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Genesis 41

1At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing beside the Nile. 2Seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat in flesh, came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 3Then seven other cows came up from the Nile after them, ugly in appearance and thin in flesh. They stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile. 4The ugly, thin cows ate the seven beautiful, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke. 5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time. Seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6Then seven thin ears, scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7The thin ears swallowed the seven plump, full ears. Pharaoh woke, and it was a dream. 8In the morning his spirit was troubled. He sent for all Egypt's magicians and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for Pharaoh.

9The chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh: “Today I remember my offenses. 10Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker. 11We dreamed dreams on the same night, he and I, each dreaming a dream with its own interpretation. 12A young Hebrew was there with us, a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us, interpreting for each according to his dream. 13Just as he interpreted for us, so it happened: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” 14Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they hurried him out of the pit. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh. 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, but no one can interpret it. I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.” 16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me. God will give an answer for Pharaoh's well-being.”

17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18Seven cows, fat in flesh and beautiful in form, came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 19Then seven other cows came up after them, weak, very ugly in form, and thin in flesh. I have never seen such ugly ones in all the land of Egypt. 20The thin, ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. 21They went into their bellies, but no one could tell that they had gone into their bellies. Their appearance was as ugly as at first. Then I woke. 22I also saw in my dream seven ears of grain, full and good, growing on one stalk. 23Then seven withered, thin ears, scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24The thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. I told the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

25Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh's dreams are one. God has told 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, 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. 28This is what I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29Look, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. 30After them seven years of famine will arise. All the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will consume the land. 31The abundance will no longer be known in the land because of the famine that follows, for it will be very severe. 32The dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the matter has been established by God, and God is hurrying to do it. 33Now let Pharaoh find a discerning and wise man and put him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh act and appoint overseers over the land, and take a 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 pile up grain under Pharaoh's hand for food in the cities, and guard it. 36This food will be a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that will come upon the land of Egypt. Then the land will not be cut off by the famine.”

37The proposal was good in Pharaoh's eyes and in the eyes of all his servants. 38Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find another like this, a man with God's spirit in him?” 39Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, no one is as discerning and wise as you. 40You will be over my household, and all my people will obey your command. Only in the throne will I be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have put you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand. He clothed him in fine linen garments and put a gold chain around his neck. 43He had him ride in his second chariot, and they called before him, “Abrek!” So he put him over all the land of Egypt. 44Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without you no one will lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

46Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh's presence and traveled through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven years of abundance the land produced by handfuls. 48He gathered all the food of the seven years that came in the land of Egypt and stored food in the cities. In each city he stored the food from its surrounding fields. 49Joseph piled up grain like the sand of the sea, so very much that he stopped counting, because it could not be counted. 50Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household.” 52He named the second Ephraim, “because God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” 53The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt ended. 54The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread. 55When all the land of Egypt became hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all Egypt, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you.” 56The famine was over the whole face of the land. Joseph opened all the stores and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine had grown severe in the land of Egypt. 57All the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

Translation notes 6

41:1–7 — The Nile and grain. The Nile supplied Egypt's agricultural water. “Ears” here means heads of grain, not ears of corn. The dream and Pharaoh's retelling repeat many details; the repetitions are retained.

41:16, 38 — God and Pharaoh. Joseph attributes interpretation to God. Pharaoh's expression can mean “God's spirit” or “a spirit of the gods”; his words need not imply that he shares Joseph's understanding of God.

41:34 — A fifth. The Hebrew verb is related to the number five and is understood here as collecting one fifth of the produce. “Organize” or “equip” has also been proposed. The later fifth-part levy in 47:24 is narrated in a different stage of the famine policy.

41:40, 43 — Authority and acclamation. The difficult expression in verse 40 conveys the people's obedience to Joseph's command; literally it involves his mouth and a verb often meaning “kiss.” Abrek is an uncertain acclamation, traditionally rendered “Bow the knee!” Its precise Egyptian or Semitic derivation is unresolved.

41:45, 51–52 — Names. On is the Egyptian city also called Heliopolis. The meaning of Joseph's Egyptian name is uncertain. Manasseh recalls forgetting, and Ephraim recalls being fruitful. The name explanations are Joseph's statements within the narrative.

41:56–57 — Stores and scope. “Stores” supplies the understood object of the Hebrew's difficult phrase “all that was in them.” The account describes famine throughout the earth and people coming from it; the translation preserves this broad narrative language without specifying a modern geographical extent.