The Dreams of Pharaoh
1. After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,
2. when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds.
3. After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank.
4. And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
5. He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk.
6. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.
7. And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh awoke; it was only a dream.
8. When morning came, his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my shortcomings.
10. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.
11. Each of us had a dream the same night, and the dreams had meanings of their own.
12. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
13. And just as he interpreted for us, it happened: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
14. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought from the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.
15. “I had a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph, “and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.”
16. “I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
18. when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.
19. After them, seven other cows came up, sickly and thin—extremely poor-looking and lean. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!
20. Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven fat cows that came up first.
21. Yet after they had devoured them, no one would have known that they had done so, because they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.
22. In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.
23. After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.
24. And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”
25. “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph replied. “God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
26. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream.
27. The seven thin, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.
28. It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt.
30. But seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.
31. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.
32. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two copies is that the matter has been firmly decreed by God, and God will bring it to pass shortly.
33. So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
34. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers for the land to take a fifth of its produce during the seven years of abundance.
35. Let them gather all the excess food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain under Pharaoh’s authority as food to be stored in the cities.
36. Let it be kept for the land during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not perish in the famine.”
Joseph Given Charge of Egypt
37. The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.
38. So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God is so evident?”
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 shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to obey your orders. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42. Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
43. He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.
44. “I am Pharaoh,” Pharaoh told Joseph, “but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”
45. Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.
The Seven Years of Plenty
46. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
47. During the seven years of abundance, the land produced plentifully.
48. Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.
49. So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand of the sea—that he stopped keeping track of it; it was beyond measure.
50. Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
51. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”
52. And the second son he named Ephraim and said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
The Famine Begins
53. Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,
54. and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.
55. When all the land of Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. So Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
56. The famine had spread over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. For the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
57. And all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe throughout the earth.