Chapter 41
1
At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed. Behold, he stood by the river.
2
Behold, seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat of flesh, came up from the river and grazed in the meadow.
3
Behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly in appearance and gaunt of flesh, and they stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile.
4
And the ugly, gaunt cows ate the seven beautiful and healthy cows, and Pharaoh awoke.
5
He fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain coming up on one stalk, fat and good.
6
And behold, seven thin ears scorched by the east wind sprouted up after them.
7
And the thin ears swallowed the seven healthy and full ears, and Pharaoh awoke. Behold, it was a dream.
8
In the morning his spirit was troubled. He sent for all the magicians 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 said to Pharaoh, "I am reminding Pharaoh of my sins today."
10
Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the chief of the butlers—me and the chief of the bakers.
11
And we each dreamed a dream in one night—I and he. We dreamed a dream, each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12
And there with us was a Hebrew youth, servant to the chief of the butchers, and we told him and he interpreted our dreams for us; he interpreted a man according to his dream.
13
And it happened just as he interpreted to us—so it was. He restored me to my position, but him he hanged.
14
Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they hurried him out of the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh.
15
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, but no one can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it."
16
Joseph answered Pharaoh, "God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. It does not depend on me."
17
Pharaoh said to Joseph: "In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the river."
18
And behold, seven cows, healthy in flesh and beautiful in form, came up out of the river and fed in the reeds.
19
And there, seven other cows came up after them, scrawny and very ugly in appearance and gaunt of flesh. I have not seen their like in all the land of Egypt, for ugliness.
20
The lean cows and the ugly ones ate the seven first cows, the healthy ones.
21
And they entered its midst, and it was not known that they had entered its midst. And their appearance was as bad as at the beginning. And Pharaoh was disgusted.
22
And I saw in a dream, and behold, seven ears of grain coming up on one stalk, full and good.
23
And behold, seven thin and slender ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them.
24
And the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. I told this to the magicians and wise men, but no one could explain it to me.
25
And Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dream is one. It is what God has done. He has told it to Pharaoh."
26
Seven good cows, seven years; and seven good ears, seven years; it is one dream.
27
And the seven lean and bad cows coming up after them—seven years—and behold, the seven lean and blighted ears of grain, east wind—will be seven years of famine.
28
It is the word that I spoke to Pharaoh, which God has done. He has shown it to Pharaoh.
29
Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt.
30
Seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the seven will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will finish off the land.
31
The seven years of plenty in the land will not be known because of that famine afterward, for it will be very severe.
32
And as for the dream being repeated to Pharaoh twice, the word is established by God, and God is hastening to do it.
33
Now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man, and appoint him over the land of Egypt.
34
Let Pharaoh do this: appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
35
They shall gather all the food of these coming good years, heap up grain under Pharaoh's hand—food in the cities—and keep it.
36
And the food shall be a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be destroyed by the famine.
37
And the proposal seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
38
And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, one in whom is the Spirit of God?"
39
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 over my house, and all my people shall obey your word; only in the throne will I be greater than you.