Genesis 41:25-52

New King James Version

²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; ^(A)God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ^[a]heads are seven years; the dreams are one. ²⁷ And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are ^(B)seven years of famine. ^28 (C)This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁹ Indeed ^(D)seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; ³⁰ but after them seven years of famine will ^(E)arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine ^(F)will deplete the land. ³¹ So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. ³² And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the ^(G)thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

³³ “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint ^[b]officers over the land, ^(H)to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. ³⁵ And ^(I)let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the ^[c]authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. ³⁶ Then that food shall be as a ^[d]reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land ^(J)may not ^[e]perish during the famine.”

Joseph’s Rise to Power

³⁷ So ^(K)the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. ³⁸ And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man ^(L)in whom is the Spirit of God?”

³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. ^40 (M)You shall be ^[f]over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have ^(N)set you over all the land of Egypt.”

⁴² Then Pharaoh ^(O)took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he ^(P)clothed him in garments of fine linen ^(Q)and put a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ And he had him ride in the second ^(R)chariot which he had; ^(S)and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him ^(T)over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” ⁴⁵ And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name ^[g]Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife ^(U)Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he ^(V)stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth ^[h]abundantly. ⁴⁸ So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. ⁴⁹ Joseph gathered very much grain, ^(W)as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.

^50 (X)And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. ⁵¹ Joseph called the name of the firstborn ^[i]Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my ^(Y)father’s house.” ⁵² And the name of the second he called ^[j]Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be ^(Z)fruitful in the land of my affliction.”