Genesis 41
1 After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,
A full two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that he was standing beside the River Nile.
2 when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
He saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
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.
Then he saw another seven cows that came up behind them. They looked ugly and skinny as they stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile.
4 And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,
Then the ugly, skinny cows ate the well-fed, healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.
Pharaoh fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain were growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, thin and dried by the east wind.
7 And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.
The seven thin and dried heads of grain swallowed up the ripe and healthy ones. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized he'd been dreaming.
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.
The next morning Pharaoh was worried by his dreams, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men in Egypt. Pharaoh told them about his dreams, but no one could interpret their meaning for him.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures.
But then the chief cupbearer spoke up. “Today I've just remembered a bad mistake I've made,” he explained.
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.
“Your Majesty was angry with some of your officials and you imprisoned me in the house of the commander of the guard, along with the chief baker.
11 One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.
We each had a dream. They were different dreams, each with its own meaning.
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.
A young Hebrew was there with us, a slave of the commander of the guard. When we told him our dreams, he interpreted for us the meaning of our different dreams.
13 And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
Everything happened just as he said it would—I was given back my job and the baker was hanged.”
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.
Pharaoh summoned Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the prison. After he'd shaved and changed his clothes, he was presented to Pharaoh.
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.”
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but no one can interpret its meaning. But I've heard that when someone tells you a dream you know how to interpret it.”
16 “I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”
“It's not me who can do this,” Joseph replied. “But God will explain its meaning to set Your Majesty's mind at rest.”
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
Pharaoh explained to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
18 when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
I saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
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!
Then I saw another seven cows that came up behind them. They looked sickly and ugly and skinny—I've never seen such ugly cows in the whole of Egypt!
20 Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.
These skinny, ugly cows ate the first seven healthy-looking cows.
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.
But afterwards you couldn't tell they'd eaten them because they looked just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.
Then I fell asleep again. In my second dream I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
23 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, withered and thin and dried by the east wind.
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.”
The seven thin heads of grain swallowed up the healthy ones. I told all this to the magicians, but none of them could explain its meaning to me.”
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.
“Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph responded. “God is telling Pharaoh what he is going 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 good cows and the seven good heads of grain represent seven good years of harvest. The dreams mean the same thing.
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.
The seven skinny and ugly cows that came after them and the seven thin heads of grain dried by the east wind represent seven years of famine.
28 It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
It's just as I told Your Majesty—God has shown Pharaoh what he is going to do.
29 Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
There are going to be seven years with plenty of food produced throughout the whole country 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.
But after them will come seven years of famine. People will forget the time when there was plenty of food throughout Egypt. Famine will ruin the country.
31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.
The time of plenty will be completely forgotten because the famine that follows it will be so terrible.
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.
The fact that the dream was repeated twice means that it has definitely been decided by God, and that God is going to do this soon.
33 Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
So Your Majesty should choose a man with insight and wisdom, and put him in charge of the whole country 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.
Your Majesty should also appoint officials to be in charge of the land, and have them collect one-fifth of the produce of the country during the seven years of plenty.
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.
They should collect all the food during the good years that are soon coming, and store the grain under Pharaoh's authority, keeping it under guard to provide food for the towns.
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.”
This will be a food reserve for the country during the seven years of famine so that the people won't die of starvation.”
37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.
Pharaoh and all his officials thought Joseph's proposal was a good idea.
38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”
So Pharaoh asked them, “Where can we find a man like this who has the spirit of God in him?”
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.
Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, telling him, “Since God has revealed to you all this, and there's no one like you with such insight and wisdom,
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.”
you will be in charge of all my affairs, and all my people will obey your orders. Only I with my status as king will be greater than you.”
41 Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Look, I'm putting you in charge of the whole country 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.
Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothes and placed a golden chain around 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.
He had Joseph ride in the chariot designated for his second-in-command while his attendants went ahead, shouting, “Bow down!” This is how Pharaoh gave Joseph authority over all 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.”
Then Pharaoh told Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody will lift a hand or a foot anywhere in the whole country.”
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.
Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and arranged for him to marry Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. This is how Joseph rose to power over the whole 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.
Joseph was thirty when he started working for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. After he had left Pharaoh, Joseph traveled on an inspection tour throughout Egypt.
47 During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully.
During the seven years of good harvests, the land produced plenty of food.
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.
He collected all the food during the seven good years, and he stored the grain produced in the local fields in each town.
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.
Joseph piled up so much grain that it was like the sand of the seashore. Eventually he stopped keeping records because there was just so much!
50 Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
It was during this time, before the years of famine came, that Joseph had two sons by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”
Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, because he said, “The Lord has made me forget all my troubles and all my father's family.”
52 And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
His second son he named Ephraim, because he said, “God has made me fruitful in the country of my misery.”
53 When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,
The seven years of plenty in Egypt came to an end,
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.
and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other countries but the whole of Egypt had food.
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.”
When all of Egypt was hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, and he told everyone, “Go and see Joseph and do whatever he tells 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.
The famine had spread all over the country so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the people of Egypt. The famine was very bad in Egypt,
57 And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
in fact the famine was very bad everywhere, so people from other countries all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.
