Genesis 41
1 After two years, Pharaoh saw a dream. He thought himself to be standing above a river,
And it came to pass after two full years that Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood upon [the bank of] the river.
2 from which ascended seven cows, exceedingly beautiful and stout. And they pastured in marshy places.
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.
3 Likewise, another seven emerged from the river, filthy and thoroughly emaciated. And they pastured on the same bank of the river, in green places.
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.
4 And they devoured those whose appearance and condition of body was so wonderful. Pharaoh, having been awakened,
And the seven ill-favoured and lean cows devoured the seven well-favoured and choice-fleshed cows; and Pharao awoke.
5 slept again, and he saw another dream. Seven ears of grain sprung up on one stalk, full and well-formed.
And he dreamed again. And, behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, choice and good.
6 Likewise, other ears of grain, of the same number, rose up, thin and struck with blight,
And, behold, seven ears thin and blasted with the wind, grew up after them.
7 devouring all the beauty of the first. Pharaoh, when he awakened after his rest,
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.
8 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.
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.
9 Then at last the chief cupbearer, remembering, said, “I confess my sin.
And the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharao, saying, I this day remember my fault:
10 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.
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.
11 There, in one night, both of us saw a dream presaging the future.
And we had a dream both in one night, I and he; we saw, each according to his dream.
12 In that place, there was a Hebrew, a servant of the same commander of the military, to whom we explained our dreams.
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.
13 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.”
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.
14 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.
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.
15 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.”
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.
16 Joseph responded, “Apart from me, God will respond favorably to Pharaoh.”
And Joseph answered Pharao and said, Without God an answer of safety shall not be given to Pharao.
17 Therefore, Pharaoh explained what he had seen: “I thought myself to be standing on the bank of a river,
And Pharao spoke to Joseph, saying, In my dream I thought I stood by the bank of the river;
18 and seven cows climbed up from the river, exceedingly beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed in a pasture of a marshy greenery.
and there came up as it were out of the river, seven cows well-favoured and choice-fleshed, and they fed on the sedge.
19 And behold, there followed after these, another seven cows, with such deformity and emaciation as I had never seen in the land of Egypt.
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.
20 These devoured and consumed the first,
And the seven ill-favoured and thin cows ate up the seven first good and choice cows.
21 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,
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,
22 I saw a dream. Seven ears of grain sprang up on one stalk, full and very beautiful.
and saw again in my sleep, and as it were seven ears came up on one stem, full and good.
23 Likewise, another seven, thin and struck with blight, rose up from the stalk.
And other seven ears, thin and blasted with the wind, sprang up close to them.
24 And they devoured the beauty of the first. I explained this dream to the interpreters, and there is no one who can unfold it.”
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.
25 Joseph responded: “The dream of the king is one. What God will do, he has revealed to Pharaoh.
And Joseph said to Pharao, The dream of Pharao is one; whatever God does, he has shown to Pharao.
26 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.
The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream of Pharao is one.
27 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.
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.
28 These will be fulfilled in this order.
And as for the word which I have told Pharao, whatever God intends to do, he has shown to Pharao:
29 Behold, there will arrive seven years of great fertility throughout the entire land of Egypt.
behold, for seven years there is coming great plenty in all the land of Egypt.
30 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,
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.
31 and the greatness of this destitution will cause the greatness of the abundance to be lost.
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.
32 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.
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.
33 Now therefore, let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and place him over the land of Egypt,
Now then, look out a wise and prudent man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 so that he may appoint overseers throughout all the regions. And let a fifth part of the fruits, throughout the seven fertile years
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.
35 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.
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.
36 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.”
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.
37 The counsel pleased Pharaoh and all his ministers.
And the word was pleasing in the sight of Pharao, and in the sight of all his servants.
38 And he said to them, “Would we be able to find another such man, who is full of the Spirit of God?”
And Pharao said to all his servants, Shall we find such a man as this, who has the Spirit of God in him?
39 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?
And Pharao said to Joseph, Since God has showed you all these things, there is not a wiser or more prudent man than you.
40 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.”
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be obedient to your word; only in the throne will I excel you.
41 And again, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have appointed you over the entire land of Egypt.”
And Pharao said to Joseph, Behold, I set you this day over all the land of Egypt.
42 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.
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.
43 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.
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.
44 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.”
And Pharao said to Joseph, I am Pharao; without you no one shall lift up his hand on all the land of Egypt.
45 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.
And Pharao called the name of Joseph, Psonthomphanech; and he gave him Aseneth, the daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, to wife.
46 (Now he was thirty years old when he stood in the sight of king Pharaoh.) And he traveled throughout the regions of Egypt.
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.
47 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.
And the land produced, in the seven years of plenty, [whole] handfuls [of corn].
48 And now all the abundance of grain was stored away in every city.
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.
49 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.
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].
50 Then, before the famine arrived, Joseph had two sons born, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him.
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.
51 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.”
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.
52 Likewise, he named the second Ephraim, saying, “God has caused me to increase in the land of my poverty.”
And he called the name of the second, Ephraim; for God, [said he], has increased me in the land of my humiliation.
53 And so, when the seven years of fertility that occurred in Egypt had passed,
And the seven years of plenty passed away, which were in the land of Egypt.
54 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.
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.
55 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.”
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.
56 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.
And the famine was on the face of all the earth; and Joseph opened all the granaries, and sold to all the Egyptians.
57 And all the provinces came to Egypt, to buy food and to temper the misfortune of their destitution.
And all countries came to Egypt to buy of Joseph, for the famine prevailed in all the earth.
