Genesis 41:1-37

1Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. In his dream, he was standing by the River Nile.

2Seven cows walked up out of the river. They were fat and good to look at. They ate the grass at the side of the river.

3After those seven fat cows, Pharaoh saw seven other cows that also came up out of the river. Those cows were thin and not good to look at. They stood next to the other cows at the side of the river.

4The thin cows ate the seven fat cows! Then Pharaoh woke up.

5Pharaoh went to sleep again and he had another dream. He saw seven groups of grain that were growing on one branch. The grains were fat and good to look at.

6Then he saw seven other groups of grain that grew after the first seven groups. These grains were thin, because the hot east wind had burned them.

7Then the groups of thin grains ate the seven groups of grains that were good and fat. Then Pharaoh woke up. He realized that it was a dream.

8In the morning, Pharaoh had trouble in his mind. So he told all the magicians and the wise men in Egypt to come to him. Pharaoh told them about his dreams. But no one could tell Pharaoh what his dreams meant.

9Then the king's cupbearer said to Pharaoh, ‘Now I remember that I have done a wrong thing!

10Two years ago, you were angry with me and with your special baker. You put us in prison, in the house of the guards' captain.

11One night we both had a dream. Each of our dreams had its own meaning.

12A young Hebrew man was there with us. He was a servant of the guards' captain. We told the Hebrew man about our dreams. Then he told each of us the meaning of our dream.

13And everything happened as he had told us! You gave me my job as cupbearer again. But you hanged the baker to kill him.’

14So Pharaoh called Joseph to come to him. They quickly brought Joseph from the prison. Joseph washed himself and he cut his beard from his face. He put on clean clothes. Then he went and he stood in front of Pharaoh.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can tell me what it means. But people have told me about you. They say that you can tell the meaning of dreams.’

16Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘I cannot do this. But God will give you an answer that will make you happy.’

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘In my dream, I stood at the side of the River Nile.

18I saw seven cows that came up out of the river. They were fat, and good to look at. They were eating the grass at the side of the river.

19After them, seven more cows came up out of the river. They were thin and they were not good to look at. I have never seen cows as bad as these in Egypt before.

20The thin cows ate the seven fat cows that came out of the river first.

21When they had eaten them, you would not have known it! They still seemed to be as thin as they were before they ate the fat cows. Then I woke up.

22In another dream, I also saw seven groups of grain that grew on one branch. The grains were fat and good.

23After those, seven other groups of grain grew. Those grains were thin because the hot east wind had burned them.

24The thin grains ate the seven groups of fat grains. I told those dreams to my wise men and magicians. But none of them could tell me the meaning of my dreams.’

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘Your dreams both have the same meaning. God has shown you what he will soon do.

26The seven fat cows tell us about seven years. And the seven groups of fat grains also mean seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning.

27The seven thin cows that came out of the river mean seven years. And the seven groups of thin grains mean seven years. Both of these tell us about seven years of famine.

28This is what your dreams mean. As I said, God has shown Pharaoh what he will do.

29There will be plenty of food for seven years all over the land of Egypt.

30But then seven years of famine will follow. People will forget about the seven years when they had plenty of food. The famine will destroy the land of Egypt.

31No one will remember the seven good years, because the famine will be so bad.

32God gave you two dreams with the same meaning because these things will certainly happen. God will cause them to happen very soon.

33Now Pharaoh should look for a clever man. He should look for a man who knows what is right and wrong. Tell him to rule over the land of Egypt.

34This is what you should do: Choose some officers. Give them authority to store food during the good years when there is plenty. They must take a fifth part of all the food that grows everywhere in Egypt. They must store the extra food during the good years that will come soon. Give these officers authority to store and to take care of the food in the cities.

36Then you will be ready for the seven years of famine that will happen everywhere in Egypt. The people in Egypt will have enough food, and the famine will not destroy the land.’

37Pharaoh and his officers thought that Joseph's idea was good.