Genesis 41

1 After two full years, Pharaoh had a dream. He thought he was standing at the river, 2 and look — up out of the river came seven cows, beautiful to look at and choice of flesh, and they grazed in the reed grass. 3 And after them, seven other cows came up out of the river, ugly to look at and lean of flesh, and they grazed beside the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the seven ugly, lean cows devoured the seven beautiful, choice-fleshed cows. And Pharaoh woke up. 5 Then he dreamed again. And look — seven ears of grain came up on one stalk, choice and good. 6 And look — seven ears, thin and scorched by the wind, sprang up after them. 7 And the seven thin, wind-scorched ears devoured the seven choice, full ears. And Pharaoh woke up — and it was a dream. 8 When morning came, his soul was troubled, and he sent and called all the interpreters of Egypt and all her wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dream — and there was no one to explain it to Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh: “Today I remember my sin. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put us under guard in the house of the captain of the guard — me and the chief baker. 11 And we both had a dream in the same night, I and he — we each saw our own dream. 12 And there with us was a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us. 13 And it happened exactly as he interpreted: I was restored to my office, and the other was hanged.” 14 So Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. And they brought him out of the prison, shaved him, and changed his clothes, and he came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear dreams, you interpret them.” 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, “Without God, no answer of well-being can be given to Pharaoh.” 17 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph: “In my dream, I thought I was standing on the bank of the river, 18 and up out of the river came seven cows, beautiful to look at and choice of flesh, and they grazed in the reed grass. 19 And look — seven other cows came up after them out of the river, wretched and ugly and lean of flesh. I have never seen worse in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the seven ugly, thin cows ate up the seven fine, choice cows that came first. 21 They went into their bellies — and you could not tell that they had gone into their bellies: they looked just as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke, and slept again, 22 and I saw again in my sleep: seven ears of grain came up on one stem, full and good. 23 And seven other ears, thin and scorched by the wind, sprang up close beside them. 24 And the seven thin, wind-scorched ears devoured the seven fine, full ears. I told all this to the interpreters — and there was no one to explain it to me.”

25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one dream. Whatever God is doing, he has shown to Pharaoh. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years — the dream of Pharaoh is one. 27 And the seven thin cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin, wind-scorched ears shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the word I have spoken to Pharaoh: whatever God intends to do, he has shown to Pharaoh. 29 Look — for seven years there is coming great plenty in all the land of Egypt. 30 But after them will come seven years of famine, and the plenty that was in all Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will consume the land. 31 The plenty will not even be known in the land because of the famine that follows it — for it will be very severe. 32 And as for the dream being repeated to Pharaoh twice: it is because the word is from God and is certain, and God will be quick to do it. 33 Now then — let Pharaoh look for a wise and prudent man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 And let Pharaoh act, and appoint local governors over the land, and let them take up a fifth of all the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty. 35 Let them gather all the food of these seven good years that are coming, and let the grain be gathered under Pharaoh’s hand — food kept in the cities. 36 And the stored food will be there for the land in the seven years of famine that will come on the land of Egypt — and the land will not be destroyed by the famine.”

37 The word was pleasing in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to all his servants, “Shall we find another man like this, who has the Spirit of God in him?” 39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no man wiser or more prudent than you. 40 You shall be over my house, and at your word all my people shall obey. Only in the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Look — today I set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 And Pharaoh took the ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in a robe of fine linen, and put a necklace of gold around his neck. 43 And he mounted him on the second of his chariots, and a herald made proclamation before him. So he set him over all the land of Egypt. [a] 44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no one shall lift his hand in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, as his wife. [b] 46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and passed through all the land of Egypt.

47 In the seven years of plenty, the land produced whole handfuls of grain. 48 And he gathered all the food of the seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt, and stored the food in the cities — in each city he stored the food of the fields around it. 49 And Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, so much that it could not be counted — it was beyond counting. 50 Before the seven years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh — “for God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” [d] 52 And he named the second Ephraim — “for God has increased me in the land of my humiliation.” 53 Then the seven years of plenty that 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. And there was famine in all the land — but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And all the land of Egypt grew hungry, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.” 56 The famine was over the face of all the earth. And Joseph opened all the granaries and sold grain to all the Egyptians. 57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy from Joseph — for the famine had grown strong in all the earth.