Genesis 41
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- 1After two complete years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. In it, he was standing beside the river.
- 2Seven cows came up from the river, healthy-looking and fat, and they grazed in a meadow.
- 3Then seven other cows came up from the river behind them, ugly and thin, and they stood next to the other cows on the riverbank.
- 4The ugly, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
- 5He fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain grew on a single stalk, plump and good.
- 6Then seven thin heads of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up behind them.
- 7The seven thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, full heads. Pharaoh woke up and realized it had been a dream.
- 8In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh described his dreams to them, but no one could interpret them for him.
- 9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "Today I remember my faults."
- 10"Pharaoh was angry with his servants and placed me under guard in the house of the captain of the guard, along with the chief baker."
- 11We both dreamed a dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
- 12"A young Hebrew man was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We described our dreams to him, and he explained each one's meaning to each of us."
- 13"Everything turned out exactly as he said it would — I was given back my position, and the baker was hanged."
- 14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and appeared before Pharaoh.
- 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have been told that when you hear a dream, you are able to explain its meaning."
- 16Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "The ability is not mine. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
- 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the river."
- 18"Seven cows, fat and healthy-looking, came up from the river and grazed in a meadow."
- 19"Then seven other cows came up behind them — scrawny, extremely ugly, and thin. I have never seen such miserable-looking animals anywhere in Egypt."
- 20"The thin, ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows."
- 21"But even after consuming them, you could not tell they had eaten anything — they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up."
- 22"In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good."
- 23"Then seven heads of grain — withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind — sprouted up behind them."
- 24"The thin heads swallowed the seven good heads. I told all this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me."
- 25Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both of Pharaoh's dreams have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do."
- 26"The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years — it is one and the same dream."
- 27"The seven thin, ugly cows that came up afterward represent seven years, and the seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind represent seven years of famine."
- 28"This is what I have told Pharaoh: God is showing Pharaoh what he is about to do."
- 29"Seven years of tremendous abundance are coming throughout all of Egypt."
- 30"But after them, seven years of famine will follow, and all the abundance will be forgotten in Egypt. The famine will devastate the land."
- 31"The abundance will not even be remembered because of the famine that follows, for it will be extremely severe."
- 32"The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will carry it out soon."
- 33"So now, Pharaoh should find a man who is discerning and wise and place him in charge of the entire land of Egypt."
- 34"Pharaoh should take action and appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of Egypt's produce during the seven years of abundance."
- 35"They should gather all the food from these coming good years and store the grain under Pharaoh's authority, keeping the food supply in the cities."
- 36"This food will serve as a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will strike Egypt, so the country will not be destroyed by the famine."
- 37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.
- 38Pharaoh asked his officials, "Where can we find anyone like this — a man who has the Spirit of God in him?"
- 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all of this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you."
- 40"You will be in charge of my household, and all my people will obey your commands. Only with respect to the throne will I outrank you."
- 41Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "Look, I am placing you over the entire land of Egypt."
- 42Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his own hand and placed it on Joseph's hand. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and hung a gold chain around his neck.
- 43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and people shouted before him, "Bow the knee!" In this way, he made him ruler over the entire land of Egypt.
- 44Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without you, no one in all the land of Egypt will lift a hand or foot."
- 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphnathpaaneah and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of On, as his wife. Then Joseph traveled throughout the entire land of Egypt.
- 46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. He left Pharaoh's presence and traveled across the whole land of Egypt.
- 47During the 7 plentiful years, the earth produced by handfuls.
- 48Joseph collected all the food produced during those seven years in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city, he stored the food from the surrounding fields.
- 49Joseph accumulated grain in quantities as vast as the sand of the sea — so much that he eventually stopped keeping records, because it was beyond measuring.
- 50Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of On, bore them to him.
- 51Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, saying, "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's household."
- 52He named his second son Ephraim, saying, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."
- 53The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end.
- 54Then the 7 years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread.
- 55When all of Egypt began to feel the hunger, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you."
- 56The famine spread across the entire face of the earth. Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, as the famine grew increasingly severe in Egypt.
- 57People from every country came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was devastating throughout all lands.