Genesis 41
41
1-4Two years passed and Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile River. Seven cows came up out of the Nile, all shimmering with health, and grazed on the marsh grass. Then seven other cows, all skin and bones, came up out of the river after them and stood by them on the bank of the Nile. The skinny cows ate the seven healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5-7He went back to sleep and dreamed a second time: Seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, grew out of a single stalk. Then seven more ears grew up, but these were thin and dried out by the east wind. The thin ears swallowed up the full, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up—another dream.
8When morning came, he was upset. He sent for all the magicians and sages of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but they couldn’t interpret them to him.
9-13The head cupbearer then spoke up and said to Pharaoh, “I just now remembered something—I’m sorry, I should have told you this long ago. Once when Pharaoh got angry with his servants, he locked me and the head baker in the house of the captain of the guard. We both had dreams on the same night, each dream with its own meaning. It so happened that there was a young Hebrew slave there with us; he belonged to the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us, each dream separately. Things turned out just as he interpreted. I was returned to my position and the head baker was impaled.”
14Pharaoh at once sent for Joseph. They brought him on the run from the jail cell. He cut his hair, put on clean clothes, and came to Pharaoh.
15“I dreamed a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph. “Nobody can interpret it. But I’ve heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it.”
16Joseph answered, “Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh’s mind at ease.”
17-21Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. Seven cows, shimmering with health, came up out of the river and grazed on the marsh grass. On their heels seven more cows, all skin and bones, came up. I’ve never seen uglier cows anywhere in Egypt. Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate up the first seven healthy cows. But you couldn’t tell by looking—after eating them up they were just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22-24“In my second dream I saw seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, growing out of a single stalk, and right behind them, seven other ears, shriveled, thin, and dried out by the east wind. And the thin ears swallowed up the full ears. I’ve told all this to the magicians but they can’t figure it out.”
25-27Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s two dreams both mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do. The seven healthy cows are seven years and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years—they’re the same dream. The seven sick and ugly cows that followed them up are seven years and the seven scrawny ears of grain dried out by the east wind are the same—seven years of famine.
28-32“The meaning is what I said earlier: God is letting Pharaoh in on what he is going to do. Seven years of plenty are on their way throughout Egypt. But on their heels will come seven years of famine, leaving no trace of the Egyptian plenty. As the country is emptied by famine, there won’t be even a scrap left of the previous plenty—the famine will be total. The fact that Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice emphasizes God’s determination to do this and do it soon.
33-36“So, Pharaoh needs to look for a wise and experienced man and put him in charge of the country. Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty. Their job will be to collect all the food produced in the good years ahead and stockpile the grain under Pharaoh’s authority, storing it in the towns for food. This grain will be held back to be used later during the seven years of famine that are coming on Egypt. This way the country won’t be devastated by the famine.”
37This seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials.
38Then Pharaoh said to his officials, “Isn’t this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God’s spirit in him like this?”
39-40So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You’re the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you’re in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.”
41-43So Pharaoh commissioned Joseph: “I’m putting you in charge of the entire country of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and slipped it on Joseph’s hand. He outfitted him in robes of the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He put the second-in-command chariot at his disposal, and as he rode people shouted “Bravo!”
Joseph was in charge of the entire country of Egypt.
44Pharaoh told Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but no one in Egypt will make a single move without your stamp of approval.”
45Then Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah (God Speaks and He Lives). He also gave him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis).
And Joseph took up his duties over the land of Egypt.
46Joseph was thirty years old when he went to work for Pharaoh the king of Egypt. As soon as Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he began his work in Egypt.
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47-49During the next seven years of plenty the land produced bumper crops. Joseph gathered up the food of the seven good years in Egypt and stored the food in cities. In each city he stockpiled surplus from the surrounding fields. Joseph collected so much grain—it was like the sand of the ocean!—that he finally quit keeping track.
50-52Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, “God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home.” He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, “God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow.”
53-54Then Egypt’s seven good years came to an end and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread.
55When the famine spread throughout Egypt, the people called out in distress to Pharaoh, calling for bread. He told the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you.”
56-57As the famine got worse all over the country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold emergency supplies to the Egyptians. The famine was very bad. Soon the whole world was coming to buy supplies from Joseph. The famine was bad all over.
* * *
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Genesis 41: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Bereshis 41
41
[MIKETZ]
1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed a chalom: and, hinei, he stood by haye'or (the River, i.e., the Nile).
2And, hinei, there came up out of haye'or (the River, i.e., the Nile) seven cows, fine in appearance and fat in basar; and they grazed on the riverbank.
3And, hinei, seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, ra'ot mareh (ugly in appearance) and dakot basar (gaunt ones in flesh, lean-fleshed); and stood by the other cows upon the bank of the Nile.
4And the cows that were ra'ot hamareh and that were dakot habasar did devour the seven cows that were fine in appearance and fat. Then Pharaoh awoke.
5And he slept and dreamed a chalom the second time; and, hinei, sheva heads of grain came up upon one stalk, beri'ot (fat ones) and tovot.
6And, hinei, seven thin heads of grain scorched by the east wind tzomechot (sprung up) after them.
7And the seven thin heads of grain devoured the seven fat and mele'ot (full) heads of grain. And Pharaoh awoke; and, hinei, it was a chalom!
8And it came to pass in the boker that his ruach was troubled; and he sent and called for all the chartummei Mitzrayim (magicians of Egypt), and all the chachamim thereof; and Pharaoh told them his chalom; but there was no poter (interpreter) for Pharaoh.
9Then the sar hamashkim spoke unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day.
10Pharaoh was in wrath with his avadim, and put me b'mishmar (in custody) in the bais sar hatabbachim, both me and the sar ha'ofim;
11And we dreamed a chalom in the same lailah, I and he; and each chalom we dreamed had its own pitron (interpretation).
12And there was there with us a na'ar Ivri, eved to the sar hatabbachim; and we told him, and he interpreted to us chalomoteinu (our dreams); to each according to his chalom he did interpret.
13And it was, just as he interpreted to us, so it came to pass; me he restored unto mine ken (post), and him he hanged.
14Then Pharaoh sent and summoned Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the bor (dungeon); and he shaved, and changed his clothes, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, I have dreamed a chalom, and there is no poter (interpreter) for it; and I have heard it said of thee, that thou canst understand a chalom to interpret it.
16And Yosef answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me; Elohim shall give Pharaoh an answer of shalom.
17And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, In my chalom, hineni, I stood upon the bank of the Nile;
18And, hinei, there came up out of the Nile seven cows beri'ot basar (fat in body) and sleek of form; and they grazed by the riverbank.
19And, hinei, seven other cows came up after them, dalot (poor, scrawny, thin) and ra'ot to'ar me'od (very ugly in appearance) and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in kol Eretz Mitzrayim, unacceptably bad;
20And the lean and the ra'ot cows did eat up the first seven fat cows;
21And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still rah in appearance, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22And I saw in my chalom, and, hinei, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, mele'ot (full) and tovot (good);
23And, hinei, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched with the east wind, tzomechot (sprung up) after them;
24And the thin heads of grain devoured the seven tov heads of grain; and I told this unto the chartummim (magicians); but there was none that could explain it to me.
25And Yosef said unto Pharaoh, The chalom of Pharaoh is echad: HaElohim hath revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
26The seven good cows are seven shanim; and the seven good heads of grain are seven shanim. The chalom is echad.
27And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are sheva shanim; and the seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind are sheva shnei ra'av (seven years of famine).
28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh; What HaElohim is about to do He showeth unto Pharaoh.
29Hinei, there come sheva shanim of sava gadol (great fullness, plenty, abundance) throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim.
30And there shall arise after them sheva shnei ra'av (seven years of famine) and kol hasava (all abundance) shall be forgotten in Eretz Mitzrayim; and the ra'av (famine) shall consume the land;
31And the sava shall not be known in the land by reason of that ra'av (famine) following; for it shall be kaved me'od (very grievous).
32And for that the chalom was doubled unto Pharaoh; it is because the thing is [decidedly] established by HaElohim, and HaElohim will shortly bring it to pass.
33Now therefore let Pharaoh select an ish navon and chochom (a man discerning and wise) and set him over Eretz Mitzrayim.
34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint pekidim (officers, overseers, commissioners) over the land, and take up the fifth part [of the harvest] of Eretz Mitzrayim in the sheva shnei hasava.
35And let them gather kol ochel of those shanim hatovot that come, and store up grain under the yad Pharaoh, and let them be shomer over ochel in the cities.
36And that ochel shall be for reserves for the land against the sheva shnei hara'av, which shall be in Eretz Mitzrayim; that the land perish not through the ra'av.
37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his avadim.
38And Pharaoh said unto his avadim, Can we find such an ish as this is, an ish in whom is the Ruach Elohim?
39And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, Forasmuch as Elohim hath showed thee all this, there is none so navon (discerning) and chochom (wise) as thou art;
40Thou shalt be over my bais (palace), and according unto thy mouth shall all my people order themselves; only with respect to the kisse will I be greater than thou.
41And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, See, I have set thee over kol Eretz Mitzrayim.
42And Pharaoh took off his taba'at (signet ring) from his yad, and put it upon yad Yosef, and arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a chain of zahav around his neck;
43And he made him to ride in the second merkavah which he had; and they cried before him, Avrech! And he put him over kol Eretz Mitzrayim.
44And Pharaoh said unto Yosef, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his yad or regel in kol Eretz Mitzrayim.
45And Pharaoh called shem Yosef Tzaphnat Pa'neach; and he gave him as isha Asenat Bat Poti Phera kohen of On. And Yosef went out over all Eretz Mitzrayim.
46And Yosef was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim. And Yosef went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim.
47And in the sheva shnei hasava the land brought forth by handfuls.
48And he gathered up kol ochel of the sheva shanim, which were in Eretz Mitzrayim, and laid up the ochel in the cities; the ochel of the sadeh, which surrounded every city, laid he up in the same.
49And Yosef gathered grain as the chol (sand) of the yam, very much, until he stopped counting; for it was without mispar (number).
50And unto Yosef were born two banim before the shnat ra'av came, which Asenat Bat Poti Phera kohen of On bore unto him.
51And Yosef called the shem of the bechor Menasheh: For Elohim, said he nashani, (hath made me forget) all my amal, and kol bais Avi.
52And the shem of the second called he Ephrayim: For Elohim hifrani (hath caused me to be fruitful) in the eretz of my oni (suffering).
53And the sheva shnei hasava that was in Eretz Mitzrayim were ended.
54And the sheva shnei hara'av began to come, just as Yosef had said; and the ra'av was in all lands; but in kol Eretz Mitzrayim there was lechem.
55And when kol Eretz Mitzrayim was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for lechem; and Pharaoh said unto kol Mitzrayim, Go unto Yosef; what he saith to you, do.
56And the ra'av (famine) was over kol pnei ha'aretz; and Yosef opened all that was in them, and sold unto the Mitzrayim; and the ra'av (famine) became severe in Eretz Mitzrayim.
57And kol HaAretz (all the world) came into Mitzrayim to Yosef to buy grain; because that the ra'av (famine) was so chazak in kol HaAretz.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
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