Genesis 41:1-36 - Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams

¹ And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river. ² And behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fine-looking and fat-fleshed, and they fed in the reed-grass. ³ And behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, bad-looking and lean-fleshed, and stood by the kine on the bank of the river. ⁴ And the kine that were bad-looking and lean-fleshed ate up the seven kine that were fine-looking and fat. And Pharaoh awoke. ⁵ And he slept and dreamed the second time; and behold, seven ears of corn grew up on one stalk, fat and good. ⁶ And behold, seven ears, thin and parched with the east wind, sprung up after them. ⁷ And the thin ears devoured the seven fat and full ears. And 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 scribes of Egypt, and all the sages who were therein, and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none to interpret them to Pharaoh.

⁹ Then spoke the chief of the cup-bearers to Pharaoh, saying, I remember mine offences this day. ¹⁰ Pharaoh was wroth with his bondmen, and put me in custody into the captain of the life-guard's house, me and the chief of the bakers. ¹¹ And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each according to the interpretation of his dream. ¹² And there was there with us a Hebrew youth, a bondman of the captain of the life-guard, to whom we told them, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each he interpreted according to his dream. ¹³ And it came to pass, just as he interpreted to us, so it came about: me has he restored to my office, and him he hanged.

¹⁴ Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph; and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, and changed his clothes, and came in to Pharaoh.

¹⁵ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamt a dream, and there is none to interpret it. And I have heard say of thee, thou understandest a dream to interpret it.

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

¹⁷ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river. ¹⁸ And behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and of fine form, and they fed in the reed-grass. ¹⁹ And behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor, and very ill-formed, and lean-fleshed such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. ²⁰ And the lean and bad kine ate up the seven first fat kine; ²¹ and they came into their belly, and it could not be known that they had come into their belly; and their look was bad, as at the beginning. And I awoke. ²² And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, full and good. ²³ And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, parched with the east wind, sprung up after them; ²⁴ and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told it to the scribes; but there was none to make it known to me.

²⁵ And Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God will do he has made known to Pharaoh. ²⁶ The seven fine kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. ²⁷ And the seven lean and bad kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears, parched with the east wind, will be seven years of famine.

²⁸ This is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh: what God is about to do he has let Pharaoh see. ²⁹ Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout the land of Egypt. ³⁰ And there will arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will waste away the land. ³¹ And the plenty will not be known afterwards in the land by reason of that famine; for it will be very grievous. ³² And as regards the double repetition of the dream to Pharaoh, it is that the thing is established by God, and God will hasten to do it.

³³ And now let Pharaoh look himself out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh do this: let him appoint overseers over the land, and take the fifth part of the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty, ³⁵ and let them gather all the food of these coming good years, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, for food in the cities, and keep it. ³⁶ And let the food be as store for the land for the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine.