Genesis 41:33-57

33“So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.

34Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

35Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food.

36The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”

37The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants,

38and he said to them, “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?”

39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are.

40You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only I, as king, will be greater than you.”

41Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt.”

42Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck.

43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Make way!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

44Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission.”

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him a wife, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

47During the seven years of abundance the land produced outstanding harvests.

48Joseph gathered all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and put it in the cities. He put the food in every city from the fields around it.

49So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance — like the sand of the sea — that he stopped measuring it because it was beyond measure.

50Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore them to him.

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh and said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and my whole family.”

52And the second son he named Ephraim and said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,

54and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

55When the whole land of Egypt was stricken with famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all Egypt, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

56Now the famine had spread across the whole region, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

57Every land came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, for the famine was severe in every land.