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 behold, from the Nile seven cows came up, fine-looking and 1fat; and they grazed in the 2marsh grass. 3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and 3thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4Then the ugly and 4thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5But he 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. 7And the thin ears swallowed 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 messengers and called for all the 6soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its 7wise men. And Pharaoh told them his 8dreams, but 9there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of 10my own 11offenses. 10Pharaoh was 12furious with his servants, and 13he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 11Then 14we had a dream one night, 15he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12Now a Hebrew youth was there with us, a 16servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we told him the dreams, and 17he interpreted our dreams for us. For each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13And just 18as he interpreted for us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me in my office, but he hanged 19the chief baker.”

Joseph Interprets

14Then Pharaoh sent word and 20called for Joseph, and they 21hurriedly 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, 22but no one can interpret it; and 23I have heard 24it said about you, that 25when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “2627It has nothing to do with me; 28God will 29give Pharaoh an answer for his own good.” 17So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile; 18and behold, seven cows, 30fat and fine-looking came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very 31ugly and 32thin, such as I had never seen for 33ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20and the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. 21Yet when they had 34devoured them, it could not be 35detected that they had 36devoured them, 37for they were just as ugly as 38before. Then I awoke. 22I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears of grain, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind sprouted up after them; 24and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then 39I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s 40dreams are one and the same; 41God 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 42dreams are one and the same. 27The seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind 43will be seven years of famine. 2844It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: 45God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, 46seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them 47seven years of famine will 48come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will 49ravage 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 50the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33So now let Pharaoh look for a man 51discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers 52in charge of the land, and let him take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt as a tax in the seven years of abundance. 35Then have them 53collect 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 have them guard it. 36Let the food be used 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 54proposal seemed good 55to Pharaoh and 56to all his servants.

Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt

38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, 57in whom there is a divine spirit?” 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one as 58discerning and wise as you are. 4059You shall be 60in charge of my house, and all my people shall 61be obedient to you; only regarding the throne will I be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I have placed you 62over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh 63took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and 64put the gold necklace around his neck. 43And he had him ride in 65his second chariot; and they proclaimed ahead of him, “66Bow the knee!” And he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet 67without 68your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Then Pharaoh named Joseph 69Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of 7071On, to be his wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

46Now Joseph was 72thirty years old when he 73stood in the presence of 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 produced 74abundantly. 48So he collected all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities; he put in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49Joseph stored up grain 75in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped 76measuring it, for it was 77beyond measure.

The Sons of Joseph

50Now before the year of famine came, 78two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of 79On, bore to him. 51Joseph named the firstborn 80Manasseh; “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all of my father’s household.” 52And he named the second 81Ephraim; “For,” he said, “82God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53When the seven years of plenty which had taken place in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and 83the 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 suffered famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; 84whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56When the famine was spread over the entire face of the earth, then Joseph opened all 85the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57Then the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because 86the famine was severe in all the earth.