And it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed — and look, he was standing by the Nile.
And look, out of the Nile came up seven cows, beautiful to look at and fat of flesh, and they grazed among the reeds.
And look, seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, ugly to look at and thin of flesh, and they stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile.
And the cows ugly to look at and thin of flesh ate the seven cows beautiful to look at and fat. And Pharaoh woke.
And he slept and dreamed a second time — and look, seven heads of grain coming up on one stalk, fat and good.
And look, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouting after them.
And the thin heads swallowed the seven fat and full heads. And Pharaoh woke — and look, it was a dream.
And it happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all the magicians of Egypt and all her wise men. And Pharaoh recounted his dream to them — and there was no one to interpret them for Pharaoh.
And the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh: “My offenses I bring to mind today.
Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard — me and the chief of the bakers.
And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he — each of us dreamed a dream with its own meaning.
And there with us was a Hebrew boy, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we recounted them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us — for each man according to his dream he interpreted.
And it happened: just as he interpreted for us, so it was. Me he restored to my post, and him he hanged.”
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him from the pit; and he shaved and changed his garments and came to Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. And I have heard it said of you that you hear a dream to interpret it.”
And Joseph answered Pharaoh: “It is not in me. God will answer for the welfare of Pharaoh.”
And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph: “In my dream — look, I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
And look, out of the Nile came up seven cows, fat of flesh and beautiful in form, and they grazed among the reeds.
And look, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly in form and gaunt of flesh — I have never seen their like in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
And the gaunt and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows.
And they went into their bellies, but it could not be known that they had gone into their bellies — their appearance was as ugly as at the beginning. And I woke.
And I saw in my dream — look, seven heads of grain coming up on one stalk, full and good.
And look, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, scorched by the east wind, sprouting after them.
And the thin heads swallowed the seven good heads. And I told the magicians — and there is no one to explain it to me.”
And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do, he has told to Pharaoh.
The seven good cows — they are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain — they are seven years. The dream is one.
And the seven gaunt and ugly cows coming up after them — they are seven years; and the seven empty heads, scorched by the east wind — they will be seven years of famine.
This is the word that I have spoken to Pharaoh: what God is about to do, he has shown to Pharaoh.
Look — seven years are coming of great plenty in all the land of Egypt.
And after them seven years of famine will rise, and all the plenty in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will finish off the land.
And the plenty will not be known in the land because of that famine afterward, for it will be very heavy.
And as for the dream being repeated to Pharaoh twice — it is because the matter is fixed from God, and God is hurrying to do it.
And now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Let Pharaoh act: let him appoint overseers over the land, and take a fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty.
And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and pile up grain under Pharaoh’s hand — food in the cities — and keep it.
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 cut off by the famine.”
Joseph Given Charge of Egypt
And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
You shall be over my house, and by your mouth all my people shall order themselves. Only in the throne will I be greater than you.”
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See — I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
And Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and set the gold chain on his neck.
And he had him ride in his second chariot, and they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh — and without you no man shall lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”
And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
The Seven Years of Plenty
And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from before Pharaoh, and passed through all the land of Egypt.
And in the seven years of plenty the land produced by handfuls.
And he gathered all the food of the seven years that came in the land of Egypt, and put food in the cities — the food of the fields around each city he put inside it.
And Joseph piled up grain like the sand of the sea, very much — until he stopped counting, for it was beyond count.
And to Joseph two sons were born before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh — “For God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”
And the name of the second he called Ephraim — “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
The Famine Begins
And the seven years of plenty that was in the land of Egypt came to an end,
and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all the lands — but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
And all the land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all Egypt, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
And the famine was over the whole face of the earth. And Joseph opened everything that had grain in it, and sold to Egypt. And the famine grew strong in the land of Egypt.
And the whole earth came to Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain — for the famine had grown strong in all the earth.
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