Pharaoh's Troubled Sleep
41 1 After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: he was standing beside the Nile. 2 And there came up out of the Nile seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 3 Then seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, gaunt cows devoured the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep again and dreamed a second time. And there were seven heads of grain, plump and good, growing on a single stalk. 6 Then after them, seven heads of grain sprouted up — thin and scorched by the east wind. 7 And the thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up, and realized it had been a dream. 8 In the morning he was deeply troubled, so he sent for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my offenses." 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, along with the chief baker. 11 We each had a dream the same night — he and I — each with its own meaning. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his own dream. 13 And it happened just as he had interpreted to us: I was restored to my position, and the other was hanged.
14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it."
16 "I can't do that on my own," Joseph replied. "Our Father will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." a a v16 Joseph cannot interpret dreams from his own power; the wisdom belongs to our Father, who shows Pharaoh what he is about to do.
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile." 18 And there came up out of the Nile seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19 Then seven other cows came up after them, wretched and very ugly and gaunt — such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the gaunt, ugly cows devoured the first seven fat cows. 21 But after they had eaten them, no one could tell that they had, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I woke up. 22 I saw in my dream again: seven heads of grain, full and good, came up on a single stalk. 23 And after them sprouted seven heads of grain — withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. 24 And the thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same: our Father has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do." 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; the dreams are one and the same. 27 And the seven gaunt, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine. 28 This is what I have said to Pharaoh: our Father has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 But after them will arise seven years of famine, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will consume the land. 31 The abundance will be forgotten in the land because of the famine that follows, for it will be very severe. 32 The fact that Pharaoh had the same dream twice means the matter is firmly fixed by our Father, and our Father will bring it about soon.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over the land, and take one-fifth of the produce of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under Pharaoh's authority as food in the cities, and let them guard it. 36 That food will be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that will come on the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine.
A Wise Plan for the Years Ahead
37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find anyone like this — a man who has the Spirit of God in him?" 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you." 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people will follow your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."
42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in his second chariot, and they called out before him, "Bow the knee!" So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall take any action in all the land of Egypt." 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. b b v45 On was a major Egyptian city and center of sun worship — known to the Greeks as Heliopolis, near modern Cairo.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance, the land produced bountifully. 48 He gathered up all the food of these seven years in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities; in every city he stored the food from the surrounding fields. 49 And Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea — so much that he stopped measuring, for it was beyond measure. 50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "our Father has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house." c c v51 The name Manasseh means "making to forget." 52 And the second he named Ephraim, "For our Father has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." d d v52 The name Ephraim means "fruitful."
53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 54 And the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When the famine gripped all of Egypt, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he tells you, do." 56 When the famine had spread over the whole land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 And all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe over all the earth.