Genesis 41

1 Two full years later, Pharaoh had a dream. In it he was standing by the Nile. 2 Seven cows came up out of the Nile. They were beautiful and fat, and they grazed in the reeds. 3 Then seven other cows came up out of the Nile after them. They were ugly and thin. They stood beside the first cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 The ugly, thin cows ate up the seven beautiful, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain were growing on one stalk. They were fat and good. 6 Then seven heads of grain sprouted after them. They were thin and dried up by the east wind. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven fat, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. It had been a dream. 8 In the morning his spirit was troubled. So he sent for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dream, but no one could interpret the dreams for Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh. He said, "Today I am bringing up my sins. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants. He put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the chief of the butchers. 11 One night we both had dreams, he and I. Each of us had a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us. He was a slave of the chief of the butchers. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us. He gave each of us the meaning of his own dream. 13 It turned out just as he had said. I was put back in my place, and the baker was hanged." 14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they rushed him out of the prison pit. He shaved and changed his clothes, and he came in to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard people say this about you: when you hear a dream, you can interpret it." 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

17 Then Pharaoh told Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18 Seven cows came up out of the Nile. They were fat and beautiful, and they grazed in the reeds. 19 Then seven other cows came up after them. They were weak and very ugly and thin. I have never seen cows so ugly in all the land of Egypt. 20 The thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven cows, the fat ones. 21 The fat cows went down into the thin cows' bellies, but no one could tell that they had gone in. The thin cows looked just as ugly as they did at the start. Then I woke up. 22 Then in my dream I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk. They were full and good. 23 Then seven heads of grain sprouted after them. They were shriveled and thin, dried up by the east wind. 24 The thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me."

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dream is one dream. God has told Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years. The seven good heads of grain are seven years. It is one dream. 27 The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years. And the seven empty heads of grain, dried up by the east wind, will be seven years of famine. 28 It is just as I told Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years are coming with great plenty in all the land of Egypt. 30 After them will come seven years of famine. All the plenty in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ruin the land. 31 No one will even know there was plenty in the land, because of the famine that comes after it, for that famine will be very severe. 32 The dream was given to Pharaoh twice because the matter is firmly settled by God, and God will soon do it.

33 So now, Pharaoh should look for a man who is discerning and wise. He should put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Pharaoh should do this. He should appoint officials over the land. During the seven years of plenty, he should take a fifth from the land of Egypt. 35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh's control, let them store up grain as food in the cities, and let them guard it. 36 This food will be kept in trust for the land. It will be for the seven years of famine that will come in the land of Egypt. Then the land will not be wiped out by the famine." 37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants. 38 Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find anyone like this, a man who has the spirit of God in him?" 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Now that God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You will be in charge of my house, and all my people will do homage at your word. Only on the throne will I be greater than you."

41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have put you in charge of all the land of Egypt." 42 Pharaoh took his ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand. He dressed Joseph in robes of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. 43 He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and men called out ahead of him, "Abrech!" So Pharaoh put him in charge of all the land of Egypt. 44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without you no one in all the land of Egypt will lift a hand or a foot." 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah. He gave him Asenath to be his wife. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. 46 Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Then Joseph left Pharaoh and went all through the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of plenty, the land produced crops in abundance, by the handful. 48 Joseph gathered all the food of the seven years in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he stored the food from the fields around it.

49 Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea. There was so much that he stopped counting, because it could not be counted. 50 Before the famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Their mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh, saying, "God has made me forget all my troubles and all my father's household." 52 He named the second son Ephraim, saying, "God has made me fruitful in the land where I suffered." 53 The seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt came to an end. 54 Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt went hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you." 56 The famine was over the whole land. Joseph opened up everything that was stored and sold grain to the Egyptians. And the famine grew severe in the land of Egypt.

57 People from every land came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in every land.