Genesis 41
1 And two yeeres after, Pharaoh also dreamed, and beholde, he stoode by a riuer,
A full two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that he was standing beside the River Nile.
2 And loe, there came out of the riuer seuen goodly kine and fatfleshed, and they fedde in a medowe:
He saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
3 And loe, seuen other kine came vp after the out of the riuer, euill fauoured and leane fleshed, and stoode by the other kine vpon the brinke of the riuer.
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 euilfauoured and leane fleshed kine did eate vp the seuen welfauoured and fatte kine: so Pharaoh awoke.
Then the ugly, skinny cows ate the well-fed, healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 Againe he slept, and dreamed the second time: and beholde, seuen eares of corne grewe vpon one stalke, ranke and goodly.
Pharaoh fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain were growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
6 And loe, seuen thinne eares, and blasted with the east winde, sprang vp after them:
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, thin and dried by the east wind.
7 And the thinne eares deuoured the seuen ranke and full eares. then Pharaoh awaked, and loe, it was a dreame.
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 Nowe when the morning came, his spirit was troubled: therefore he sent and called all the soothsayers of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof, and Pharaoh tolde them his dreames: but none coulde interprete them to Pharaoh.
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 spake the chiefe butler vnto Pharaoh, saying, I call to minde my faultes this day.
But then the chief cupbearer spoke up. “Today I've just remembered a bad mistake I've made,” he explained.
10 Pharaoh being angrie with his seruantes, put me in ward in the chiefe stewards house, both me and the chiefe 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 Then we dreamed a dreame in one night, both I, and he: we dreamed eche man according to the interpretation of his dreame.
We each had a dream. They were different dreams, each with its own meaning.
12 And there was with vs a yong man, an Ebrew, seruant vnto the chiefe steward, whome when we told, he declared our dreames to vs, to euery one he declared according to his dreame.
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 as he declared vnto vs, so it came to passe: for he restored me to mine office, and hanged him.
Everything happened just as he said it would—I was given back my job and the baker was hanged.”
14 Then sent Pharaoh, and called Ioseph, and they brought him hastily out of prison, and he shaued him, and chaunged his rayment, and came to 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 Then Pharaoh sayde to Ioseph, I haue dreamed a dreame, and no man can interprete it, and I haue hearde say of thee, that when thou hearest a dreame, thou canst interprete 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 And Ioseph answered Pharaoh, saying, Without me God shall answere for the wealth of Pharaoh.
“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 Pharaoh sayde vnto Ioseph, In my dreame, beholde, I stoode by the banke of the riuer:
Pharaoh explained to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
18 And lo, there came vp out of the riuer seuen fat fleshed, and welfauoured kine, and they fedde in the medowe.
I saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.
19 Also loe, seuen other kine came vp after them, poore and very euilfauoured, and leanefleshed: I neuer sawe the like in all the lande of Egypt, for euilfauoured.
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 leane and euilfauoured kine did eate vp the first seuen fat kine.
These skinny, ugly cows ate the first seven healthy-looking cows.
21 And when they had eaten them vp, it could not be knowen that they had eaten them, but they were still as euilfauoured, as they were at the beginning: so did I awake.
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 Moreouer I sawe in my dreame, and beholde, seuen eares sprang out of one stalke, full and faire.
Then I fell asleep again. In my second dream I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, ripe and healthy.
23 And lo, seuen eares, withered, thinne, and blasted with the East winde, sprang vp after them.
Then seven heads of grain grew up after them, withered and thin and dried by the east wind.
24 And the thinne eares deuoured the seuen good eares. Nowe I haue tolde the soothsayers, and none can declare it vnto 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 Then Ioseph answered Pharaoh, Both Pharaohs dreames are one. God hath shewed Pharaoh, what he is about to doe.
“Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph responded. “God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do.
26 The seuen good kine are seuen yeres, and the seuen good eares are seuen yeeres: this is one dreame.
The seven good cows and the seven good heads of grain represent seven good years of harvest. The dreams mean the same thing.
27 Likewise the seuen thinne and euilfauoured kine, that came out after them, are seuen yeeres: and the seuen emptie eares blasted with the East winde, are seuen yeeres 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 This is the thing which I haue saide vnto Pharaoh, that God hath shewed vnto Pharaoh, what he is about to doe.
It's just as I told Your Majesty—God has shown Pharaoh what he is going to do.
29 Beholde, there come seuen yeeres of great plentie 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 Againe, there shall arise after them seuen yeeres of famine, so that all the plentie shall be forgotten in the land of 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 Neither shall the plentie bee knowen in the land, by reason of this famine that shall come after: for it shalbe exceeding great.
The time of plenty will be completely forgotten because the famine that follows it will be so terrible.
32 And therefore the dreame was doubled vnto Pharaoh the second time, because the thing is established by God, and God hasteth to performe 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 Nowe therefore let Pharaoh prouide for a man of vnderstanding and wisedome, and set him ouer 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 make and appoynt officers ouer the lande, and take vp the fift part of the land of Egypt in the seuen plenteous yeeres.
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 Also let them gather all the foode of these good yeeres that come, and lay vp corne vnder the hand of Pharaoh for foode, in the cities, and let them keepe it.
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 So the foode shall be for the prouision of the lande, against the seuen yeeres of famine, which shalbe in the lande of Egypt, that the land perish not by 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 saying pleased Pharaoh and all his seruants.
Pharaoh and all his officials thought Joseph's proposal was a good idea.
38 Then saide Pharaoh vnto his seruants, Can we finde such a man as this, in whom is the Spirit of God?
So Pharaoh asked them, “Where can we find a man like this who has the spirit of God in him?”
39 The Pharaoh said to Ioseph, For as much as God hath shewed thee all this, there is no man of vnderstanding, or of wisedome like vnto thee.
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 Thou shalt be ouer mine house, and at thy word shall all my people be armed, onely in the kings throne will I be aboue thee.
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 Moreouer Pharaoh said to Ioseph, Behold, I haue set thee ouer 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 Pharaoh tooke off his ring from his hand, and put it vpon Iosephs hand, and arayed him in garments of fine linnen, and put a golden cheyne about his necke.
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 So he set him vpon the best charet that hee had, saue one: and they cryed before him, Abrech, and placed him ouer 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 Againe Pharaoh saide vnto Ioseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift vp his hand or his foote in 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 Pharaoh called Iosephs name Zaphnath-paaneah: and he gaue him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah prince of On. then went Ioseph abrode in 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 And Ioseph was thirtie yeere old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt: and Ioseph departing from the presence of Pharaoh, went throughout 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 in the seuen plenteous yeres the earth brought foorth store.
During the seven years of good harvests, the land produced plenty of food.
48 And hee gathered vp all the foode of the seuen plenteous yeeres, which were in the lande of Egypt, and layde vp foode in the cities: the foode of the fielde, that was round about euery citie, layde he vp in the same.
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 Ioseph gathered wheate, like vnto the sand of the sea in multitude out of measure, vntill he left numbring: for it was without number.
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 Now vnto Ioseph were borne two sonnes (before the yeeres of famine came) which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah prince of On bare vnto 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 Ioseph called the name of the first borne Manasseh: for God, said he, hath made me forget all my labour and al my fathers houshold.
Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, because he said, “The Lord has made me forget all my troubles and all my father's family.”
52 Also hee called the name of the second, Ephraim: For God, sayde he hath made me fruitfull in the land of mine affliction.
His second son he named Ephraim, because he said, “God has made me fruitful in the country of my misery.”
53 So the seuen yeeres of the plentie that was in the land of Egypt were ended.
The seven years of plenty in Egypt came to an end,
54 Then began the seuen yeeres of famine to come, according as Ioseph had saide: and the famine was in all landes, but in all the land of Egypt 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 At the length all the lande of Egypt was affamished, and the people cryed to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said vnto all the Egyptians, Goe to Ioseph: what he sayth to you, doe ye.
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 was vpon all the land, Ioseph opened all places, wherein the store was, and solde vnto the Egyptians: for the famine waxed sore 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 all countries came to Egypt to bye corne of Ioseph, because the famine was sore in all landes.
in fact the famine was very bad everywhere, so people from other countries all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.
