THE BOOK OF GENESIS

 

Genesis Chapter 41

1 ¶ After two whole years, it happened that Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the river.

2 And, saw seven fat good looking cows came up out of the river; and they fed in a meadow.

3 And then saw seven other thin and bad looking cows come up out of the river; and stand by the other cows on the edge of the river.

4 And the thin and ill favored cows ate the seven fat and well favored cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time: and, saw seven plump and good ears of corn came up on one stalk.

6 And then saw seven thin ears blighted by the east wind spring up after them.

7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was no one who could explain them to Pharaoh.

9 ¶ Then the chief butler said to Pharaoh, I remember my faults this day:

10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:

11 We dreamed a dream on the same night, he and I; each having a dream with a different meaning.

12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard; and when we told him, he interpreted our dreams for us; giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.

13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came to pass; I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and when he had shaved himself, and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it: and I have heard it said of you, that you can understand a dream and interpret it.

16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.

17 ¶ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river:

18 And, behold, seven plump and well favored cows there came up out of the river; and fed in a meadow:

19 And, behold, seven other cows came up after them, thin, poor and very ill favored, worse than any I ever saw in the land of Egypt:

20 And the lean and the ill favored cows ate up the first seven plump cows:

21 And when they had eaten them up, you could not tell that they had eaten them; for they were still ill favored, as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

22 I also saw in my dream seven ears came up on one stalk, plump and good:

23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this to the magicians; but there was no one who could explain it to me.

25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

27 And the seven thin and ill favored cows that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

28 This is the message just as I have told Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

29 Behold, seven years of great plenty are coming throughout all the land of Egypt:

30 And after them seven years of famine will arise; and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will consume the land;

31 And great abundance will be unknown in the land because of the famine that follows; for it will be very grievous.

32 And the dream was sent twice to Pharaoh; because the thing is fixed by God, and God will bring it to pass shortly.

33 ¶ Therefore let Pharaoh now select out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

34 Let Pharaoh do this, then let him appoint officers over the land, and take up one fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years.

35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up corn under the direction of Pharaoh, and let them store food in the cities.

36 And that food will be put in store for the country against the seven years of famine, that will be in the land of Egypt; that the land may not perish through the famine.

37 And the plan seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a man as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you:

40 You will be over my house, and all my people will be ruled according unto your word: only in 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 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck;

43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I remain Pharaoh, but without your consent no one will lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him in marriage Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

46 ¶ And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven good years, which were in the land of Egypt, and stored up the food in the cities: he stored up in every city the food from the fields around it.

49 And Joseph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped measuring; for it could not be measured.

50 And two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On bore to him.

51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, has made me forget all my hardship, and all my father’s house.

52 And the second he called Ephraim: For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

53 And the seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.

54 And the seven years of scarcity began to come, as Joseph had said: and the scarcity was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.

56 So when the famine had spread over all the land: Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

57 And all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain because the famine was so severe in all lands.