The Dreams of Pharaoh
1 At the end of two full years, Pharaoh had a dream, and in it he was standing by the river. 2 Seven cattle came up out of the river. They were fat and good looking, and they fed in the marsh grass. 3 Seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river. 4 The ugly and thin cattle devoured the seven fat, good looking cattle. Then Pharaoh awoke.
5 He slept and dreamed a second time, and seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good. 6 Seven heads of grain, thin and scorched 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 realized it was a dream.
8 In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cup bearer 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, with the chief baker. 11 We both had a dream on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own meaning. 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 our dreams for us. He interpreted for each man according to his dream. 13 As he interpreted to us, so it was: I was restored to my office, and he was hanged.”
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamt 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 is not I, but God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17 Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, I stood on the brink of the river, 18 and there came up out of the river, seven fat and good looking cattle. They fed in the marsh grass, 19 and seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin. Such ugliness I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 The thin and ugly cattle ate the first seven fat cattle, 21 and when they had devoured them, no one could tell that they had eaten them, and they were still as ugly as before. Then I awoke.
22 I saw in my dream that seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good, 23 and seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched with the east wind, sprung up after them. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The meaning of Pharaoh’s dreams are the same. 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. It is one dream. 27 The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years and also the seven empty heads of grain scorched with the east wind, they will be seven years of famine. 28 That is what I have said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
29 Seven years of great plenty throughout the whole land of Egypt are coming. 30 Seven years of famine will come after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the abundance will not be known in the land because of the famine which follows it, for it will be very grievous. 32 The dream was doubled to Pharaoh because it has been established by God, and God will soon 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 store up twenty percent of the produce from the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. 35 Let them gather all the food from these good years that come and store grain under Pharaoh’s hand for food in the cities and let them keep it. 36 The food will be to supply the land against the seven years of famine in the land of Egypt so that the land will not perish through the famine.”
Joseph Given Charge of Egypt
37 This revelation seemed 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 who has the Spirit of God in him?” 39 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only on the throne I will be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have set you over the whole land of Egypt.”
42 Pharaoh took his signet ring off of his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and arrayed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He made him 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. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
The Seven Years of Plenty
46 Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout the whole land of Egypt. 47 In the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly. 48 He gathered up all the food from the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and stored up the food in the cities. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city. 49 Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, so much that he stopped counting, for it was without number.
The Sons of Joseph
50 Before the year of famine, two sons were borne to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” 52 To the second, he gave the name Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
The Famine Begins
53 The seven years of plenty that were 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 throughout Egypt, there was bread. 55 When the entire land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all of the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” 56 The famine was over the whole face 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 the countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe throughout the earth.