Genesis 41

Pharaoh’s Dreams

1After two full years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile. 2And behold, seven cows, attractive and fat, came up out of the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 3And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, ugly and thin, and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4And the ugly and thin cows ate up the seven attractive and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

5And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

8In the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

Joseph Summoned from Prison

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my offenses today. 10Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker. 11We dreamed a dream on the same night, he and I, each dream with its own meaning. 12A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him, and he interpreted our dreams to us, giving each man an interpretation according to his dream. 13And just as he interpreted to us, so it came to pass. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his garments, he came before Pharaoh. 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Joseph Interprets the Dreams

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18And behold, seven cows, fat and attractive, came up out of the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 19And behold, 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 for ugliness. 20And the thin and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows, 21but when they had eaten them, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as before. Then I awoke.

22I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24And the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. The dreams are one. 27The seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine. 28It is as I told Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt. 30But after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land. 31The abundance will not be known in the land because of the famine that follows, for it will be very severe. 32And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the matter is established by God, and God will soon bring it about.

Joseph’s Counsel

33Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35Let them gather all the food of these coming good years and store up grain under Pharaoh’s authority for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Exalted by Pharaoh

37The proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants. 38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is none so discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves according to your command. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43And he had him ride in his second chariot. And they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your permission no one shall lift hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven years of abundance the earth produced plentifully. 48And he gathered all the food of those seven years that occurred in the land of Egypt and stored up food in the cities. In each city he stored up food from the fields surrounding it. 49Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, exceedingly much, until he ceased measuring it, for it could not be measured.

The Birth of Manasseh and Ephraim

50Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On bore to him. 51Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52And the name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

The Famine Begins

53Then the seven years of abundance that had occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55When 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.” 56So when the famine had spread over all the face of the earth, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57And all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.