Genesis 41:18-37

18and behold, seven cows, 1fat 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 2ugly and 3thin, such as I had never seen for 4ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20and the thin and ugly cows ate 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 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 10I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s 11dreams are one and the same; 12God 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 13dreams 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 14will be seven years of famine. 2815It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: 16God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, 17seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them 18seven years of famine will 19come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will 20ravage 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 21the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33So now let Pharaoh look for a man 22discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers 23in 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 24collect 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 25proposal seemed good 26to Pharaoh and 27to all his servants.