Genesis 41

1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh (Great House) dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured cows and fatfleshed [plump]; and they fed in a meadow.

3And, behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed [emaciated]; and stood by the [other] cows upon the brink of the river.

4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed cows did eat up the seven well favoured and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.

5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream.

8And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Mitzrayim [Egypt], and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

9Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

10Pharaoh was exceedingly angry with his servants, and put me in ward (in custody, with a guard; prison) in the captain of the guard’s house, [both] me and the chief baker:

11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12And [there was] there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto my office, and him he hanged.

14Then Pharaoh (Great House) sent and called Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]), and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved [himself], and changed his clothing, and came in unto Pharaoh.

15And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, I have dreamed a dream, and [there is] none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of youi, [that] youi can understand a dream to interpret it.

16And Yosef answered Pharaoh, saying, [It is] not in me: God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

17And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

19And, behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] for badness:

20And the lean and the ill favoured cows did eat up the first seven fat cows:

21And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they [were] still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, [and] blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

24And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told [this] unto the magicians; but [there was] none that could declare [it] to me.

25And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) said unto Pharaoh (Great House), The dream of Pharaoh [is] one: God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has showed Pharaoh what he [is] about to do.

26The seven good cows [are] seven years; and the seven good ears [are] seven years: the dream [is] one.

27And the seven thin and ill favoured cows that came up after them [are] seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

28This [is] the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] [is] about to do he shows unto Pharaoh.

29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land):

30And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land); and the famine shall consume the land;

31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it [shall be] very grievous.

32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; [it is] because the thing [is] established by God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered], and God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] will shortly bring it to pass.

33Now therefore let Pharaoh (Great House) look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land).

34Let Pharaoh do [this], and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] in the seven plenteous years.

35And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

36And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt]; that the land perish not through the famine.

37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh (Great House), and in the eyes of all his servants.

38And Pharaoh (Great House) said unto his servants, Can we find [such a one] as this [is], a man in whom the Spirit of God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] [is]?

39And Pharaoh (Great House) said unto Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]), Forasmuch as God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has showed youi all this, [there is] none so discreet and wise as youi [are]:

40Youi shall be over my house, and according unto youri word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than youi.

41And Pharaoh (Great House) said unto Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]), See, I have set youi over all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt].

42And Pharaoh (Great House) took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Yosef’s (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him [ruler] over all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land).

44And Pharaoh (Great House) said unto Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]), I am Pharaoh (Great House), and without youi shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land).

45And Pharaoh called Yosef’s (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) name Tzafnat-Pa’neach (Treasury of the Glorious Rest; Revealer of the Secrets of Life): and he gave him to wife Asenath (gift of the water) the daughter of Osnat the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On (belonging to the sun-god; he whom Ra gave) [On = meaning sun-city; Heliopolis]. And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) went out over [all] the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land).

46And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) [was] thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh (Great House) king of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land). And Yosef went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt].

47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt], and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which [was] round about every city, laid he up in the same.

49And Yosef gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for [it was] without number.

50And unto Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Osnat (gift of the water) the daughter of Poti-Fera (belonging to the sun-god; he whom Ra gave) priest of On (meaning sun-city; Heliopolis) bore unto him.

51And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) called the name of the firstborn M’nasheh (causing to forget; from a debt): For God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered], [said he], has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.

52And the name of the second he called Efrayim (Out of the Ashes I am Fruitful; fruitful in affliction): For God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land), were ended.

54And the seven years of famine began to ome, according as Yosef had said: and the famine was in all lands; but in all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] there was bread.

55And when all the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land) was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh (Great House) for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians] (People of the Black Land), Go unto Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]); what he says to you, do.

56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Yosef opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians]Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt].

57And all countries came into Mitzrayim [Egypt] to Yosef for to buy [corn]; because that the famine was [so] sore in all lands.

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Genesis 41

Joseph Interprets the King's Dreams

1After two years had passed, the king of Egypt dreamt that he was standing by the River Nile, 2when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began to feed on the grass. 3Then seven other cows came up; they were thin and bony. They came and stood by the other cows on the river bank, 4and the thin cows ate up the fat cows. Then the king woke up. 5He fell asleep again and had another dream. Seven ears of corn, full and ripe, were growing on one stalk. 6Then seven other ears of corn sprouted, thin and scorched by the desert wind, 7and the thin ears of corn swallowed the full ones. The king woke up and realized that he had been dreaming. 8#Dan 2.2In the morning he was worried, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. He told them his dreams, but no one could explain them to him.

9Then the wine steward said to the king, “I must confess today that I have done wrong. 10You were angry with the chief baker and me, and you put us in prison in the house of the captain of the guard. 11One night each of us had a dream, and the dreams had different meanings. 12A young Hebrew was there with us, a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us. 13Things turned out just as he said: you restored me to my position, but you executed the baker.”

14The king sent for Joseph, and he was immediately brought from the prison. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came into the king's presence. 15The king said to him, “I have had a dream, and no one can explain it. I have been told that you can interpret dreams.”

16Joseph answered, “I cannot, Your Majesty, but God will give a favourable interpretation.”

17The king said, “I dreamt that I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began feeding on the grass. 19Then seven other cows came up which were thin and bony. They were the poorest cows I have ever seen anywhere in Egypt. 20The thin cows ate up the fat ones, 21but no one would have known it, because they looked just as bad as before. Then I woke up. 22I also dreamt that I saw seven ears of corn which were full and ripe, growing on one stalk. 23Then seven ears of corn sprouted, thin and scorched by the desert wind, 24and the thin ears of corn swallowed the full ones. I told the dreams to the magicians, but none of them could explain them to me.”

25Joseph said to the king, “The two dreams mean the same thing; God has told you what he is going to do. 26The seven fat cows are seven years, and the seven full ears of corn are also seven years; they have the same meaning. 27The seven thin cows which came up later and the seven thin ears of corn scorched by the desert wind are seven years of famine. 28It is just as I told you — God has shown you what he is going to do. 29There will be seven years of great plenty in all the land of Egypt. 30After that, there will be seven years of famine, and all the good years will be forgotten, because the famine will ruin the country. 31The time of plenty will be entirely forgotten, because the famine which follows will be so terrible. 32The repetition of your dream means that the matter is fixed by God and that he will make it happen in the near future.

33“Now you should choose some man with wisdom and insight and put him in charge of the country. 34You must also appoint other officials and take a fifth of the crops during the seven years of plenty. 35Order them to collect all the food during the good years that are coming, and give them authority to store up corn in the cities and guard it. 36The food will be a reserve supply for the country during the seven years of famine which are going to come on Egypt. In this way the people will not starve.”

Joseph is Made Governor over Egypt

37The king and his officials approved this plan, 38and he said to them, “We will never find a better man than Joseph, a man who has God's Spirit in him.” 39The king said to Joseph, “God has shown you all this, so it is obvious that you have greater wisdom and insight than anyone else. 40#Acts 7.10I will put you in charge of my country, and all my people will obey your orders. Your authority will be second only to mine. 41I now appoint you governor over all Egypt.” 42#Dan 5.29The king removed from his finger the ring engraved with the royal seal and put it on Joseph's finger. He put a fine linen robe on him, and placed a gold chain round his neck. 43He gave him the second royal chariot to ride in, and his guard of honour went ahead of him and cried out, “Make way! Make way!” And so Joseph was appointed governor over all Egypt. 44The king said to him, “I am the king — and no one in all Egypt shall so much as lift a hand or a foot without your permission.” 45-46He gave Joseph the Egyptian name Zaphenath Paneah, and he gave him a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest in the city of Heliopolis.

Joseph was thirty years old when he began to serve the king of Egypt. He left the king's court and travelled all over the land. 47During the seven years of plenty the land produced abundant crops, 48all of which Joseph collected and stored in the cities. In each city he stored the food from the fields around it. 49There was so much corn that Joseph stopped measuring it — it was like the sand of the sea.

50Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons by Asenath. 51He said, “God has made me forget all my sufferings and all my father's family”; so he named his first son Manasseh.#41.51 Manasseh: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “cause to forget”. 52He also said, “God has given me children in the land of my trouble”; so he named his second son Ephraim.#41.52 Ephraim: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “give children”.

53The seven years of plenty that the land of Egypt had enjoyed came to an end, 54#Acts 7.11and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every other country, but there was food throughout Egypt. 55#Jn 2.5When the Egyptians began to be hungry, they cried out to the king for food. So he ordered them to go to Joseph and do what he told them. 56The famine grew worse and spread over the whole country, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold corn to the Egyptians. 57People came to Egypt from all over the world to buy corn from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

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