1 A fter two full years, Pharaoh dreamed that he stood by the river.

After two years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River.

2 A nd behold, there came up out of the river seven well-favored cows, sleek and handsome and fat; and they grazed in the reed grass.

And he saw seven cows coming out of the Nile. They were good-looking and fat, and they ate the grass beside the river.

3 A nd behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ill favored and gaunt and ugly, and stood by the fat cows on the bank of the river.

Then he saw seven other cows coming out of the Nile after them. They looked bad and were thin. They stood by the other cows beside the Nile.

4 A nd the ill-favored, gaunt, and ugly cows ate up the seven well-favored and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

Then the bad looking cows that were thin ate the seven good-looking, fat cows, and Pharaoh awoke.

5 B ut he slept and dreamed the second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came out on one stalk, plump and good.

Then he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. He saw seven heads of grain growing on one stick of grain. They were large and full.

6 A nd behold, after them seven ears sprouted, thin and blighted by the east wind.

Then he saw seven heads of grain come after them, which were small and made dry by the east wind.

7 A nd the seven thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

And the small heads of grain ate the seven large, full heads of grain. Then Pharaoh awoke and saw that it was a dream.

8 S o when morning came his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians and all the wise men of Egypt. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but not one could interpret them to.

So when morning came his spirit was troubled. He called for all the wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams. But there was no one who could tell Pharaoh the meaning of them.

9 T hen the chief butler said to Pharaoh, I remember my faults today.

Then the head cup-carrier said to Pharaoh, “I remember today what I have done wrong.

10 W hen Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker,

Pharaoh was angry with his servants. And he put me and the head bread-maker in prison in the house of the head of the soldiers.

11 W e dreamed a dream in the same night, he and I; we dreamed each of us according to the interpretation of his dream.

He and I had a dream on the same night. Each dream had its own meaning.

12 A nd there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard and chief executioner; and we told him our dreams, and he interpreted them to us, to each man according to the significance of his dream.

A young Hebrew was there with us. He worked for the head of the soldiers. We told our dreams to him. And he told us the meaning of them. He told each of us what our different dreams meant.

13 A nd as he interpreted to us, so it came to pass; I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.

And it happened just like he had said it would. I was returned to my place of work. The bread-maker was killed on a tree.”

14 T hen Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. But Joseph shaved himself, changed his clothes, and made himself presentable; then he came into Pharaoh’s presence.

Pharaoh then called for Joseph. And they brought him out of the prison in a hurry. He cut off the hair on his face and put on clean clothes. Then he came to Pharaoh.

15 A nd Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream and interpret it.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream. But no one can tell me what it means. I have heard it said that you are able to hear a dream and tell what it means.”

16 J oseph answered Pharaoh, It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a answer of peace.

Joseph answered Pharaoh, “Not by myself. God will give Pharaoh a good answer.”

17 A nd Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river;

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing beside the Nile.

18 A nd behold, there came up out of the river seven fat, sleek, and handsome cows, and they grazed in the reed grass.

I saw seven cows coming out of the Nile. They were fat and good-looking, and they ate the grass beside the river.

19 A nd behold, seven other cows came up after them, undernourished, gaunt, and ugly as I have never seen in all of Egypt.

Then I saw seven other cows coming after them. They looked bad and were thin. I had never seen worse cows in all the land of Egypt.

20 A nd the lean and ill favored cows ate up the seven fat cows that had come first.

Then the bad looking cows that were thin ate the first seven fat cows.

21 A nd when they had eaten them up, it could not be detected and known that they had eaten them, for they were still as thin and emaciated as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

But after they had eaten them, it could not be seen that they had eaten them. For they were just as bad looking as before. Then I awoke.

22 A nd I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears growing on one stalk, plump and good.

I saw also in my dream seven heads of grain growing on one stick of grain. They were large and full.

23 A nd behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them.

Then I saw seven heads of grain come after them. They were small and were dry because of the east wind.

24 A nd the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. Now I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could tell me what it meant.

The small heads of grain ate the seven good heads of grain. Then I told it to the wise men. But there was no one who could tell me what it means.”

25 T hen Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dreams are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

26 T he seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one.

The seven good cows are seven years. And the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dreams are one and the same.

27 A nd the seven thin and ill favored cows that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears, blighted and shriveled by the east wind; they are seven years of hunger and famine.

The seven bad looking cows that are thin that came up after them are seven years. And the seven small heads of grain made dry by the east wind mean seven years without food.

28 T his is the message just as I have told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

It is as I have said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

29 T ake note! Seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming.

Seven years are coming when there will be much food in all the land of Egypt.

30 T hen there will come seven years of hunger and famine, and all the great abundance of the previous years will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and hunger (destitution, starvation) will exhaust (consume, finish) the land.

But after them will come seven years when there will be no food. The time of much food will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The time of no food will destroy the land.

31 A nd the plenty will become quite unknown in the land because of that following famine, for it will be very woefully severe.

The time without food will be so hard that no one in the land will remember when they had much.

32 T hat the dream was sent twice to Pharaoh and in two forms indicates that this thing which God will very soon bring to pass is fully prepared and established by God.

That the dream was sent twice to Pharaoh shows that what will happen is planned by God. And God will make it happen soon.

33 S o now let Pharaoh seek out and provide a man discreet, understanding, proficient, and wise and set him over the land of Egypt.

“So now let Pharaoh look for a man who is understanding and wise. Let the land of Egypt be put into his care.

34 L et Pharaoh do this; then let him select and appoint officers over the land, and take one-fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

Let Pharaoh take action to choose men to watch over the land. And let him take a fifth part of the food of the land of Egypt during the seven years of much food.

35 A nd let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and lay up grain under the direction and authority of Pharaoh, and let them retain food in the cities.

Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming. Have them store the grain under the power of Pharaoh, to be used as food in the cities. And let them keep it safe.

36 A nd that food shall be put in store for the country against the seven years of hunger and famine that are to come upon the land of Egypt, so that the land may not be ruined and cut off by the famine.

This food will be kept for the people to eat during the seven years of no food that will come upon the land of Egypt. This way the land will not be destroyed during the time without food.” Joseph Made Ruler over Egypt

37 A nd the plan seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

The plan pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

38 A nd Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find this man’s equal, a man in whom is the spirit of God?

Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, who has in him the Spirit of God?”

39 A nd Pharaoh said to Joseph, Forasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is nobody as intelligent and discreet and understanding and wise as you are.

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all this, there is no one as understanding and wise as you are.

40 Y ou shall have charge over my house, and all my people shall be governed according to your word. Only in matters of the throne will I be greater than you are.

My house will be put in your care. And all my people will do as you say. Only on the throne will I be greater than you.”

41 T hen Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have put you in power over all the land of Egypt.”

42 A nd Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck;

Then Pharaoh took the ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand. He dressed him in clothes of fine cloth. He put a gold chain around his neck.

43 H e made him to ride in the second chariot which he had, and cried before him, Bow the knee! And he set him over all the land of Egypt.

He had him travel in his second wagon of honor. And they called out in front of him, “Bow down!” Pharaoh put him in power over all the land of Egypt.

44 A nd Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. But unless it is your will, no one will raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”

45 A nd Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph made an tour of all the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh gave Joseph the name of Zaphenath-paneah. He gave him for a wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera who was the religious leader of On. So Joseph went out through the land of Egypt.

46 J oseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he stood in front of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went from Pharaoh to visit every part of Egypt.

47 I n the seven abundant years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

During the seven good years the land brought much food.

48 A nd he gathered up all the food of the seven years in the land of Egypt and stored up the food in the cities; he stored away in each city the food from the fields around it.

So he gathered into the cities all the food of these seven years when there was much in the land of Egypt. He put into each city the food from the fields around it.

49 A nd Joseph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it could not be measured.

Joseph gathered as much grain as the sand of the sea. The time came when he stopped trying to know how much there was. Joseph’s Two Sons

50 N ow to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, bore to him.

Two sons were born to Joseph before the years without food came. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the religious leader of On, gave birth to them.

51 A nd Joseph called the firstborn Manasseh, For God, said he, has made me forget all my toil and hardship and all my father’s house.

Joseph gave the first-born the name Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all those of my father’s house.”

52 A nd the second he called Ephraim, For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

He gave the second son the name of Ephraim. “For,” he said, “God has given me children in the land of my suffering.”

53 W hen the seven years of plenty were ended in the land of Egypt,

The seven good years of much food in the land of Egypt came to an end.

54 T he seven years of scarcity and famine began to come, as Joseph had said they would; the famine was in all lands, but in all of Egypt there was food.

And the seven bad years of no food began, as Joseph had said. No food was growing in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was food.

55 B ut when all the land of Egypt was weakened with hunger, the people cried to Pharaoh for food; and Pharaoh said to all, Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.

So when all the people of Egypt were hungry, they cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you.”

56 W hen the famine was over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; for the famine grew extremely distressing in the land of Egypt.

When the hunger was spreading over all the earth, Joseph opened the store-houses. And he sold food to the Egyptians for the time without food had become hard in the land of Egypt.

57 A nd all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all earth.

The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the time without food was hard everywhere.