The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 41 -

It came about at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream. Behold, he stood by the Nile.

Behold, seven cows came up out of the Nile, desirable and fat, and they grazed in the reeds.

Behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, undesirable and thin. They stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.

Then the undesirable and thin cows ate the seven desirable and fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

Then he slept and dreamed a second time. Behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, wholesome and good.

Behold, seven heads, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

The thin heads swallowed up the seven wholesome and full heads. Pharaoh woke up, and behold, it was a dream.

It came about in the morning that his spirit was troubled. He sent and called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am thinking about my offenses.

Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, the chief baker and me.

We dreamed a dream the same night, he and I. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

There was with us there a young Hebrew man, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him and he interpreted for us our dreams. He interpreted for each of us according to his dream.

It came about as he interpreted for us, so it happened. Pharaoh restored me to my post, but the other one he hanged.”

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph. They quickly took him out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came in to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but there is no interpreter for it. But I have heard about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me. God will answer Pharaoh with favor.”

Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the Nile.

Behold, seven cows came up out of the Nile, fat and desirable, and they grazed among the reeds.

Behold, seven other cows came up after them, weak, very undesirable, and thin. I never saw in all the land of Egypt such undesirableness like them.

The thin and undesirable cows ate up the first seven fat cows.

When they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them, for they were still as undesirable as before. Then I awoke.

I looked in my dream, and behold, seven heads came up upon one stalk, full and good.

Behold, seven more heads, withered, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them.

The thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but there was none that could explain it to me.”

Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are the same. What God is about to do, he has declared to Pharaoh.

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams are the same.

The seven thin and undesirable cows that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven thin heads scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.

That is the thing which I spoke to Pharaoh. What God is about to do he has revealed to Pharaoh.

Look, seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt.

Seven years of famine will come after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will devastate the land.

The abundance will not be remembered in the land because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe.

That the dream was repeated to Pharaoh is because the matter has been established by God, and God will soon do it.

Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and put him over the land of Egypt.

Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land. Let them take a fifth of the crops of Egypt in the seven abundant years.

Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, for food to be used in the cities. They should preserve it.

The food will be a supply for the land for the seven years of famine which will be in the land of Egypt. In this way the land will not be devastated by the famine.”

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

This advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

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

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you.

You will be over my house, and according to your word will all my people be ruled. Only in the throne will I be greater than you.”

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have put you over all the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand. He clothed him with clothes of fine linen, and put a gold chain on his neck.

He had him ride in the second chariot which he possessed. Men shouted before him, “Bend the knee.” Pharaoh put him over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and apart from you, no man will lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh called Joseph’s name “Zaphenath Paneah.” He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

The Seven Years of Plenty

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

In the seven bountiful years the land produced abundantly.

He gathered up all the food of the seven years that was in the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities. He put into each city the food from the fields that surrounded it.

Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, so much that he stopped counting, because it was beyond counting.

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

Joseph called the name of his firstborn Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”

He called the name of the second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

The Famine Begins

The seven years of abundance that was in the land of Egypt came to an end.

The seven years of famine began, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was food.

When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people loudly called on Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he says.”

The famine was over all the face of the whole land. Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

All the earth was coming to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river.

Behold, seven cattle came up out of the river. They were sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass.

Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.

The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.

He slept and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.

Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

Then the chief cup bearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults today.

Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, with the chief baker.

We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. Each man dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream.

There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. He interpreted to each man according to his dream.

As he interpreted to us, so it was. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river;

and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass;

and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.

The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle;

and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good;

and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh.

The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one.

The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.

That is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

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

Seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,

and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.

The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

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

Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous years.

Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and store grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.

The food will be to supply the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; so that the land will not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

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

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

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you.

You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne I will be greater than you.”

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.

He made him ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” He set him over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

The Seven Years of Plenty

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

In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly.

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. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city.

Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.

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

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh,(a) “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”

The name of the second, he called Ephraim:(b) “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

The Famine Begins

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

The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

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.”

The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

Footnotes

(a)41:51 “Manasseh” sounds like the Hebrew for “forget”.

(b)41:52 “Ephraim” sounds like the Hebrew for “twice fruitful”.