Genesis

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile

when seven sleek and fat cows were coming up from the Nile and beginning to feed among the rushes.

Behind them came seven other cows, lean and scraggy, who stood beside the cows already there.

These devoured the sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

He fell asleep again and had a second dream. He saw seven ears of corn growing on one stalk, all plump and ripe.

And after these, seven more ears of corn sprouted small and scorched by the east wind.

Now, the small ears of corn swallowed the plump and ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke.

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 of them was able to interpret them.

Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh: “This reminds me of my wrongs.

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.

Once on the same night, we both had a dream, each with its own meaning.

With us was a young Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we shared our dreams with him, he interpreted them, assigning each one its own unique meaning.

What he interpreted for us happened. I was restored to my office, and the chief baker was hanged.”

Pharaoh then summoned Joseph. They took him quickly from the prison, shaved him, changed his clothes, and presented him to Pharaoh.

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 can interpret it.”

Joseph replied: “It’s not I but God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Pharaoh then began to tell his dream. “I was beside the Nile

when seven fine cows, sleek and fat, came up from the river and began to feed in the rushes.

Then, seven other cows came up behind them. These were poor, scraggy, and lean. I had never seen any so ugly in all the land of Egypt.

The thin, gaunt cows ate up the seven fat cows,

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.

I also saw seven ears of corn growing on one stalk, full and ripe, in my dream.

Then, after them, there sprouted seven ears of corn that were hard and small and withered by the east wind.

The withered ears of corn swallowed the good ears. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain its meaning.”

Then, Joseph said: “Pharaoh’s dream is the same. The Lord has just revealed to Pharaoh what he will do.

The seven fat cows are seven years, and the seven good ears as well. It’s one dream!

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.

As I said to Pharaoh, God reveals to him what he is about to do.

There will be seven years of plenty throughout the land of Egypt,

but they will be followed by seven years of famine. Then the time of abundance will be forgotten, and famine will exhaust the land.

So severe will the famine be that no one will remember the time of plenty.

If the dream has been repeated twice for Pharaoh, it is because God has determined it and will soon make it hap-pen.

Now it is up to Pharaoh to select an intelligent and wise man to oversee the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh could appoint supervisors throughout the land and impose a tax of one-fifth of the produce during the seven years of abundance.

They must collect all the food from these upcoming productive years and, by Pharaoh’s authority, store grain in the towns for sustenance.

This food will serve as a reserve for the seven years of famine that are about to hit the land of Egypt, ensuring that the people do not perish from hunger.

The proposal of Joseph pleased Pharaoh and his ministers, and Pharaoh asked them:

“Where shall we find such a man possessed with the spirit of God?”

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.

You shall be over my house, and all my people will obey your orders. Only I will be greater than you.”

So Pharaoh said to Joseph: “See, I have put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”

He then took the signet ring from his finger and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He clothed him in fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

He had him ride in the chariot that was second only to his, and they cried out before him, “Make way.” Thus, he was appointed to oversee the entire land of Egypt.

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.”

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.

Joseph was thirty years old when he was summoned to the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. After leaving Pharaoh, he journeyed across the entire land of Egypt.

During the seven years of plenty, the land produced abundantly.

So Joseph gathered up all the food that was produced during these years, storing the food from the fields around each town.

Joseph stored vast quantities of wheat, like the sand from the sea, so much that they lost count of the amount.

Before the years of famine came, Asenath, Joseph’s wife, had two sons.

Joseph called the first Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”

He called the second Ephraim, for he said, “God has given me children in the land of my sorrow.”

When the seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt ended,

the seven years of famine began, as Joseph had foretold. There was famine in all the countries, but bread was available in every part of Egypt.

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.”

When the famine spread through-out the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land.

As the famine worsened throughout the world, people came from other countries to buy grain from Joseph.