Genesis 41

1At the end of two full years, Pharaoh had a dream. He was standing by the Nile,

2when seven cows, sleek and fat, came up out of the Nile and grazed among the reeds.

3After them seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

4Then the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. And Pharaoh woke up.

5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time. Seven heads of grain, plump and good, were growing on a single stalk.

6After them seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.

7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it had been a dream.

8In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for Pharaoh.

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my offenses.

10Once Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard.

11One night he and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning.

12A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each of us the interpretation of his dream.

13And it turned out exactly as he interpreted it to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”

14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.”

16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer for his well-being.”

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

18when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the Nile and grazed among the reeds.

19After them seven other cows came up, weak and very ugly and thin. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.

20The thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.

21But even after they had eaten them, no one could tell that they had eaten them, because they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

22I also saw in my dream seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.

23After them seven other heads sprouted, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.

24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same. God has told Pharaoh what he is about to do.

26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. It is one and the same dream.

27The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind. They are seven years of famine.

28It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,

30but after them seven years of famine will come. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.

31The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for it will be very severe.

32The dream was given to Pharaoh twice because the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will soon make it happen.

33So now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.

34Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over the land, and let him collect a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

35Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under Pharaoh’s authority, to be kept as food in the cities.

36This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will come on the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be destroyed by the famine.”

37The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.

38So Pharaoh said to his officials, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom is the Spirit of God?”

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are.

40You will be in charge of my palace, and all my people will obey your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I am putting you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”

42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

43He had him ride in his second chariot, and they shouted ahead of him, “Bow down!” So he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

44Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will lift a hand or a foot in all the land of Egypt.”

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah, and he gave him Asenath the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Then Joseph went out across the land of Egypt.

46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

47During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.

48Joseph gathered all the food of the seven years that came to the land of Egypt and stored the food in the cities. In each city he stored the food from the fields around it.

49Joseph stored up grain in great quantities, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, because it was beyond measure.

50Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”

52He named the second Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

53The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,

54and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was food.

55When all the land of Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

56When the famine had spread over the whole land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, and the famine grew severe in the land of Egypt.

57People from all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe over all the earth.