Genesis 41
41
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream
1Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and #41:2 Lit fat of fleshfat; and they grazed in the reeds. 3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, #41:3 Lit bad, so in chugly and #41:3 Lit lean of fleshthin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4And the ugly and #41:4 Lit lean of fleshthin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5He again fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8Now it happened that in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the #41:8 Or soothsayer priestsmagicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh recounted to them his dream, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would bring to remembrance today my own #41:9 Or sinsoffenses. 10Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 11And we had a dream #41:11 Lit one nighton the same night, #41:11 Lit I and hehe and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12Now there was with us a Hebrew youth, a slave of the captain of the bodyguard, and we recounted them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. 13And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my #41:13 Lit placeoffice, but he hanged him.”
14Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they rushed him out of the pit; and he shaved himself and changed his clothes, and he came to Pharaoh. 15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; yet I have heard #41:15 Lit about you, sayingit said about you, that #41:15 Lit you hear a dream to interpret ityou hear a dream and that you can interpret it.” 16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “#41:16 Lit Apart from meIt is not in me; God will #41:16 Lit answer the peace of Pharaohanswer concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.” 17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18and behold, seven cows, #41:18 Lit fat of fleshfat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. 19And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and lean, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt, in regard to #41:19 Lit badnessugliness; 20and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21But they #41:21 Lit entered their inward partsdevoured them, and yet it could not be known that they had #41:21 Lit entered their inward partsdevoured them. #41:21 Lit AndFor they were just as ugly as #41:21 Lit in the beginningbefore. Then I awoke. 22Then I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. So I told it to the #41:24 Or soothsayer priestsmagicians, but there was no one who could declare it to me.”
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s #41:25 Lit dream isdreams are one and the same; God has declared to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the #41:26 Lit dream isdreams are one and the same. 27And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven lean ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. 28#41:28 Lit That is the thing which I spokeIt is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will #41:30 Lit destroyravage the land, 31so that the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very heavy. 32Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33So now let Pharaoh look for a man understanding and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and let them store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them keep watch over it. 36And let the food be appointed for the land for the seven years of famine which will happen in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be cut off during the famine.”
Joseph Is Set over Egypt
37And the #41:37 Lit wordproposal seemed good #41:37 Lit in the sight ofto Pharaoh and #41:37 Lit in the sight ofto all his servants. 38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made you know all of this, there is no one so understanding and wise as you are. 40You shall be over my house, and according to your #41:40 Lit mouthcommand all my people shall #41:40 Lit kissdo homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. 43And he had him ride in #41:43 Lit the second...which was hishis second chariot; and they called out before him, “#41:43 Or Attention, Make way; Heb AbreckBow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without #41:44 Lit you no oneyour permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Then Pharaoh named Joseph #41:45 Probably Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of #41:45 Or HeliopolisOn, as a wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.
46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he #41:46 Or entered the service ofstood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and passed through all the land of Egypt. 47And during the seven years of plenty the land brought forth #41:47 Lit by handfulsabundantly. 48So he gathered all the food of these seven years which happened in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49Thus Joseph stored up grain #41:49 Lit very muchin great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped #41:49 Lit numberingmeasuring it, for it was #41:49 Or without numberbeyond measure.
The Sons of Joseph
50Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of #41:50 Or HeliopolisOn, bore to him. 51And Joseph named the firstborn #41:51 Lit making to forgetManasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52And he named the second #41:52 Lit fruitfulnessEphraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53Then the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. So there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55Then all the land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56Now the famine was over all the face of the land. And Joseph opened all #41:56 Lit that which was in themthe storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57Now all the earth also came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe in all the earth.
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Genesis 41
41
1 At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river. 2Behold, seven cattle came up out of the river. They were sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass. 3Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river. 4The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke. 5He slept and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good. 6Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cup bearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults today. 10Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, with the chief baker. 11We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. Each man dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream. 12There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. He interpreted to each man according to his dream. 13As he interpreted to us, so it was. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh. 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 when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
17 Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river; 18and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass; 19and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. 20The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle; 21and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good; 23and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh. 26The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one. 27The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine. 28That is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29Behold, seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming. 30Seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous. 32The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33“Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous years. 35Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and store grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36The food will be to supply the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; so that the land will not perish through the famine.”
37 The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you. 40You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. 43He made him ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” He set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly. 48He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city. 49Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number. 50To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh,#41:51 “Manasseh” sounds like the Hebrew for “forget”. “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” 52The name of the second, he called Ephraim:#41:52 “Ephraim” sounds like the Hebrew for “twice fruitful”. “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end. 54The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” 56The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
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