after them, and the seven thin ears that were blasted with the burning wind, are seven years of famine to come:
28 It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
Which shall be fulfilled in this order:
29 Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt:
30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.
After which shall follow other seven years of so great scarcity, that all the abundance before shall be forgotten: for the famine shall consume all the land,
31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.
And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty.
32 Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.
And for that thou didst see the second time a dream pertaining to the same thing: it is a token of the certainty, and that the word of God cometh to pass, and is fulfilled speedily.
33 Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt:
34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
That he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years,
35 Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities.
That shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up under Pharao’s hands and be reserved in the cities.
36 This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”
And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with scarcity.
37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.
The counsel pleased Pharao and all his servants.
38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”
And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God?
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
He said therefore to Joseph: Seeing God hath shewn thee all that thou hast said, can I find one wiser and one like unto thee?
40 You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above thee.
41 Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”
And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.
42 Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
And he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his hand: and he put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold about his neck.
43 He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.
And he made him go up into his second chariot, the crier proclaiming that all should bow their knee before him, and that they should know he was made governor over the whole land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”
And the king said to Joseph: I am Pharao; without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.
And he turned his name, and called him in the Egyptian tongue, The saviour of the world. And he gave him to wife Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis. Then Joseph went out to the land of Egypt:
46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
(Now he was thirty years old when he stood before king Pharao) and he went round all the countries of Egypt.
47 During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully.
And the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corn being bound up into sheaves was gathered together into the barns of Egypt.
48 During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.
And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city.
49 So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.
And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure.
50 Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore unto him.
51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”
And he called the name of the firstborn Manasses, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father’s house.
52 And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.
53 When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,
Now when the seven years of the plenty that had been in Egypt were past:
54 the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.
The seven years of scarcity, which Joseph had foretold, began to come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.
55 When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
And when there also they began to be famished, the people cried to Pharao for food. And he said to them: Go to Joseph: and do all that he shall say to you.
56 When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
And the famine increased daily in all the land: and Joseph opened all the barns, and sold to the Egyptians: for the famine had oppressed them also.
57 And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want.
