Parashat Miketz

Exalted by Pharaoh

41 Now at the end of two whole years, Pharaoh was dreaming. Behold, there he was standing by the Nile. ² Then behold, there were seven cows, good-looking and beefy, and they grazed in the reeds. ³ Then behold, there were seven other cows coming up after them from the Nile, ugly and emaciated, and they stood beside the cows at the edge of the Nile. ⁴ Then the ugly emaciated cows ate the seven good-looking beefy cows—and Pharaoh woke up.

⁵ Then he slept and dreamed a second time: behold, there were seven ears of corn coming up on one stalk, plump and good. ⁶ Then behold, there were seven ears of corn, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouting up after them. ⁷ Then the seven thin ears of corn swallowed up the seven plump and full ears of corn. Then Pharaoh woke up—it was a dream.

⁸ But in the morning he was disturbed in his spirit. So he sent and called for the fortune-telling priests of Egypt and all its wise men and Pharaoh told them his dream. But no one could interpret them for Pharaoh.

⁹ Then the chief of the cupbearers spoke with Pharaoh saying, “I am reminded of my sins today. ¹⁰ Pharaoh had been angry with his servants and put me in the custody of the house of the commander of the bodyguards—me and the chief of the bakers. ¹¹ Then we each dreamed a dream on the same night, he and I, we both dreamed, yet each dream had its own interpretation. ¹² Now there with us was a Hebrew youth—a slave belonging to the commander of the bodyguards. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams for us, each man’s dream he interpreted. ¹³ Then it came about, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. Me he restored to my position, but him he hung.

¹⁴ Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph. So they quickly fetched him from the pit. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh. ¹⁵ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I dreamed a dream and there’s no one to interpret it. I heard about you—it’s said that you can listen to a dream to interpret it.”

¹⁶ Then Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, “It’s not within me. God will answer with shalom for Pharaoh.”

¹⁷ So Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream, there I was, standing by the bank of the Nile. ¹⁸ And to my surprise, out of the Nile seven cows were coming up, beefy and good-looking, and they grazed in the reeds. ¹⁹ Then all of a sudden, there were seven other cows coming up after them, feeble, very ugly and emaciated. I’ve never seen the likes of these in the whole land of Egypt for ugliness. ²⁰ Then the emaciated and ugly cows ate the first seven beefy cows. ²¹ When they were devoured, one couldn’t tell that they had been devoured. Their appearance was as ugly as it was at first. Then I woke up. ²² Then I saw in my dream, there were seven ears of corn coming up on one stalk, plump and good. ²³ Then suddenly, there were seven ears of corn, dried up, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouting up after them. ²⁴ Then the thin ears of corn swallowed up the seven good ears of corn. So I told the fortune-telling priests, but no one could provide me with an explanation.”

²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dream is one. God has told Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁶ The seven good cows: they are seven years. Also the seven ears of corn: they’re seven years. It is one dream. ²⁷ The seven emaciated and ugly cows coming up after them: they’re seven years. Also the seven empty ears of corn scorched by the east wind: there will be seven years of famine. ²⁸ It is the word that I have already said to Pharaoh: what God is about to do, he has shown to Pharaoh. ²⁹ Seven years of abundance are about to come in the whole land of Egypt. ³⁰ Then seven years of famine will come up after them and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten and the famine will consume the land. ³¹ So the abundance in the land will be unknown because of the famine that follows, for it will be a very oppressive famine.

³² “Now as for repeating Pharaoh’s dream twice: it’s because the matter has been settled by God and God will quickly make it happen. ³³ So now, let Pharaoh select a man discerning and wise and set him in authority over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh act by appointing administrators over the land and take a fifth portion from the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. ³⁵ Then let them gather all the food from these good years that are coming, and let them store up grain under Pharaoh’s hand as food for the cities, so they may preserve it. ³⁶ Let the food be held in reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that is coming upon the land of Egypt. Then the land will not be annihilated by the famine.”

³⁷ Now the plan seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh as well as all his servants. ³⁸ Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can a man like this be found, one in whom is God’s Spirit?”

³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You! You will be over my house, and all my people will pay homage to you^[a]. Only in relation to the throne will I be greater than you.”

⁴¹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I appoint you over the whole land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and put a chain of gold around his neck. ⁴³ Then he had him ride in the chariot as second-in-command, the one that belonged to him, and they called out before him, “Kneel down!” So he appointed him over the whole land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one will lift up his hand or his foot in the whole land of Egypt.” ⁴⁵ Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Then Joseph went out, in charge of the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶ Now Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving as representative of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and passed throughout the whole land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven years of abundance, the land produced in heaps. ⁴⁸ So he gathered all the food in the land of Egypt during the seven years, and put food in the cities; the food from the city fields surrounding the cities he put in each city. ⁴⁹ So Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, vast amounts, until he stopped keeping record because it was beyond counting.

⁵⁰ Two sons also had been born to Joseph before the year of famine came, born to him by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. ⁵¹ Joseph named his first-born Manasseh, “because God has caused me to forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” ⁵² And the second he named Ephraim, “because God has made me fruitful in the land of my oppression.”

⁵³ Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and the seven years of famine started to come—just as Joseph had said. So there was famine in all the lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was bread. ⁵⁵ When the whole land of Egypt suffered famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, and Pharaoh said to all of Egypt, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you.” ⁵⁶ The famine was over all the entire land, so Joseph opened up all that was among them and sold grain to Egypt. Then the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ Yet the whole world came to Egypt to buy grain—to Joseph—because the famine was severe in the whole world.