Genesis 41

Joseph Interprets the King's Dreams

1Two years later the king#41.1 the king: See the note at 12.15. of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River. 2Suddenly, seven fat, healthy cows came up from the river and started eating grass along the bank. 3Then seven ugly, skinny cows came up out of the river and 4ate the fat, healthy cows. When this happened, the king woke up.

5The king went back to sleep and had another dream. This time seven full heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. 6Later, seven other heads of grain appeared, but they were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full heads. Again the king woke up, and it had only been a dream.

8 # Dn 2.2. The next morning the king was upset. So he called in his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.

9The king's personal servant said:

Now I remember what I was supposed to do. 10When you were angry with me and your chief cook, you threw us both in jail in the house of the captain of the guard. 11One night we both had dreams, and each dream had a different meaning. 12A young Hebrew, who was a servant of the captain of the guard, was there with us at the time. When we told him our dreams, he explained what each of them meant, 13and everything happened just as he said it would. I got my job back, and the cook was put to death.

14The king sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of jail. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to the king.

15The king said to him, “I had a dream, yet no one can explain what it means. I am told that you can interpret dreams.”

16“Your Majesty,” Joseph answered, “I can't do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams.”

17The king told Joseph:

I dreamed I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 18I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river, and they began feeding on the grass. 19Next, seven skinny, bony cows came up out of the river. I have never seen such terrible looking cows anywhere in Egypt. 20The skinny cows ate the fat ones. 21But you couldn't tell it, because these skinny cows were just as skinny as they were before. At once, I woke up.

22I also dreamed that I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk. The heads were full and ripe. 23Then seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert. 24These heads of grain swallowed the full ones. I told my dreams to the magicians, but none of them could tell me the meaning of the dreams.

25Joseph replied:

Your Majesty, both of your dreams mean the same thing, and in them God has shown what he is going to do. 26The seven good cows stand for seven years, and so do the seven good heads of grain. 27The seven skinny, ugly cows that came up later also stand for seven years, as do the seven bad heads of grain that were scorched by the desert wind. The dreams mean there will be seven years when there won't be enough grain.

28It is just as I said—God has shown what he intends to do. 29For seven years Egypt will have more than enough grain, 30but that will be followed by seven years when there won't be enough. The good years of plenty will be forgotten, and everywhere in Egypt people will be starving. 31The famine will be so bad that no one will remember that once there had been plenty. 32God has given you two dreams to let you know that he has definitely decided to do this and that he will do it soon.

33Your Majesty, you should find someone who is wise and will know what to do, so that you can put him in charge of all Egypt. 34Then appoint some other officials to collect one fifth of every crop harvested in Egypt during the seven years when there is plenty. 35Give them the power to collect the grain during those good years and to store it in your cities. 36It can be stored until it is needed during the seven years when there won't be enough grain in Egypt. This will keep the country from being destroyed because of the lack of food.

Joseph Is Made Governor over Egypt

37The king#41.37 The king: See the note at 12.15. and his officials liked this plan. 38So the king said to them, “Who could possibly handle this better than Joseph? After all, the Spirit of God is with him.”

39The king told Joseph, “God is the one who has shown you these things. No one else is as wise as you are or knows as much as you do. 40#Ac 7.10. I'm putting you in charge of my palace, and everybody will have to obey you. No one will be over you except me. 41You are now governor of all Egypt!”

42 # Dn 5.29. Then the king took off his royal ring and put it on Joseph's finger. He gave him fine clothes to wear and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43He also let him ride in the chariot next to his own, and people shouted, “Make way for Joseph!” So Joseph was governor of Egypt.

44The king told Joseph, “Although I'm king, no one in Egypt is to do anything without your permission.” 45He gave Joseph the Egyptian name Zaphenath Paneah. And he let him marry Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest in the city of Heliopolis.#41.45 Heliopolis: The Hebrew text has “On,” which is better known by its Greek name “Heliopolis.” Joseph traveled all over#41.45 traveled all over: Or “extended his authority over all.” Egypt.

46Joseph was 30 when the king made him governor, and he went everywhere for the king. 47For seven years there were big harvests of grain. 48Joseph collected and stored up the extra grain in the cities of Egypt near the fields where it was harvested. 49In fact, there was so much grain that they stopped keeping record, because it was like counting the grains of sand along the beach.

50Joseph and his wife had two sons before the famine began. 51Their first son was named Manasseh, which means, “God has let me forget all my troubles and my family back home.” 52His second son was named Ephraim, which means “God has made me a success#41.52 God has made me a success: Or “God has given me children.” in the land where I suffered.”#41.52 Ephraim … suffered: In Hebrew “Ephraim” actually means either “fertile land” or “pastureland.”

53Egypt's seven years of plenty came to an end, 54#Ac 7.11. and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was not enough food in other countries, but all over Egypt there was plenty. 55#Jn 2.5. When the famine finally struck Egypt, the people asked the king for food, but he said, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you to do.”

56The famine became bad everywhere in Egypt, so Joseph opened the storehouses and sold the grain to the Egyptians. 57People from all over the world came to Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was so severe in their countries.

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Bereshis 41

[MIKETZ]

1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed a chalom: and, hinei, he stood by haye'or (the River, i.e., the Nile).

2And, hinei, there came up out of haye'or (the River, i.e., the Nile) seven cows, fine in appearance and fat in basar; and they grazed on the riverbank.

3And, hinei, seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, ra'ot mareh (ugly in appearance) and dakot basar (gaunt ones in flesh, lean-fleshed); and stood by the other cows upon the bank of the Nile.

4And the cows that were ra'ot hamareh and that were dakot habasar did devour the seven cows that were fine in appearance and fat. Then Pharaoh awoke.

5And he slept and dreamed a chalom the second time; and, hinei, sheva heads of grain came up upon one stalk, beri'ot (fat ones) and tovot.

6And, hinei, seven thin heads of grain scorched by the east wind tzomechot (sprung up) after them.

7And the seven thin heads of grain devoured the seven fat and mele'ot (full) heads of grain. And Pharaoh awoke; and, hinei, it was a chalom!

8And it came to pass in the boker that his ruach was troubled; and he sent and called for all the chartummei Mitzrayim (magicians of Egypt), and all the chachamim thereof; and Pharaoh told them his chalom; but there was no poter (interpreter) for Pharaoh.

9Then the sar hamashkim spoke unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day.

10Pharaoh was in wrath with his avadim, and put me b'mishmar (in custody) in the bais sar hatabbachim, both me and the sar ha'ofim;

11And we dreamed a chalom in the same lailah, I and he; and each chalom we dreamed had its own pitron (interpretation).

12And there was there with us a na'ar Ivri, eved to the sar hatabbachim; and we told him, and he interpreted to us chalomoteinu (our dreams); to each according to his chalom he did interpret.

13And it was, just as he interpreted to us, so it came to pass; me he restored unto mine ken (post), and him he hanged.

14Then Pharaoh sent and summoned Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the bor (dungeon); and he shaved, and changed his clothes, and came in unto Pharaoh.

15And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, I have dreamed a chalom, and there is no poter (interpreter) for it; and I have heard it said of thee, that thou canst understand a chalom to interpret it.

16And Yosef answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me; Elohim shall give Pharaoh an answer of shalom.

17And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, In my chalom, hineni, I stood upon the bank of the Nile;

18And, hinei, there came up out of the Nile seven cows beri'ot basar (fat in body) and sleek of form; and they grazed by the riverbank.

19And, hinei, seven other cows came up after them, dalot (poor, scrawny, thin) and ra'ot to'ar me'od (very ugly in appearance) and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in kol Eretz Mitzrayim, unacceptably bad;

20And the lean and the ra'ot 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 rah in appearance, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

22And I saw in my chalom, and, hinei, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, mele'ot (full) and tovot (good);

23And, hinei, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched with the east wind, tzomechot (sprung up) after them;

24And the thin heads of grain devoured the seven tov heads of grain; and I told this unto the chartummim (magicians); but there was none that could explain it to me.

25And Yosef said unto Pharaoh, The chalom of Pharaoh is echad: HaElohim hath revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

26The seven good cows are seven shanim; and the seven good heads of grain are seven shanim. The chalom is echad.

27And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are sheva shanim; and the seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind are sheva shnei ra'av (seven years of famine).

28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh; What HaElohim is about to do He showeth unto Pharaoh.

29Hinei, there come sheva shanim of sava gadol (great fullness, plenty, abundance) throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim.

30And there shall arise after them sheva shnei ra'av (seven years of famine) and kol hasava (all abundance) shall be forgotten in Eretz Mitzrayim; and the ra'av (famine) shall consume the land;

31And the sava shall not be known in the land by reason of that ra'av (famine) following; for it shall be kaved me'od (very grievous).

32And for that the chalom was doubled unto Pharaoh; it is because the thing is [decidedly] established by HaElohim, and HaElohim will shortly bring it to pass.

33Now therefore let Pharaoh select an ish navon and chochom (a man discerning and wise) and set him over Eretz Mitzrayim.

34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint pekidim (officers, overseers, commissioners) over the land, and take up the fifth part [of the harvest] of Eretz Mitzrayim in the sheva shnei hasava.

35And let them gather kol ochel of those shanim hatovot that come, and store up grain under the yad Pharaoh, and let them be shomer over ochel in the cities.

36And that ochel shall be for reserves for the land against the sheva shnei hara'av, which shall be in Eretz Mitzrayim; that the land perish not through the ra'av.

37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his avadim.

38And Pharaoh said unto his avadim, Can we find such an ish as this is, an ish in whom is the Ruach Elohim?

39And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, Forasmuch as Elohim hath showed thee all this, there is none so navon (discerning) and chochom (wise) as thou art;

40Thou shalt be over my bais (palace), and according unto thy mouth shall all my people order themselves; only with respect to the kisse will I be greater than thou.

41And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, See, I have set thee over kol Eretz Mitzrayim.

42And Pharaoh took off his taba'at (signet ring) from his yad, and put it upon yad Yosef, and arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a chain of zahav around his neck;

43And he made him to ride in the second merkavah which he had; and they cried before him, Avrech! And he put him over kol Eretz Mitzrayim.

44And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his yad or regel in kol Eretz Mitzrayim.

45And Pharaoh called shem Yosef Tzaphnat Pa'neach; and he gave him as isha Asenat Bat Poti Phera kohen of On. And Yosef went out over all Eretz Mitzrayim.

46And Yosef was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim. And Yosef went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim.

47And in the sheva shnei hasava the land brought forth by handfuls.

48And he gathered up kol ochel of the sheva shanim, which were in Eretz Mitzrayim, and laid up the ochel in the cities; the ochel of the sadeh, which surrounded every city, laid he up in the same.

49And Yosef gathered grain as the chol (sand) of the yam, very much, until he stopped counting; for it was without mispar (number).

50And unto Yosef were born two banim before the shnat ra'av came, which Asenat Bat Poti Phera kohen of On bore unto him.

51And Yosef called the shem of the bechor Menasheh: For Elohim, said he nashani, (hath made me forget) all my amal, and kol bais Avi.

52And the shem of the second called he Ephrayim: For Elohim hifrani (hath caused me to be fruitful) in the eretz of my oni (suffering).

53And the sheva shnei hasava that was in Eretz Mitzrayim were ended.

54And the sheva shnei hara'av began to come, just as Yosef had said; and the ra'av was in all lands; but in kol Eretz Mitzrayim there was lechem.

55And when kol Eretz Mitzrayim was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for lechem; and Pharaoh said unto kol Mitzrayim, Go unto Yosef; what he saith to you, do.

56And the ra'av (famine) was over kol pnei ha'aretz; and Yosef opened all that was in them, and sold unto the Mitzrayim; and the ra'av (famine) became severe in Eretz Mitzrayim.

57And kol HaAretz (all the world) came into Mitzrayim to Yosef to buy grain; because that the ra'av (famine) was so chazak in kol HaAretz.

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