Genesis 41:46-57

46Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt). He left Pharaoh and traveled all around Egypt.

47During the seven good years the land produced large harvests.

48Joseph collected all the food grown in Egypt during those seven years and put this food in the cities. In each city he put the food from the fields around it.

49Joseph stored up grain in huge quantities like the sand on the seashore. He had so much that he finally gave up keeping any records because he couldn’t measure it all.

50Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest from the city of On.

51Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh [He Helps Me Forget], because God helped him forget all his troubles and all about his father’s family.

52He named the second son Ephraim [Blessed Twice With Children], because God gave him children in the land where he had suffered.

53The seven years when there was plenty of food in Egypt came to an end.

54Then the seven years of famine began as Joseph had said they would. All the other countries were experiencing famine. Yet, there was food in Egypt.

55When everyone in Egypt began to feel the effects of the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. But Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph! Do what he tells you!”

56When the famine had spread all over the country, Joseph opened all the storehouses  and sold grain to the Egyptians. He did this because the famine was severe in Egypt.

57The whole world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, since the famine was so severe all over the world.