Gen 41 | LSB | STEP | Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

Genesis 41

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream

1 Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2 And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and ^{▼▼Lit fat of flesh}fat; and they grazed in the reeds. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ^{▼▼Lit bad, so in ch}ugly and ^{▼▼Lit lean of flesh}thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly and ^{▼▼Lit lean of flesh}thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 He again fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6 And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 Now it happened that in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the ^{▼▼Or soothsayer priests}magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh recounted to them his dream, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would bring to remembrance today my own ^{▼▼Or sins}offenses. 10 Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 11 And we had a dream ^{▼▼Lit one night}on the same night, ^{▼▼Lit I and he}he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now there was with us a Hebrew youth, a slave of the captain of the bodyguard, and we recounted them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my ^{▼▼Lit place}office, but he hanged him.”

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they rushed him out of the pit; and he shaved himself and changed his clothes, and he came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; yet I have heard ^{▼▼Lit about you, saying}it said about you, that ^{▼▼Lit you hear a dream to interpret it}you hear a dream and that you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “ ^{▼▼Lit Apart from me}It is not in me; God will ^{▼▼Lit answer the peace of Pharaoh}answer concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.” 17 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and behold, seven cows, ^{▼▼Lit fat of flesh}fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. 19 And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and lean, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt, in regard to ^{▼▼Lit badness}ugliness; 20 and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21 But they ^{▼▼Lit entered their inward parts}devoured them, and yet it could not be known that they had ^{▼▼Lit entered their inward parts}devoured them. ^{▼▼Lit And}For they were just as ugly as ^{▼▼Lit in the beginning}before. Then I awoke. 22 Then I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23 and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. So I told it to the ^{▼▼Or soothsayer priests}magicians, but there was no one who could declare it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s ^{▼▼Lit dream is}dreams are one and the same; God has declared to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the ^{▼▼Lit dream is}dreams are one and the same. 27 And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven lean ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. 28 ^{▼▼Lit That is the thing which I spoke}It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30 and after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ^{▼▼Lit destroy}ravage the land, 31 so that the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very heavy. 32 Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33 So now let Pharaoh look for a man understanding and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35 Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and let them store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them keep watch over it. 36 And let the food be appointed for the land for the seven years of famine which will happen in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be cut off during the famine.”

Joseph Is Set over Egypt

37 And the ^{▼▼Lit word}proposal seemed good ^{▼▼Lit in the sight of}to Pharaoh and ^{▼▼Lit in the sight of}to all his servants. 38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made you know all of this, there is no one so understanding and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and according to your ^{▼▼Lit mouth}command all my people shall ^{▼▼Lit kiss}do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in ^{▼▼Lit the second...which was his}his second chariot; and they called out before him, “ ^{▼▼Or Attention, Make way; Heb Abreck}Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without ^{▼▼Lit you no one}your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph ^{▼▼Probably Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”}Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of ^{▼▼Or Heliopolis}On, as a wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he ^{▼▼Or entered the service of}stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and passed through all the land of Egypt. 47 And during the seven years of plenty the land brought forth ^{▼▼Lit by handfuls}abundantly. 48 So he gathered all the food of these seven years which happened in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49 Thus Joseph stored up grain ^{▼▼Lit very much}in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped ^{▼▼Lit numbering}measuring it, for it was ^{▼▼Or without number}beyond measure.

The Sons of Joseph

50 Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of ^{▼▼Or Heliopolis}On, bore to him. 51 And Joseph named the firstborn ^{▼▼Lit making to forget}Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 And he named the second ^{▼▼Lit fruitfulness}Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53 Then the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. So there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 Then all the land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56 Now the famine was over all the face of the land. And Joseph opened all ^{▼▼Lit that which was in them}the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Now all the earth also came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe in all the earth.