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

Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.

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

Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.

3 T hen 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.

Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.

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

And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.

5 T hen 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.

He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good.

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

Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.

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

And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.

8 S o 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.

Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.

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

Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.

10 P haraoh 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.

When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker,

11 H e and I had a dream on the same night. Each dream had its own meaning.

we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.

12 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.

Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream.

13 A nd 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.”

And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”

14 P haraoh 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.

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.

15 P haraoh 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.”

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”

16 J oseph answered Pharaoh, “Not by myself. God will give Pharaoh a good answer.”

So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “ It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

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

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river.

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

Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.

19 T hen 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.

Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt.

20 T hen the bad looking cows that were thin ate the first seven fat cows.

And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows.

21 B ut 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.

When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke.

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

Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good.

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

Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.

24 T he 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.”

And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

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

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do:

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

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one.

27 T he 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.

And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine.

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

This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

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

Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt;

30 B ut 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.

but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.

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

So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.

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

And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

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

“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.

34 L et 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.

Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.

35 L et 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.

And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

36 T his 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

Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.” Joseph’s Rise to Power

37 T he plan pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

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

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

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

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

40 M y 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.”

You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

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

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

42 T hen 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.

Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

43 H e 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.

And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.

44 P haraoh 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.”

Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”

45 T hen 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.

And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

46 J oseph 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.

Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

47 D uring the seven good years the land brought much food.

Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly.

48 S o 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.

So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them.

49 J oseph 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

Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.

50 T wo 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.

And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him.

51 J oseph 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.”

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.”

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

And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53 T he seven good years of much food in the land of Egypt came to an end.

Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended,

54 A nd 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.

and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

55 S o 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.”

So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.”

56 W hen 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.

The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.

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

So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.