Genesis 41:18-37

18and behold, seven cows, 1fat 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 2gaunt, such as I had never seen for 3ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20and the lean and 4ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21Yet when they had 5devoured them, it could not be 6detected that they had 7devoured them, 8for they were just as ugly as 9before. 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 10I told it to the 11magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s 12dreams are one and the same; 13God 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 14dreams 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 15will be seven years of famine. 2816It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: 17God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, 18seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them 19seven years of famine will 20come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will 21ravage 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 22the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33Now let Pharaoh look for a man 23discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers 24in 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 25gather 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 26proposal seemed good 27to Pharaoh and 28to all his servants.