< Genesis 41 >
1 After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the river,
And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places.
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, well-favoured and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the reed-grass.
3 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:
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4 And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. So Pharao awoke.
And the ill-favoured and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair:
And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted,
And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
7 And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his rest:
And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8 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.
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof; and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
9 Then at length the chief butler remembering, said: I confess my sin:
Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying: 'I make mention of my faults this day:
10 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:
Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in the ward of the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker.
11 Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream foreboding things to come.
And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 There was there a young man a Hebrew, servant to the same captain of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams,
And there was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13 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.
And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: I was restored unto mine office, and he was hanged.'
14 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.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15 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.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have heard say of thee, that when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it.'
16 Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous answer.
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'
17 So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,
And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph: 'In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river.
18 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.
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favoured; and they fed in the reed-grass.
19 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:
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favoured and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness.
20 And they devoured and consumed the former,
And the lean and ill-favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine.
21 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,
And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favoured as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, full and very fair.
And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good.
23 Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stock:
And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
24 And they devoured the beauty of the former: I told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it.
And the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.'
25 Joseph answered: The king’s dream is one: God hath shewn to Pharao what he is about to do.
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh: 'The dream of Pharaoh is one; what God is about to do He hath declared unto Pharaoh.
26 The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream.
The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 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:
And the seven lean and ill-favoured kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of famine.
28 Which shall be fulfilled in this order:
That is the thing which I spoke unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He hath shown unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt:
Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
30 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,
And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty.
and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which followeth; for it shall be very grievous.
32 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.
And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt:
Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 That he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years,
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty.
35 That shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up under Pharao’s hands and be reserved in the cities.
And let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
36 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.
And the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.'
37 The counsel pleased Pharao and all his servants.
And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God?
And Pharaoh said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?'
39 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?
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Forasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou.
40 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.
Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than thou.'
41 And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.'
42 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.
And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.
43 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.
And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him: 'Abrech'; and he set him over all the land of Egypt.
44 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.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.'
45 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:
And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. —
46 (Now he was thirty years old when he stood before king Pharao) and he went round all the countries of Egypt.
And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. — And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corn being bound up into sheaves was gathered together into the barns of Egypt.
And in the seven years of plenty the earth brought forth in heaps.
48 And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city.
And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49 And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure.
And Joseph laid up corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until they left off numbering; for it was without number.
50 And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore unto him.
And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On bore unto him.
51 And he called the name of the firstborn Manasses, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father’s house.
And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh: 'for God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.'
52 And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.
And the name of the second called he Ephraim: 'for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.'
53 Now when the seven years of the plenty that had been in Egypt were past:
And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end.
54 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.
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 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.
And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.'
56 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.
And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt.
57 And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want.
And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all the earth.