Genesis 41
Revised Geneva Translation
41 And two years later, Pharaoh also dreamed. And behold, he stood by a river.
2 And lo, seven cows came up out of the river, good-looking and fat-fleshed. And they fed in a meadow.
3 And lo, seven other cows came up out of the river after them, sickly and lean-fleshed, and stood by the cows upon the edge of the river.
4 And the sickly and lean-fleshed cows ate up the seven good-looking and fat cows. So, Pharaoh awoke.
5 Again he slept and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, plump and good.
6 And lo, seven thin ears, blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
7 And the thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke; and lo, it was a dream.
8 Now, when the morning came, his spirit was troubled. Therefore, he sent and called all the soothsayers of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof. And Pharaoh told them his dreams. But no one could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then, the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I call to mind my faults this day.
10 “Pharaoh, being angry with his servants, put me in ward in the chief steward’s house (me and the chief baker).
11 “Then, one night, we both dreamed a dream. We each dreamed a dream with its own interpretation.
12 “And there was a young man with us, a Hebrew, servant to the chief steward; whom, when we told them, he interpreted our dreams for us. He interpreted both of our dreams.
13 “And as he interpreted, so it happened; for he restored me to my office and hanged him.
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. And they quickly brought him out of prison; and he shaved him and changed his clothing and came to Pharaoh.
15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream; and no man can interpret it. And I have heard tell of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “God shall answer for the wealth of Pharaoh without me.”
17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood by the bank of the river.
18 “And lo, there came up out of the river seven fat-fleshed, and good-looking cows. And they fed in the meadow.
19 “Also, lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very sickly cows, and lean-fleshed. I never saw such sickliness in all the land of Egypt.
20 “And the lean and the sickly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
21 “And after they had eaten them up, one could not tell that they had eaten them, because they were still as sickly as they were at the beginning. So, I awoke.
22 “Moreover, I saw in my dream; and behold, seven ears sprang out of one stalk, full and fair.
23 “And lo, seven withered ears, thin, blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
24 “And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. Now, I have told the soothsayers and none of them can interpret it for me.”
25 Then, Joseph answered Pharaoh, “Both Pharaoh’s dreams are one. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 “The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years. This is one dream.
27 “Likewise, the seven thin and sickly cows that came out after them, are seven years. And the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind are seven years of famine.
28 “This is the thing which I have said to Pharaoh: that God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29 “Behold, there comes seven years of great plenty in all the land of Egypt.
30 “Then, there shall arise after them seven years of famine, so that all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land.
31 “Nor shall the plenty be remembered in the land, because of this famine that shall come after; for it shall be exceedingly great.
32 “And therefore, the dream was doubled to Pharaoh a second time, because the thing is established by God; and God hurries to perform it.
33 “Now, therefore, let Pharaoh provide for a man of understanding and wisdom, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 “Let Pharaoh make and appoint officers over the land, and collect a fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 “Also, let them gather all the food of these good years that come and store corn for food in the cities, under the hand of Pharaoh; and let them keep it.
36 “So, the food shall be for the provision of the land, against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish by famine.”
37 And the saying pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.
38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a man as this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all this, there is no man of understanding or wisdom like you.
40 “You shall be over my house. And at your word shall all my people be ruled. Only in the king’s throne will I be above you.”
41 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a golden chain around his neck.
43 So, he sat him upon the best chariot that he had, except one. And they cried before him, “Abrech,” and placed him over all the land of Egypt.
44 Again, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. And no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in the land of Egypt without you.”
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name “Zaphnath-Paaneah”. And he gave him Asenath as wife, the daughter of Poti-Pherah, Prince of On. Then Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, King of Egypt. And Joseph, leaving the presence of Pharaoh, went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years, the earth brought forth abundantly.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven plenteous years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities. The food of the field, which was outside the cities, he laid up in the same.
49 So Joseph gathered wheat like the sand of the sea in multitude, out of measure, until he stopped counting (for it was without number).
50 Now, two sons were born to Joseph before the year of famine came. Which Asenath (the daughter of Poti-Pherah, prince of On) bore to him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn “Manasseh”. “For God,” said he, “has made me forget all my labor and all my father’s household.”
52 Also, he called the name of the second, “Ephraim”. “For God,” said he, “has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 So, the seven years of the plenty that was in the land of Egypt were ended.
54 Then, the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. And the famine was in all lands. But bread was in all the land of Egypt.
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph! And do whatever he says!”
56 When the famine was upon all the land, Joseph opened all the storage places and sold to the Egyptians; for the famine grew severe in the land of Egypt.
57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy corn from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all lands.
Genesis 41
English Standard Version
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
41 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and (A)blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning (B)his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the (C)magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was (D)angry with his servants (E)and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 (F)we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, (G)he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And (H)as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14 (I)Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they (J)quickly brought him (K)out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. (L)I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, (M)“It is not in me; (N)God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”[a] 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, (O)in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And (P)I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; (Q)God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also (R)seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; (S)God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come (T)seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise (U)seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. (V)The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the (W)thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land[b] of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And (X)let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
Joseph Rises to Power
37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, (Y)in whom is the Spirit of God?”[c] 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 (Z)You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command.[d] Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, (AA)I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh (AB)took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and (AC)clothed him in garments of fine linen (AD)and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. (AE)And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!”[e] Thus he set him (AF)over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and (AG)without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he (AH)entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, (AI)like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.
50 Before the year of famine came, (AJ)two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.”[f] 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has (AK)made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”[g]
53 The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and (AL)the seven years of famine began to come, (AM)as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses[h] and (AN)sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe (AO)over all the earth.
Footnotes
- Genesis 41:16 Or (compare Samaritan, Septuagint) Without God it is not possible to give Pharaoh an answer about his welfare
- Genesis 41:34 Or over the land and organize the land
- Genesis 41:38 Or of the gods
- Genesis 41:40 Hebrew and according to your command all my people shall kiss the ground
- Genesis 41:43 Abrek, probably an Egyptian word, similar in sound to the Hebrew word meaning to kneel
- Genesis 41:51 Manasseh sounds like the Hebrew for making to forget
- Genesis 41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for making fruitful
- Genesis 41:56 Hebrew all that was in them
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