Genesis 41

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 lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and 1fat; and they grazed in the 2marsh grass. 3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and 3gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4The ugly and 4gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8Now in the morning 5his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the 67magicians of Egypt, and all its 8wise men. And Pharaoh told them his 9dreams, but 10there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of 11my own 12offenses. 10Pharaoh was 13furious with his servants, and 14he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 1115We had a dream 16on the same night, 17he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a 18servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and 19he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. 13And just 20as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my 21office, but he hanged him.”

Joseph Interprets

14Then Pharaoh sent and 22called for Joseph, and they 23hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, 24but no one can interpret it; and 25I have heard 26it said about you, that 27when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “2829It is not in me; 30God will 31give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18and behold, seven cows, 32fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and 33gaunt, such as I had never seen for 34ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20and the lean and 35ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21Yet when they had 36devoured them, it could not be 37detected that they had 38devoured them, 39for they were just as ugly as 40before. Then I awoke. 22I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then 41I told it to the 42magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s 43dreams are one and the same; 44God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the 45dreams are one and the same. 27The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind 46will be seven years of famine. 2847It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: 48God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, 49seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them 50seven years of famine will 51come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will 52ravage the land. 31So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 32Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that 53the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33Now let Pharaoh look for a man 54discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers 55in charge of 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 56gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. 36Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.”

37Now the 57proposal seemed good 58to Pharaoh and 59to all his servants.

Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt

38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, 60in whom is a divine spirit?” 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so 61discerning and wise as you are. 4062You shall be over my house, and according to your 63command all my people shall 64do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you 65over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh 66took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and 67put the gold necklace around his neck. 43He had him ride in 68his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “69Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet 70without 71your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Then Pharaoh named Joseph 72Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of 7374On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

46Now Joseph was 75thirty years old when he 76stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth 77abundantly. 48So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred 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 78in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped 79measuring it, for it was 80beyond measure.

The Sons of Joseph

50Now before the year of famine came, 81two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of 82On, bore to him. 51Joseph named the firstborn 83Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52He named the second 84Ephraim, “For,” he said, “85God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and 86the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; 87whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all 88the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because 89the famine was severe in all the earth.