¹⁸ when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.^{(A) 19} After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. ²¹ But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

²² “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. ²³ After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. ²⁴ The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.^(B)”

²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.^(C) God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.^{(D) 26} The seven good cows^(E) are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. ²⁷ The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.^(F)

²⁸ “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.^{(G) 29} Seven years of great abundance^(H) are coming throughout the land of Egypt, ³⁰ but seven years of famine^(I) will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.^{(J) 31} The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. ³² The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided^(K) by God, and God will do it soon.^(L)

³³ “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man^(M) and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.^{(N) 34} Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners^(O) over the land to take a fifth^(P) of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.^{(Q) 35} They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.^{(R) 36} This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt,^(S) so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”