Genesis 41
1 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);
After two years, Pharaoh saw a dream. He thought himself to be standing above a river,
2 and lo! from the river, were coming up seven heifers, comely in appearance and fat in flesh, —and they fed among the rushes.
from which ascended seven cows, exceedingly beautiful and stout. And they pastured in marshy places.
3 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.
Likewise, another seven emerged from the river, filthy and thoroughly emaciated. And they pastured on the same bank of the river, in green places.
4 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.
And they devoured those whose appearance and condition of body was so wonderful. Pharaoh, having been awakened,
5 And he fell asleep, and dreamed a second time, when lo! seven ears, coming up on one stalk fat and good;
slept again, and he saw another dream. Seven ears of grain sprung up on one stalk, full and well-formed.
6 and lo! seven ears, lean and shrivelled by an east wind, coming up after them.
Likewise, other ears of grain, of the same number, rose up, thin and struck with blight,
7 Then did the lean ears swallow up the seven fat and full ears. So Pharaoh awoke and lo! it was a dream.
devouring all the beauty of the first. Pharaoh, when he awakened after his rest,
8 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.
and when morning arrived, being terrified with fear, sent to all the interpreters of Egypt and to all of the wise men. And when they were summoned, he explained to them his dream; but there was no one who could interpret it.
9 Then spake the chief of the butlers with Pharaoh saying, My faults, would, I, mention this day.
Then at last the chief cupbearer, remembering, said, “I confess my sin.
10 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.
The king, being angry with his servants, ordered me and the chief miller of grain to be forced into the prison of the leader of the military.
11 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.
There, in one night, both of us saw a dream presaging the future.
12 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,
In that place, there was a Hebrew, a servant of the same commander of the military, to whom we explained our dreams.
13 And it came to pass as he interpreted to us, so, it happened, —me, he restored to mine office but him, he hanged.
Whatever we heard was proven afterwards by the event of the matter. For I was restored to my office, and he was suspended on a cross.”
14 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.
Immediately, by the king’s authority, Joseph was led out of prison, and they shaved him. And changing his apparel, they presented him to him.
15 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.
And he said to him, “I have seen dreams, and there is no one who can unfold them. I have heard that you are very wise at interpreting these.”
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, Not to me, doth it pertain! May, God grant in answer, the prosperity of Pharaoh!
Joseph responded, “Apart from me, God will respond favorably to Pharaoh.”
17 Then spake Pharaoh unto Joseph, —In my dream, there was I, standing on the lip of the river;
Therefore, Pharaoh explained what he had seen: “I thought myself to be standing on the bank of a river,
18 When lo! out of the river, were coming up seven heifers, fat in flesh and comely in form, —and they fed among the rushes.
and seven cows climbed up from the river, exceedingly beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed in a pasture of a marshy greenery.
19 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.
And behold, there followed after these, another seven cows, with such deformity and emaciation as I had never seen in the land of Egypt.
20 Then did the lean and uncomely heifers eat up the first seven fat heifers;
These devoured and consumed the first,
21 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.
giving no indication of being full. But they remained in the same state of emaciation and squalor. Awakening, but being weighed down into sleep again,
22 Then looked I in my dream, —And lo! seven ears, coming up on one stalk, full and good;
I saw a dream. Seven ears of grain sprang up on one stalk, full and very beautiful.
23 And lo! seven ears, withered lean shrivelled by an east wind growing up after them.
Likewise, another seven, thin and struck with blight, rose up from the stalk.
24 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.
And they devoured the beauty of the first. I explained this dream to the interpreters, and there is no one who can unfold it.”
25 Then said Joseph unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh, is, one. What God is about to do hath he announced to Pharaoh.
Joseph responded: “The dream of the king is one. What God will do, he has revealed to Pharaoh.
26 The seven good heifers, are, seven years, and, the seven good ears are, seven years, —the dream, is, one.
The seven beautiful cows, and the seven full ears of grain, are seven years of abundance. And so the force of the dreams is understood to be the same.
27 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.
Likewise, the seven thin and emaciated cows, which ascended after them, and the seven thin ears of grain, which were struck with the burning wind, are seven approaching years of famine.
28 The very word that I spake unto Pharaoh, what, God, is about to do, hath he showed unto Pharaoh.
These will be fulfilled in this order.
29 Lo! seven years, coming in, —of great plenty, in all the land of Egypt.
Behold, there will arrive seven years of great fertility throughout the entire land of Egypt.
30 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;
After this, there will follow another seven years, of such great barrenness that all the former abundance will be delivered into oblivion. For the famine will consume all the land,
31 neither shall the plenty in the land be discernible, because of that famine coming after, —for it shall be, very severe.
and the greatness of this destitution will cause the greatness of the abundance to be lost.
32 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.
Now, as to what you saw the second time, it is a dream pertaining to the same thing. It is an indication of its firmness, because the word of God shall be done, and it shall be completed swiftly.
33 Now, therefore, let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, —and set him over the land of Egypt.
Now therefore, let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and place him over the land of Egypt,
34 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.
so that he may appoint overseers throughout all the regions. And let a fifth part of the fruits, throughout the seven fertile years
35 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.
that now have already begun to occur, be gathered into storehouses. And let all the grain be stored away, under the power of Pharaoh, and let it be kept in the cities.
36 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.
And let it be prepared for the future famine of seven years, which will oppress Egypt, and then the land will not be consumed by destitution.”
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, —and in the eyes of all his servants;
The counsel pleased Pharaoh and all his ministers.
38 and Pharaoh said unto his servants, —Can we find such a one, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?
And he said to them, “Would we be able to find another such man, who is full of the Spirit of God?”
39 So Pharaoh said unto Joseph, After God hath made known unto thee all this, there is no one discreet and wise like thee.
Therefore, he said to Joseph: “Because God has revealed to you all that you have said, would I be able to find anyone wiser and as much like you?
40 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.
You will be over my house, and to the authority of your mouth, all the people will show obedience. Only in one way, in the throne of the kingdom, will I go before you.”
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, —See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
And again, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have appointed you over the entire land of Egypt.”
42 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;
And he took the ring from his own hand, and he gave it into his hand. And he clothed him with a robe of fine linen, and he placed a necklace of gold around his neck.
43 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.
And he caused him to ascend upon his second swift chariot, with the herald proclaiming that everyone should bend their knee before him, and that they should know that he was governor over the entire land of Egypt.
44 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.
Likewise, the king said to Joseph: “I am Pharaoh: apart from your authority, no one will move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”
45 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.
And he changed his name and called him, in the Egyptian tongue: ‘Savior of the world.’ And he gave him as a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. And so Joseph went out into the land of Egypt.
46 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.
(Now he was thirty years old when he stood in the sight of king Pharaoh.) And he traveled throughout the regions of Egypt.
47 And the land produced, in the seven years of plenty, by handfuls,
And the fertility of the seven years arrived. And when the grain fields were reduced to sheaves, these were gathered into the storehouses of Egypt.
48 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.
And now all the abundance of grain was stored away in every city.
49 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.
And there was such a great abundance of wheat that it was comparable to the sands of the sea, and its bounty exceeded all measure.
50 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.
Then, before the famine arrived, Joseph had two sons born, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him.
51 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.
And he called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has caused me to forget all my labors and the house of my father.”
52 And, the name of the second, called he Ephraim, For God hath made me fruitful in the land of my humiliation.
Likewise, he named the second Ephraim, saying, “God has caused me to increase in the land of my poverty.”
53 Then came to an end the seven years of the plenty, —which was in the land of Egypt;
And so, when the seven years of fertility that occurred in Egypt had passed,
54 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.
the seven years of destitution, which Joseph had predicted, began to arrive. And the famine prevailed throughout the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.
55 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.
And being hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh, asking for provisions. And he said to them: “Go to Joseph. And do whatever he will tell you.”
56 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.
Then the famine increased daily in all the land. And Joseph opened all of the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. For the famine had oppressed them also.
57 All the earth also, came in to Egypt to buy corn, unto Joseph, —because the famine had laid fast hold on all the earth.
And all the provinces came to Egypt, to buy food and to temper the misfortune of their destitution.
