Genesis 41
1 A full two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that he was standing beside the River Nile.
And it came to pass at the end of two years of days, that, Pharaoh, was dreaming, when lo! he was standing by the river (Nile);
2 He saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
and lo! from the river, were coming up seven heifers, comely in appearance and fat in flesh, —and they fed among the rushes.
3 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.
And lo! seven heifers more coming up after them out of the river, uncomely in appearance and lean in flesh, —and they came and stood beside the heifers, by the lip of the river.
4 Then the ugly, skinny cows ate the well-fed, healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
Then did the heifers that were uncomely in appearance, and lean in flesh, eat up, the seven heifers that were comely in appearance and fat. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 Pharaoh fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain were growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
And he fell asleep, and dreamed a second time, when lo! seven ears, coming up on one stalk fat and good;
6 Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, thin and dried by the east wind.
and lo! seven ears, lean and shrivelled by an east wind, coming up after them.
7 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.
Then did the lean ears swallow up the seven fat and full ears. So Pharaoh awoke and lo! it was a dream.
8 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.
And it came to pass in the morning, that his spirit became restless, so he sent and called for all the sacred scribes of Egypt and all her wise men, —and Pharaoh related to them his dreams, but there was no one that could interpret them. to Pharaoh.
9 But then the chief cupbearer spoke up. “Today I've just remembered a bad mistake I've made,” he explained.
Then spake the chief of the butlers with Pharaoh saying, My faults, would, I, mention this day.
10 “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.
Pharaoh, was wroth with his servants, —and put them in the ward of the house of the chief of the royal executioners, me, and the chief of the bakers.
11 We each had a dream. They were different dreams, each with its own meaning.
Then must we needs dream, a dream in one night, I and he, —each man, according to the interpretation of his dream, did we dream.
12 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.
And, there with us, was a young man, a Hebrew servant to the chief of the royal executioners, and we related to him, and he interpreted to us our dreams, —to each man—according to his dream, did he interpret,
13 Everything happened just as he said it would—I was given back my job and the baker was hanged.”
And it came to pass as he interpreted to us, so, it happened, —me, he restored to mine office but him, he hanged.
14 Pharaoh summoned Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the prison. After he'd shaved and changed his clothes, he was presented to Pharaoh.
Then sent Pharaoh and summoned Joseph, and they hastened him out of the dungeon, —so he shaved himself and changed his garments, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15 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.”
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, A dream, have I dreamed, but none can interpret it, —but, I, have heard say concerning thee, that on hearing a dream, thou canst interpret it.
16 “It's not me who can do this,” Joseph replied. “But God will explain its meaning to set Your Majesty's mind at rest.”
And Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, Not to me, doth it pertain! May, God grant in answer, the prosperity of Pharaoh!
17 Pharaoh explained to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
Then spake Pharaoh unto Joseph, —In my dream, there was I, standing on the lip of the river;
18 I saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
When lo! out of the river, were coming up seven heifers, fat in flesh and comely in form, —and they fed among the rushes.
19 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!
And lo! seven other heifers, coming up after them, poor and very uncomely in form and lean in flesh, —I had never seen such in all the land of Egypt, for uncomeliness.
20 These skinny, ugly cows ate the first seven healthy-looking cows.
Then did the lean and uncomely heifers eat up the first seven fat heifers;
21 But afterwards you couldn't tell they'd eaten them because they looked just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up.
and they passed into their stomach yet could it not be known that they had passed into them, their appearance, being uncomely, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 Then I fell asleep again. In my second dream I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
Then looked I in my dream, —And lo! seven ears, coming up on one stalk, full and good;
23 Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, withered and thin and dried by the east wind.
And lo! seven ears, withered lean shrivelled by an east wind growing up after them.
24 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.”
Then did the lean ears swallow up, the seven good ears. So I told [these things] unto the sacred scribes, but there was none that could explain [them] to me.
25 “Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph responded. “God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do.
Then said Joseph unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh, is, one. What God is about to do hath he announced to Pharaoh.
26 The seven good cows and the seven good heads of grain represent seven good years of harvest. The dreams mean the same thing.
The seven good heifers, are, seven years, and, the seven good ears are, seven years, —the dream, is, one.
27 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.
And the seven lean and uncomely heifers that were coming up after them, are seven years, and the seven lean ears, shrivelled by an east wind, will turn out to be—seven years of famine.
28 It's just as I told Your Majesty—God has shown Pharaoh what he is going to do.
The very word that I spake unto Pharaoh, what, God, is about to do, hath he showed unto Pharaoh.
29 There are going to be seven years with plenty of food produced throughout the whole country of Egypt.
Lo! seven years, coming in, —of great plenty, in all the land of Egypt.
30 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.
Then shall arise seven years of famine, after them, so shall be forgotten all the plenty in the land of Egypt, —and the famine shall consume the land;
31 The time of plenty will be completely forgotten because the famine that follows it will be so terrible.
neither shall the plenty in the land be discernible, because of that famine coming after, —for it shall be, very severe.
32 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.
And for that there was a repeating of the dream unto Pharaoh, twice, it is because the thing, is established, from God, and God is hastening to do it.
33 So Your Majesty should choose a man with insight and wisdom, and put him in charge of the whole country of Egypt.
Now, therefore, let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, —and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 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.
Let Pharaoh do this, that he may appoint overseers over the land, —so shall he take up a fifth of the land of Egypt, during the seven years of plenty.
35 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.
And let them gather up all the food of these seven good years that are coming in, —and let them heap up corn under the hand of Pharaoh as food in cities so shall they keep it.
36 This will be a food reserve for the country during the seven years of famine so that the people won't die of starvation.”
So shall the food become a store for the land, for the seven years of famine which shall come about in the land of Egypt, —and the land shall not be cut off in the famine.
37 Pharaoh and all his officials thought Joseph's proposal was a good idea.
And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, —and in the eyes of all his servants;
38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Where can we find a man like this who has the spirit of God in him?”
and Pharaoh said unto his servants, —Can we find such a one, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?
39 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,
So Pharaoh said unto Joseph, After God hath made known unto thee all this, there is no one discreet and wise like thee.
40 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.”
Thou, shalt be over my house, and on thy mouth, shall all my people kiss, —only as to the throne, will I be greater than thou.
41 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Look, I'm putting you in charge of the whole country of Egypt.”
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, —See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 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.
So Pharaoh took his ring from off his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand, —and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put the chain of gold upon his neck;
43 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.
and made him ride in the second chariot which belonged to him, and they cried out before him. Bow the knee! thus setting him over all the land of Egypt.
44 Then Pharaoh told Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody will lift a hand or a foot anywhere in the whole country.”
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph. I, am Pharaoh, Without thee, therefore shall no man raise his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 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.
And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah, and gave him Asenath daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, to wife, —and Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.
46 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.
Now, Joseph, was thirty years old, when he took his station, before Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Joseph went forth from before Pharaoh, and passed along through all the land of Egypt.
47 During the seven years of good harvests, the land produced plenty of food.
And the land produced, in the seven years of plenty, by handfuls,
48 He collected all the food during the seven good years, and he stored the grain produced in the local fields in each town.
And he gathered up all the food of the seven years in which there was plenty in the land of Egypt, and laid up food in cities—the food of the fields of the city. which were round about it, laid he up within it.
49 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!
Thus did Joseph heap up corn like the sand of the sea making it exceeding abundant, —until one hath left off reckoning, because it cannot be reckoned.
50 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.
Now to Joseph, were born two sons, ere yet came in the year of famine, —whom Asenath daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, bare to him.
51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, because he said, “The Lord has made me forget all my troubles and all my father's family.”
And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, —For God hath made me forget all my trouble, and all the house of my father.
52 His second son he named Ephraim, because he said, “God has made me fruitful in the country of my misery.”
And, the name of the second, called he Ephraim, For God hath made me fruitful in the land of my humiliation.
53 The seven years of plenty in Egypt came to an end,
Then came to an end the seven years of the plenty, —which was in the land of Egypt;
54 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.
and the seven years of famine began to come in, according as Joseph had said, —and it came to pass that there was a famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt, there was bread.
55 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.”
Yet was famine felt in all the land of Egypt, and the people made outcry; unto Pharaoh for bread, —and Pharaoh said to all Egypt, —Go ye unto Joseph, that which he saith to you, shall ye do.
56 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,
Now, the famine, was over all the face of the land, —so Joseph opened all [places] wherein it was and sold corn to the Egyptians, and the famine laid fast hold of the land of Egypt.
57 in fact the famine was very bad everywhere, so people from other countries all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.
All the earth also, came in to Egypt to buy corn, unto Joseph, —because the famine had laid fast hold on all the earth.
