Genesis 41
41
Pharaoh’s Dreams
1#Ge 20:3After two whole years, Pharaoh had a dream that he was standing by the Nile. 2Seven fine-looking and fattened cows suddenly came up out of the river, and they grazed in the meadow. 3Then seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the riverbank. 4The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine-looking and fattened cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
5He slept and dreamed a second time. Seven ears of grain suddenly came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6#Eze 17:10; 19:12Then seven thin ears, scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7The seven thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.
8#Ex 7:11; 7:22In 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.
9#Ge 40:14; 40:23Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “Today I remember my offenses. 10#Ge 39:20; 40:2–3Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in confinement in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker. 11And we had a dream in the same night, he and I. We, each of us, dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12#Ge 37:36; 40:12–19A young Hebrew man was with us there, a servant to the captain of the guard. We told him and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13It happened just as he interpreted. He restored me to my position, and the baker was hanged.”
14#Ps 113:7–8; Da 2:25So Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh.
15#Da 5:16Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream to interpret it.”
16#Ge 40:8; Da 2:47Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, I stood on the bank of the Nile. 18And suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fattened and fine-looking, and they grazed in the reeds. 19Then seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt. I have never seen such ugliness in all the land of Egypt. 20And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21And when they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as before. Then I awoke.
22“I also saw in my dreams seven ears of grain, full and good, suddenly come up on one stalk. 23Then seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24#Ge 41:8; Da 4:7And the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25#Da 2:45; 2:28–29Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26#Ge 41:2The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. The dreams are one. 27#2Ki 8:1The seven gaunt and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.
28#Ge 41:25“It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt. 30#Ge 41:54; 47:13However, there will arise after them seven years of famine. All the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land. 31The abundance will be unknown in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 32#Nu 23:19; Isa 46:10–11The reason the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice is because the matter is established by God, and God will soon bring it to pass.
33“Now, therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a man who is discerning and wise and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officials over the land and collect the fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven abundant years. 35Let them gather all the food from those good years that come and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36This food will be for a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish during the famine.”
Joseph Rises to Power
37The counsel seemed good to Pharaoh and to all of his servants. 38#Da 4:18; 5:11Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom is the Spirit of God?”
39#Ge 41:33And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40#Ps 105:21–22; Ac 7:10You will be over my house, and according to your word all my people will be ruled. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41#Da 6:3; Ge 42:6Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42#Da 5:7; 5:29; Est 3:10Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and arrayed him in clothes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43#Ge 45:8; 42:6Then he had him ride in the second chariot which was his, and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.
44#Ps 105:22Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man will lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45#Ge 46:20; Eze 30:17Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah, and he gave him a wife, Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On.#On is also called Heliopolis. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46#Ge 37:2; 1Sa 16:21Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47In the seven abundant years the earth brought forth plentifully. 48So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which was in the land of Egypt and laid up the food in the cities. He put in every city the food of the fields which surrounded the city. 49#Ge 22:17; Jdg 7:12Joseph gathered great quantities of grain as the sand of the sea until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.
50#Ge 46:20; 48:5Before 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,” he said, “has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 52#Ge 49:22; 50:23The name of the second he called Ephraim, saying, “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53The seven years of abundance that were in the land of Egypt ended. 54#Ac 7:11; Ge 45:11The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but there was food in all the land of Egypt. 55When all the land of Egypt was hungry, the people cried to Pharaoh for food, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he says to you.”
56#Ge 42:6The famine was over all the face of the earth, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, and the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 57#Ge 41:54; 41:56Moreover, all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was so severe in all the lands.
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Genesis 41: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Genesis 41
41
1After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the river,
2Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places.
3Other seven also came up out of the river, ill favoured, and lean-fleshed: and they fed on the very bank of the river, in green places.
4And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. So Pharao awoke.
5He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair.
6Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted,
7And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his rest.
8And when morning was come, being struck with fear, he sent to all the interpreters of Egypt, and to all the wise men. And they being called for, he told them his dream; and there was not any one that could interpret it.
9Then at length the chief butler remembering said: I confess my sin.
10The king, being angry with his servants, commanded me and the chief baker to be cast into the prison of the captain of the soldiers;
11Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream foreboding things to come.
12There was there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the same captain of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams.
13And we heard what afterwards the event of the thing proved to be so. For I was restored to my office: and he was hanged upon a gibbet.
14Forthwith at the king's command, Joseph was brought out of the prison: and they shaved him, and changing his apparel brought him in to him.
15And he said to him: I have dreamed dreams, and there is no one that can expound them. Now I have heard that thou art very wise at interpreting them.
16Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous answer.
17So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river;
18And seven kine came up out of the river exceeding beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.
19And, behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill favoured and lean, that I never saw the like in the land of Egypt.
20And the devoured and consumed the former,
21And yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and ill favoured as before. I awoke, and then fell asleep again,
22And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, full and very fair.
23Other seven also, thin and blasted, sprung of the stock.
24And they devoured the beauty of the former. I told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it.
25Joseph answered: The king's dream is one: God hath shewn to Pharao what he is about to do.
26The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream.
27And the seven lean and thin kine that came up after them, and the seven thin ears that were blasted with the burning wind, are seven years of famine to come.
28Which shall be fulfilled in this order:
29Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt:
30After which shall follow other seven years of so great scacity, that all the abundance before shall be forgotten. For the famine shall consume all the land,
31And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty.
32And for that thou didst see the second time a dream pertaining to the same thing: it is a token of the certainty, and that the word of God cometh to pass, and is fulfilled speedily.
33Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt,
34That he may appoint overseers over all the countries; and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years,
35That shall now presently ensue. And let all the corn be laid up under Pharao's hands, and be reserved in the cities.
36And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not consumed with scarcity.
37The counsel pleased Pharao and all his servants.
38And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God?
39He said therefore to Joseph: Seeing God hath shewn thee all that thou hast said, can I find one wiser and one like unto thee?
40Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above thee.
41And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.
42And he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his hand: and he put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold about his neck.
43And he made him go up into his second chariot, the crier proclaiming that all should bow their knee before him, and that they should know he was made governor over the whole land of Egypt.
44And the king said to Joseph: I am Pharao; without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45And he turned his name, and called him in the Egyptian tongue, The saviour of the world. And he gave him to wife Asenth, the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis. Then Joseph went out to the land of Egypt:
46(Now he was thirty years old when he stood before king Pharao): and he went round all the countries of Egypt.
47And the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corm being bound up into sheaves was gathered together into the barns of Egypt.
48And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city.
49And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea: and the plenty exceeded measure.
50And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom Aseneth, the daughter of Putiphare, priest of Heliopolis, bore unto him.
51And he called the name of the first born Manasses, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father's house.
52And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.
53Now when the seven years of the plenty that had been in Egypt were past,
54The seven years of scarcity, which Joseph had foretold, began to come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world. But there was bread in all the land of Egypt.
55And when there also they began to be famished, the people cried to Pharao for food. And he said to them: Go to Joseph; and do all that he shall say to you.
56And the famine increased daily in all the land. And Joseph opened all the barns, and sold to the Egyptians: for the famine had oppressed them also.
57And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.