Genesis 41
41
Pharaoh Has Two Dreams
1When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. In his dream, he was standing by the Nile River. 2Seven cows came up out of the river. They looked healthy and fat. They were eating some of the tall grass growing along the river. 3After them, seven other cows came up out of the Nile. They looked ugly and skinny. They were standing beside the other cows on the riverbank. 4The ugly, skinny cows ate up the seven cows that looked healthy and fat. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5He fell asleep again and had a second dream. In that dream, seven heads of grain were growing on one stem. They were healthy and good. 6After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and dried up by the east wind. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. It had been a dream.
8In the morning he was worried. So he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams. But no one could tell him what they meant.
9Then the chief wine taster spoke up. He said to Pharaoh, “Now I remember that I’ve done something wrong. 10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants. He put me and the chief baker in prison. We were in the house of the captain of the palace guard. 11Each of us had a dream the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. 12A young Hebrew servant was there with us. He was a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams. And he explained them to us. He told each of us the meaning of our dreams. 13Things turned out exactly as he said they would. I was given back my job. The other man had a pole stuck through his body.”
14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. He was quickly brought out of the prison. Joseph shaved and changed his clothes. Then he came to Pharaoh.
15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream. No one can tell me what it means. But I’ve heard that when you hear a dream you can explain it.”
16“I can’t do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh. “But God will give Pharaoh the answer he wants.”
17Then Pharaoh told Joseph what he had dreamed. He said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 18Seven cows came up out of the river. They were fat and looked healthy. They were eating the tall grass growing along the river. 19After them, seven other cows came up. They were bony and very ugly and thin. I had never seen such ugly cows in the whole land of Egypt. 20The thin, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21But no one could tell that the thin cows had eaten the fat cows. That’s because the thin cows looked just as ugly as they had before. Then I woke up.
22“In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain. They were full and good. They were all growing on one stem. 23After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were weak and thin and dried up by the east wind. 24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told my dream to the magicians. But none of them could explain it to me.”
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams have the same meaning. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years. And the seven good heads of grain are seven years. Both dreams mean the same thing. 27The seven thin, ugly cows that came up later are seven years. So are the seven worthless heads of grain dried up by the east wind. They are seven years when there won’t be enough food.
28“It’s just as I said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he’s about to do. 29Seven years with plenty of food are coming to the whole land of Egypt. 30But seven years when there won’t be enough food will follow them. Then everyone will forget about all the food Egypt had. Terrible hunger will destroy the land. 31There won’t be anything left to remind people of the years when there was plenty of food in the land. That’s how bad the hunger that follows will be. 32God gave the dream to Pharaoh in two forms. That’s because the matter has been firmly decided by God. And it’s because God will do it soon.
33“So Pharaoh should look for a wise and understanding man. He should put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34Pharaoh should appoint officials to be in charge of the land. They should take a fifth of the harvest in Egypt during the seven years when there’s plenty of food. 35They should collect all the extra food of the good years that are coming. Pharaoh should give them authority to store up the grain. They should keep it in the cities for food. 36The grain should be stored up for the country to use later. It will be needed during the seven years when there isn’t enough food in Egypt. Then the country won’t be destroyed just because it doesn’t have enough food.”
37The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and all his officials. 38So Pharaoh said to them, “The spirit of God is in this man. We can’t find anyone else like him, can we?”
39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “God has made all this known to you. No one is as wise and understanding as you are. 40You will be in charge of my palace. All my people must obey your orders. I will be greater than you only because I’m the one who sits on the throne.”
Joseph Is Put in Charge of Egypt
41So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I’m putting you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh took from his finger the ring he used to give his official stamp. He put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes made out of fine linen. He put a gold chain around Joseph’s neck. 43He also had him ride in a chariot. Joseph was now next in command after Pharaoh. People went in front of Joseph and shouted, “Get down on your knees!” By doing all these things, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. But unless you give an order, no one will do anything in the whole land of Egypt.” 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave Joseph a wife. She was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On. Joseph traveled all over the land of Egypt.
46Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left Pharaoh’s palace and traveled all over Egypt. 47During the seven years there was plenty of food. The land produced more than the people needed. 48Joseph collected all the extra food produced in those seven years in Egypt. He stored it in the cities. In each city he stored up the food grown in the fields around it. 49Joseph stored up huge amounts of grain. There was as much of it as sand by the sea. There was so much grain it couldn’t be measured. So Joseph stopped keeping records of it.
50Before the years when there wasn’t enough food, two sons were born to Joseph. He had them by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On. 51Joseph named his first son Manasseh. That’s because he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and my father’s whole family.” 52He named the second son Ephraim. That’s because he said, “God has given me children in the land where I’ve suffered so much.”
53The seven years when there was plenty of food in Egypt came to an end. 54Then the seven years when there wasn’t enough food began. It happened just as Joseph had said it would. There wasn’t enough food in any of the other lands. But in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55When all the people of Egypt began to get hungry, they cried out to Pharaoh for food. He told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you.”
56There wasn’t enough food anywhere in the country. So Joseph opened the storerooms. He sold grain to the Egyptians because people were very hungry all over Egypt. 57People from all over the world came to Egypt. They came to buy grain from Joseph. That’s because people were very hungry everywhere.
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Genesis 41: NIrV
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Genesis 41
41
Pharaoh’s Dreams
1After two whole years, Pharaoh had a dream # Ge 20:3; Da 4:4–5 that he was standing by the Nile. 2And behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, fine looking and fat, and they grazed in the meadow. 3And behold, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine-looking and fattened cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
5He slept and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain suddenly came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6And behold, after them sprang up seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind. # Ex 10:13; 14:21; Eze 17:10; Jon 4:8 7The seven thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
8In the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. # Ex 7:11, 22; Da 2:10; 5:8 Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “Today I remember my offenses. # Ge 40:14, 23 10Pharaoh was angry with his servants # Ge 40:2–3 and put me in confinement in the captain of the guard’s house, # Ge 39:20 both me and the chief baker. 11And we had a dream in the same night, he and I. We, each of us, dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12A young Hebrew man was with us there, # Ge 37:36 a servant to the captain of the guard. We told him and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each man he interpreted according to his own dream. # Ge 40:12–19 13It happened just as he interpreted. He restored me to my position, and the baker was hanged.”
14So Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. # Da 2:25 He shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh. # Ps 113:7–8
15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream to interpret it.” # Da 5:16
16Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” # Ge 40:8; Da 2:47
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the Nile. 18And suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fattened and fine-looking, and they grazed in the reeds. 19Then seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt. I have never seen such ugliness in all the land of Egypt. 20And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21And when they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as before. Then I awoke.
22“I also saw in my dreams seven ears of grain, full and good, suddenly come up on one stalk. 23Then seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24And the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” # Ge 41:8; Da 4:7
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. # Da 2:28–29, 45 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. The dreams are one. # Ge 41:2 27The seven gaunt and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. # 2Ki 8:1
28“It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt. 30However, there will arise after them seven years of famine. All the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land. # Ge 41:54; 47:13 31The abundance will be unknown in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 32The reason the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice is because the matter is established by God, and God will soon bring it to pass. # Nu 23:19; Isa 46:10–11
33“Now, therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a man who is discerning and wise and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officials over the land and collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven abundant years. 35Let them gather all the food from those good years that come and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36This food will be for a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish during the famine.”
Joseph Rises to Power
37The counsel seemed good to Pharaoh and to all of his servants. 38Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom is the Spirit of God?” # Da 4:18; 5:11
39And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. # Ge 41:33 40You will be over my house, and according to your word all my people will be ruled. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” # Ps 105:21–22; Ac 7:10
41Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” # Ge 42:6; Da 6:3 42Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and arrayed him in clothes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. # Est 3:10; Da 5:7, 29 43Then he had him ride in the second chariot which was his, and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” # Ge 42:6 So he set him over all the land of Egypt. # Ge 45:8
44Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man will lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah, and he gave him a wife, Asenath # Ge 46:20 the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. # Eze 30:17 # 41:45 On is also called Heliopolis. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46Joseph was thirty years old # Ge 37:2 when he stood before Pharaoh, # 1Sa 16:21 the king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47In the seven abundant years the earth brought forth plentifully. 48So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which was in the land of Egypt and laid up the food in the cities. He put in every city the food of the fields which surrounded the city. 49Joseph gathered great quantities of grain as the sand of the sea until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure. # Ge 22:17; Jdg 7:12
50Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, # Ge 46:20; 48:5 whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For God,” he said, “has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 52The name of the second he called Ephraim, saying, “For God has caused me to be fruitful # Ge 49:22; 50:23 in the land of my affliction.”
53The seven years of abundance that were in the land of Egypt ended. 54The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but there was food in all the land of Egypt. # Ge 45:11; Ac 7:11 55When all the land of Egypt was hungry, the people cried to Pharaoh for food, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he says to you.”
56The famine # Ge 12:10 was over all the face of the earth, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, and the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 57Moreover, all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was so severe in all the lands.
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