1 It happened at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed:
and, behold, he stood by the river. 2 Behold, there came up out of the
river seven cattle, well-favored and fat-fleshed, and they fed in the
reed-grass. 3 Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the
river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other cattle on the
brink of the river. 4 The ill-favored and lean-fleshed cattle ate up the
seven well-favored and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 He slept and
dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk,
healthy and good. 6 Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind,
sprung up after them. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full
ears. Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 8 It happened in the
morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the
magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men of it. Pharaoh told them his dream,
but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults
today. 10 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 We
dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the
interpretation of his dream. 12 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 It happened, as he interpreted to us, so it was: he
restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”
14 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 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 Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh
an answer of peace.”
17 Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of
the river: 18 and, behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle,
fat-fleshed and well-favored. They fed in the reed-grass, 19 and, behold,
seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and
lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
20 The lean and ill-favored cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle,
21 and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had
eaten them, but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full
and good: 23 and, behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the
east wind, sprung up after them. 24 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 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about
to do he has declared to Pharaoh. 26 The seven good cattle are seven
years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one. 27 The
seven lean and ill-favored 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 That is the thing which I spoke to Pharaoh. What God
is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh. 29 Behold, there come seven years
of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 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 and the plenty will
not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will
be very grievous. 32 The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing
is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now
therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the
land of Egypt. 34 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 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 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 The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his
servants. 38 Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as
this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Pharaoh said to Joseph,
“Because God has shown you all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as
you. 40 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 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of
Egypt.” 42 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 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 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 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 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 In the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth
abundantly. 48 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 round about every city, he laid up in the same. 49 Joseph laid
up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it
was without number. 50 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 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh,*1 “For,” he said,
“God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” 52 The
name of the second, he called Ephraim*2 : “For God has made me fruitful in the
land of my affliction.”
53 The seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an
end. 54 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 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 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 All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy
grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
1 “Manasseh”
sounds like the Hebrew for “forget.” 2 “Ephraim” sounds like the Hebrew
for “twice fruitful.”
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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