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

At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed: 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.

Behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass.

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.

Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.

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

The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. 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 behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.

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

Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung 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.

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, 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.

In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

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

Then the chief cup bearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults today.

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.

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

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

We dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his 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.

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

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.”

As he interpreted to us, so it was. 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 hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in 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.”

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

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

Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t 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.

Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink 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.

and behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, fat and sleek. They fed in the marsh grass,

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.

and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.

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

The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle,

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.

and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still 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.

I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain 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.

and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung 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.”

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it 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.

Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh.

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 cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is 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.

The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.

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

That is the thing which I spoke to Pharaoh. What God is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh.

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

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty 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.

There will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,

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

and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.

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.

The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, 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 look for a discreet 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 overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous 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.

Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.

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

The food will be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; that the land not perish through the famine.”

37 T he plan pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

The thing 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?”

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.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet 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 according to your word will all my people be ruled. Only in the throne I will be greater than you.”

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

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, 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.

Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about 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 made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” 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 said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his 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.

Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over 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. 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.

In the seven plenteous years the earth produced 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.

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: the food of the field, which was around every city, he laid up in the same.

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 laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.

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.

To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera 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”, he said, “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.”

The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me 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.

The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.

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.

The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine 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.”

When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What 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 surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was 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.

All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.