Genesis 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 they 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 up upon one stalk, full and very fair.

²³Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stalk:

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 scarcity, 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 be 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 Aseneth, 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 corn 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 firstborn 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 plenty that had been in Egypt were passed:

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.

Genesis 41

¹And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

²And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

³And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

⁴And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

⁵And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

⁶And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

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

⁸And 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 dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

⁹Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

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

¹¹And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

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

¹³And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

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

¹⁵And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

¹⁶And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

¹⁷And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

¹⁸And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

¹⁹And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

²⁰And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

²¹And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

²²And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

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

²⁴And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

²⁵And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

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

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

²⁸This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

²⁹Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

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

³¹And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

³²And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

³³Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

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

³⁵And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

³⁶And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

³⁷And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

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

³⁹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

⁴⁰Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

⁴¹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

⁴²And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

⁴³And 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.

⁴⁴And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁵And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath–paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶And 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.

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

⁴⁸And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

⁴⁹And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

⁵⁰And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On bare unto him.

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

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

⁵³And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

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

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

⁵⁶And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

⁵⁷And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.