Now it happened at the end
of two full
years
that Pharaoh
had
a dream
, and behold
, he was standing
by the Nile
.
And lo, from the Nile
there came
up seven
cows
, sleek
and 1fat
; and they grazed
in the amarsh
grass
.
Then behold, seven
other
cows
came
up after
them from the Nile
, ugly
and 1gaunt
, and they stood
by the other cows
on the bank
of the Nile
.
The ugly and 1gaunt
cows
ate
up the seven
sleek
and fat
cows
. Then Pharaoh
awoke
.
He fell asleep
and dreamed
a second
time
; and behold
, seven
ears
of grain
came
up on a single
stalk
, plump
and good
.
Then behold, seven
ears
, thin
and scorched
by the east
wind
, sprouted
up after
them.
The thin ears
swallowed
up the seven
plump
and full
ears
. Then Pharaoh
awoke
, and behold
, it was a dream
.
Now in the morning ahis spirit
was troubled
, so he sent
and called
for all
the 1 bmagicians
of Egypt
, and all
its cwise
men
. And Pharaoh
told
them his 2dreams
, but dthere
was no
one
who could interpret
them to Pharaoh
.
Then the chief cupbearer
spoke
to Pharaoh
, saying
, "I would make mention
today
of amy own 1offenses
.
"Pharaoh was afurious
with his servants
, and bhe put
me in confinement
in the house
of the captain
of the bodyguard
, both me and the chief
baker
.
" aWe had a dream
1on the same
night
, 2he and I; each
of us dreamed
according to the interpretation
of his own dream
.
"Now a Hebrew youth
was with us there
, a aservant
of the captain
of the bodyguard
, and we related
them to him, and bhe interpreted
our dreams
for us. To each
one
he interpreted
according to his own dream
.
"And just aas he interpreted
for us, so
it happened
; he restored
me in my 1office
, but he hanged
him."
Then Pharaoh sent
and acalled
for Joseph
, and they bhurriedly
brought
him out of the dungeon
; and when he had shaved
himself and changed
his clothes
, he came
to Pharaoh
.
Pharaoh said
to Joseph
, "I have had
a dream
, abut no
one
can interpret
it; and bI have heard
1it said
about
you, that 2when you hear
a dream
you can interpret
it."
Joseph then answered
Pharaoh
, saying
, " 1 aIt is not in me; bGod
will 2give
Pharaoh
a favorable
answer
."
So Pharaoh spoke
to Joseph
, "In my dream
, behold
, I was standing
on the bank
of the Nile
;
and behold, seven
cows
, 1fat
and sleek
came
up out of the Nile
, and they grazed
in the marsh
grass
.
"Lo, seven
other
cows
came
up after
them, poor
and very
ugly
and 1gaunt
, such
as I had never
seen
for 2ugliness
in all
the land
of Egypt
;
and the lean and 1ugly
cows
ate
up the first
seven
fat
cows
.
"Yet when they had 1devoured them, it could not be 2detected
that they had 1devoured
them, 3for they were just
as ugly
as 4before
. Then I awoke
.
"I saw also in my dream
, and behold
, seven
ears
, full
and good
, came
up on a single
stalk
;
and lo, seven
ears
, withered
, thin
, and scorched
by the east
wind
, sprouted
up after
them;
and the thin ears
swallowed
the seven
good
ears
. Then aI told
it to the 1magicians
, but there
was no
one
who could explain
it to me."
Now Joseph said
to Pharaoh
, "Pharaoh's
1dreams
are one
and the same; aGod
has told
to Pharaoh
what
He is about to do
.
"The seven good
cows
are seven
years
; and the seven
good
ears
are seven
years
; the 1dreams
are one
and the same.
"The seven lean
and ugly
cows
that came
up after
them are seven
years
, and the seven
thin
ears
scorched
by the east
wind
awill be seven
years
of famine
.
" 1It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh
: aGod
has shown
to Pharaoh
what
He is about to do
.
"Behold, aseven
years
of great
abundance
are coming
in all
the land
of Egypt
;
and after them aseven
years
of famine
will 1come
, and all
the abundance
will be forgotten
in the land
of Egypt
, and the famine
will 2ravage
the land
.
"So the abundance will be unknown
in the land
because
of that subsequent
famine
; for it will be very
severe
.
"Now as for the repeating of the dream
to Pharaoh
twice
, it means that athe matter
is determined
by God
, and God
will quickly
bring
it about
.
"Now let Pharaoh
look
for a man
adiscerning
and wise
, and set
him over
the land
of Egypt
.
"Let Pharaoh take
action
to appoint
overseers
1in charge
of the land
, and let him exact
a fifth
of the produce of the land
of Egypt
in the seven
years
of abundance
.
"Then let them agather all
the food
of these
good
years
that are coming
, and store
up the grain
for food
in the cities
under
Pharaoh's
authority
, and let them guard
it.
"Let the food become
as a reserve
for the land
for the seven
years
of famine
which
will occur
in the land
of Egypt
, so that the land
will not perish
during the famine
."
Now the 1proposal seemed
good
2to Pharaoh
and 2to all
his servants
.
Then Pharaoh said
to his servants
, "Can we find
a man
like this
, ain whom
is a divine
spirit
?"
So Pharaoh said
to Joseph
, "Since
God
has informed
you of all
this
, there
is no
one
so adiscerning
and wise
as you are.
" aYou shall be over my house
, and according
to your 1command
all
my people
shall 2do
homage
; only
in the throne
I will be greater
than
you."
Pharaoh said
to Joseph
, "See
, I have set
you aover
all
the land
of Egypt
."
Then Pharaoh atook
off
his signet
ring
from his hand
and put
it on Joseph's
hand
, and clothed
him in garments
of fine
linen
and bput
the gold
necklace
around
his neck
.
He had him ride in 1his second
chariot
; and they proclaimed
before
him, " 2Bow
the knee
!" And he set
him over
all
the land
of Egypt
.
Moreover, Pharaoh said
to Joseph
, "Though I am Pharaoh
, yet awithout
1your permission no
one
shall raise
his hand
or foot
in all
the land
of Egypt
."
Then Pharaoh named
Joseph
1Zaphenath-paneah
; and he gave
him Asenath
, the daughter
of Potiphera
priest
of 2 aOn
, as his wife
. And Joseph
went
forth
over
the land
of Egypt
.
Now Joseph was athirty
years
old
when he 1stood
before
Pharaoh
, king
of Egypt
. And Joseph
went
out from the presence
of Pharaoh
and went
through
all
the land
of Egypt
.
During the seven years
of plenty
the land
brought
forth
1abundantly
.
So he gathered all
the food
of these seven
years
which
occurred
in the land
of Egypt
and placed
the food
in the cities
; he placed
in every city
the food
from its own surrounding
fields
.
Thus Joseph stored
up grain
1in great
abundance
like the sand
of the sea
, until
he stopped
2measuring
it, for it was 3beyond
measure
.
Now before the year
of famine
came
, atwo
sons
were born
to Joseph
, whom
Asenath
, the daughter
of Potiphera
priest
of 1On
, bore
to him.
Joseph named
the firstborn
1Manasseh
, "For," he said, "God
has made me forget
all
my trouble
and all
my father's
household
."
He named the second
1Ephraim
, "For," he said, " aGod
has made
me fruitful
in the land
of my affliction
."
When the seven years
of plenty
which
had been
in the land
of Egypt
came
to an end
,
and athe seven years
of famine
began
to come
, just
as Joseph
had said
, then there was famine
in all
the lands
, but in all
the land
of Egypt
there was bread
.
So when all the land
of Egypt
was famished
, the people
cried
out to Pharaoh
for bread
; and Pharaoh
said
to all
the Egyptians
, "Go
to Joseph
; awhatever
he says
to you, you shall do
."
When the famine was spread over
all
the face
of the earth
, then Joseph
opened
all
1the storehouses
, and sold
to the Egyptians
; and the famine
was severe
in the land
of Egypt
.
The people of all the earth
came
to Egypt
to buy
grain
from Joseph
, because
athe famine
was severe
in all
the earth
.