Genesis 41:8-44

8Now in the morning 1his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the 23magicians of Egypt, and all its 4wise men. And Pharaoh told them his 5dreams, but 6there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of 7my own 8offenses. 10Pharaoh was 9furious with his servants, and 10he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 1111We had a dream 12on the same night, 13he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a 14servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and 15he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. 13And just 16as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my 17office, but he hanged him.”

14Then Pharaoh sent and 18called for Joseph, and they 19hurriedly 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, 20but no one can interpret it; and 21I have heard 22it said about you, that 23when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “2425It is not in me; 26God will 27give 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, 28fat 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 29gaunt, such as I had never seen for 30ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20and the lean and 31ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21Yet when they had 32devoured them, it could not be 33detected that they had 34devoured them, 35for they were just as ugly as 36before. 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 37I told it to the 38magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s 39dreams are one and the same; 40God 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 41dreams 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 42will be seven years of famine. 2843It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: 44God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, 45seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them 46seven years of famine will 47come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will 48ravage 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 49the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33Now let Pharaoh look for a man 50discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers 51in 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 52gather 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 53proposal seemed good 54to Pharaoh and 55to all his servants. 38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, 56in whom is a divine spirit?” 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so 57discerning and wise as you are. 4058You shall be over my house, and according to your 59command all my people shall 60do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you 61over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh 62took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and 63put the gold necklace around his neck. 43He had him ride in 64his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “65Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet 66without 67your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”