The dreams of Pharaoh
1 After two whole years Pha raoh dreamed that he was stand ing by the Nile
2 when seven cows, sleek and fat, were coming up from the Nile and beginning to feed among the rushes.
3 Be hind them came seven other cows, lean and scraggy that stood beside the cows already there.
4 These devoured the sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream. He saw growing on one stalk seven ears of corn that were full and ripe.
6 And after these, there sprouted seven more ears of corn that were small and scorched by the east wind.
7 Now the small ears of corn swallowed the plump and ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke.
8 In the morning he was uneasy and called all the magicians and wise men in Egypt. He told his dreams to them but not one among them was able to interpret his dreams.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, “This reminds me of my wrongs.
10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants and had me put in custody in the house of the captain of the guard and with me the chief baker.
11 Once on the same night we both had a dream, each with its own meaning.
12 With us was a young Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him our dreams he interpreted them giving to each one its own mean ing.
13 What he interpreted for us happened. I was restored to my office and the chief baker was hanged.”
14 Pharaoh then had Joseph summoned. They took him quickly from the prison, shaved him, changed his clothes and he presented himself to Pharaoh.
15 Then Pharaoh addressed him, “I have had a dream which no one can explain; now I have heard that when you hear a dream you are able to interpret it.”
16 Joseph re plied, “It’s not I but God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17 Pha raoh then began telling his dream.
“I was beside the Nile
18 when seven fine cows, sleek and fat, came up from the river and began to feed in the rushes.
19 Then seven other cows came up be hind them. These were poor, scraggy and lean. I had never seen any so ugly in all the land of Egypt.
20 The thin, gaunt cows ate up the seven fat cows,
21 but after eating them, it was as if they had not eaten them at all because they remained as lean and scraggy as they were before. And then I woke.
22 I also saw in my dream seven ears of corn growing on one stalk, full and ripe.
23 Then, after them, there sprouted seven ears of corn that were hard and small and withered by the east wind.
24 The withered ears of corn swallowed the good ears. I told this to the magicians but none of them could ex plain its meaning.”
25 Then Joseph said, “Pharaoh’s dream is one and the same. Yahweh has just revealed to Pharaoh what he will do.
26 The seven fat cows are seven years and the seven good ears as well. It’s one dream!
27 The seven lean cows coming after them are seven years as are the seven withered ears of corn scorched by the east wind, and they are seven years of famine.
28 As I said to Pharaoh, God is revealing to him what he is about to do.
29 There will be seven years of plenty throughout the land of Egypt,
30 but they will be followed by seven years of famine. Then the time of abundance will be forgotten and famine will exhaust the land.
31 So severe will the famine be that no one will remember the time of plenty.
32 If the dream has been repeated twice for Pharaoh it is because God has so determined and will soon make it happen.
33 Now it is for Pharaoh to choose an intelligent and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Pharaoh could have supervisors in the land and could levy a tax of one fifth of the produce of the land during the seven years of plenty.
35 They must gather all the food of these productive years that are coming and, by the authority of Pharaoh, store grain for food in the towns and keep it.
36 This food will be a reserve for the seven years of famine coming to the land of Egypt so that the people will not die of hunger.”
Joseph, the head minister
37 The proposal of Joseph pleased Pharaoh and his ministers, and Pharaoh asked them,
38 “Where shall we find such a man possessed with the spirit of God?”
39 And to Joseph he said, “Since it is to you that God has made known all this, there can be no one as intelligent and wise as you.
40 You shall be over my house, and all my people will obey your orders. Only I myself will be greater than you.”
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” ［
42 He then took the signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He clothed him in fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
43 He had him ride in the chariot that was second only to his and they cried out before him, “Make way.” Thus he was put in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh! Without your consent no one is to raise hand or foot in the whole land of Egypt.”
45 Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. After that Joseph traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
46 Jo seph was thirty years old when he was summoned to the presence of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. After taking his leave of Pharaoh he journeyed through the entire land of Egypt.
47 During the seven years of plenty the land produced abundantly.
48 So Joseph gathered up all the food that was produced during these years, storing in each town the food from the fields around it.
49 Joseph stored huge quantities of wheat, like the sand from the sea, so much that they lost count of the amount.
50 Before the years of famine came, Asenath, Joseph’s wife, had two sons.
51 Joseph called the first Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”
52 He called the second by the name of Ephraim, for he said, “God has given me children in the land of my sorrow.”
53 When the seven years of plenty throughout the land of Egypt came to an end,
54 the seven years of famine began as Joseph had foretold. There was famine in all the countries but bread was to be had in every part of Egypt.
55 When the land of Egypt began to suffer from the famine, the people came to Pharaoh for bread. But Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do as he tells you.”
56 When the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians for the famine was indeed severe over the land.
57 As the famine had worsened throughout the whole world, people came from other countries to buy grain from Joseph.
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Comments Genesis, Chapter 41
• 41.1 These dreams and the events accompanying them give us a vivid picture of the situation in Egypt with rains, irrigation and droughts. Hebrew tradition credits Joseph with organizing the storage of surplus grain in Egypt in anticipation of the drought. Joseph’s faithfulness and the fact that God never failed him are emphasized. In those days, believers knew little of the beyond which is why it was important for them to show how the just Joseph was rewarded for his perseverance in this life.