Genesis 41
1 And it came to pass after two full years that Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood upon [the bank of] the river.
After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the river,
2 And behold, there came up as it were out of the river seven cows, fair in appearance, and choice of flesh, and they fed on the sedge.
Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places.
3 And other seven cows came up after these out of the river, ill-favoured and lean-fleshed, and fed by the [other] 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 seven ill-favoured and lean cows devoured the seven well-favoured and choice-fleshed cows; and Pharao awoke.
And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. So Pharao awoke.
5 And he dreamt again. And, behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, choice and good.
He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair:
6 And, behold, seven ears thin and blasted with the wind, grew up after them.
Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted,
7 And the seven thin ears and blasted with the wind devoured the seven choice and full ears; and Pharao awoke, and it was a dream.
And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his rest:
8 And it was morning, and his soul was troubled; and he sent and called all the interpreters of Egypt, and all her wise men; and Pharao related to them his dream, and there was no one to interpret it to Pharao.
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 And the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharao, saying, I this day remember my fault:
Then at length the chief butler remembering, said: I confess my sin:
10 Pharao was angry with his servants, and put us in prison in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker.
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 And we had a dream both in one night, I and he; we saw, each according to his dream.
Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream foreboding things to come.
12 And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew servant of the captain of the guard; and we related to him [our dreams], and he interpreted [them] to us.
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 came to pass, as he interpreted them to us, so also it happened, both that I was restored to my office, and that he 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 And Pharao having sent, called Joseph; and they brought him out from the prison, and shaved him, and changed his dress, and he came to Pharao.
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 And Pharao said to Joseph, I have seen a vision, and there is no one to interpret it; but I have heard say concerning you that you did hear dreams and interpret them.
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 And Joseph answered Pharao and said, Without God an answer of safety shall not be given to Pharao.
Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous answer.
17 And Pharao spoke to Joseph, saying, In my dream I thought I stood by the bank of the river;
So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,
18 and there came up as it were out of the river, seven cows well-favoured and choice-fleshed, and they fed on the sedge.
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 And behold seven other cows came up after them out of the river, evil and ill-favoured and lean-fleshed, such that I never saw worse 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 And the seven ill-favoured and thin cows ate up the seven first good and choice cows.
And they devoured and consumed the former,
21 And they went into their bellies; and it was not perceptible that they had gone into their bellies, and their appearance was ill-favoured, as also at the beginning; and after I awoke I slept,
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 and saw again in my sleep, and as it were seven ears came up on one stem, full and good.
And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, full and very fair.
23 And other seven ears, thin and blasted with the wind, sprang up close to them.
Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stock:
24 And the seven thin and blasted ears devoured the seven fine and full ears: so I spoke to the interpreters, and there was no one to 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 And Joseph said to Pharao, The dream of Pharao is one; whatever God does, he has shown to Pharao.
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 good ears are seven years; the dream of Pharao is one.
The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream.
27 And the seven thin kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven thin and blasted ears are seven years; there shall be 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 And as for the word which I have told Pharao, whatever God intends to do, he has shown to Pharao:
Which shall be fulfilled in this order:
29 behold, for seven years there is coming great plenty in all the land of Egypt.
Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt:
30 But there shall come seven years of famine after these, and they shall forget the plenty that shall be in all Egypt, and the famine shall consume 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 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of the famine that shall be after this, for it shall be very grievous.
And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty.
32 And concerning the repetition of the dream to Pharao twice, [it is] because the saying which is from God shall be true, and God will hasten to accomplish it.
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 then, look out a wise and prudent 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 And let Pharao make and appoint local governors over the land; and let them take up a fifth part of all the produce of the land of Egypt for the seven years of the plenty.
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 And let them gather all the food of these seven good years that are coming, and let the corn be gathered under the hand of Pharao; let food be kept 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 And the stored food shall be for the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; and the land shall not be utterly destroyed by 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 And the word was pleasing in the sight of Pharao, and in the sight of all his servants.
The counsel pleased Pharao and all his servants.
38 And Pharao said to all his servants, Shall we find such a man as this, who has the Spirit of God in him?
And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God?
39 And Pharao said to Joseph, Since God has showed you all these things, there is not a wiser or more prudent man than 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 over my house, and all my people shall be obedient to your word; only in the throne will I excel 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 And Pharao said to Joseph, Behold, I set you this day over all the land of Egypt.
And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.
42 And Pharao took his ring off his hand, and put it on the hand of Joseph, and put on him a robe of fine linen, and put a necklace of gold about 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 And he mounted him on the second of his chariots, and a herald made proclamation before him; and he set 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 Pharao said to Joseph, I am Pharao; without you no one shall lift up his hand on all the land of Egypt.
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 And Pharao called the name of Joseph, Psonthomphanech; and he gave him Aseneth, the daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, to wife.
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 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharao, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharao, and went through all 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 And the land produced, in the seven years of plenty, [whole] handfuls [of corn].
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 And he gathered all the food of the seven years, in which was the plenty in the land of Egypt; and he laid up the food in the cities; the food of the fields of a city round about it he laid up in it.
And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city.
49 And Joseph gathered very much corn as the sand of the sea, until it could not be numbered, for there was no number [of it].
And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure.
50 And to Joseph were born two sons, before the seven years of famine came, which Aseneth, the daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him.
And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn, Manasse; for God, [said he], has made me forget all my toils, and all my father's house.
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 he called the name of the second, Ephraim; for God, [said he], has increased me in the land of my humiliation.
And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.
53 And the seven years of plenty passed away, which were in the land of Egypt.
Now when the seven years of the plenty that had been in Egypt were past:
54 And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph said; and there was a famine in all the land; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
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 And all the land of Egypt was hungry; and the people cried to Pharao for bread. And Pharao said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph, and do whatever he shall tell 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 And the famine was on the face of all the earth; and Joseph opened all the granaries, and sold to all the Egyptians.
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 all countries came to Egypt to buy of Joseph, for the famine prevailed in all the earth.
And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want.
