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.
A full two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that he was standing beside the River Nile.
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.
He saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
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.
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 seven ill-favoured and lean cows devoured the seven well-favoured and choice-fleshed cows; and Pharao awoke.
Then the ugly, skinny cows ate the well-fed, healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 And he dreamt again. And, behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, choice and good.
Pharaoh fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain were growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
6 And, behold, seven ears thin and blasted with the wind, grew up after them.
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, thin and dried by the east wind.
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.
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 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.
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 And the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharao, saying, I this day remember my fault:
But then the chief cupbearer spoke up. “Today I've just remembered a bad mistake I've made,” he explained.
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.
“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 And we had a dream both in one night, I and he; we saw, each according to his dream.
We each had a dream. They were different dreams, each with its own meaning.
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.
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 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.
Everything happened just as he said it would—I was given back my job and the baker was hanged.”
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.
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 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.
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 And Joseph answered Pharao and said, Without God an answer of safety shall not be given to Pharao.
“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 And Pharao spoke to Joseph, saying, In my dream I thought I stood by the bank of the river;
Pharaoh explained to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
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.
I saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
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.
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 And the seven ill-favoured and thin cows ate up the seven first good and choice cows.
These skinny, ugly cows ate the first seven healthy-looking cows.
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,
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 and saw again in my sleep, and as it were seven ears came up on one stem, full and good.
Then I fell asleep again. In my second dream I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
23 And other seven ears, thin and blasted with the wind, sprang up close to them.
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, withered and thin and dried by the east wind.
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.
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 And Joseph said to Pharao, The dream of Pharao is one; whatever God does, he has shown to Pharao.
“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 good ears are seven years; the dream of Pharao is one.
The seven good cows and the seven good heads of grain represent seven good years of harvest. The dreams mean the same thing.
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.
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 And as for the word which I have told Pharao, whatever God intends to do, he has shown to Pharao:
It's just as I told Your Majesty—God has shown Pharaoh what he is going to do.
29 behold, for seven years there is coming great plenty in all the land of Egypt.
There are going to be seven years with plenty of food produced throughout the whole country 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.
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 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.
The time of plenty will be completely forgotten because the famine that follows it will be so terrible.
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.
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 then, look out a wise and prudent 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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 And the word was pleasing in the sight of Pharao, and in the sight of all his servants.
Pharaoh and all his officials thought Joseph's proposal was a good idea.
38 And Pharao said to all his servants, Shall we find such a man as this, who has the Spirit of God in him?
So Pharaoh asked them, “Where can we find a man like this who has the spirit of God in him?”
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.
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 over my house, and all my people shall be obedient to your word; only in the throne will I excel 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 And Pharao said to Joseph, Behold, I set you this day 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 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.
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 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.
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 Pharao said to Joseph, I am Pharao; without you no one shall lift up his hand on all the land of Egypt.
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 And Pharao called the name of Joseph, Psonthomphanech; and he gave him Aseneth, the daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, to wife.
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 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.
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 And the land produced, in the seven years of plenty, [whole] handfuls [of corn].
During the seven years of good harvests, the land produced plenty of food.
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.
He collected all the food during the seven good years, and he stored the grain produced in the local fields in each town.
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].
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 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.
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 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.
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 he called the name of the second, Ephraim; for God, [said he], has increased me in the land of my humiliation.
His second son he named Ephraim, because he said, “God has made me fruitful in the country of my misery.”
53 And the seven years of plenty passed away, which were in the land of Egypt.
The seven years of plenty in Egypt came to an end,
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.
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 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.
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 And the famine was on the face of all the earth; and Joseph opened all the granaries, and sold to all the Egyptians.
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 all countries came to Egypt to buy of Joseph, for the famine prevailed in 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.
