Genesis 41:1-36 (New American Standard Bible)

Genesis 41

Pharaoh's Dream

 ¹Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

 ²And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the ^(A)marsh grass.

 ³Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

 ⁴The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

 ⁵He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good.

 ⁶Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

 ⁷The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

 ⁸Now in the morning ^(B)his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the ^(C)magicians of Egypt, and all its ^(D)wise men And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but ^(E)there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

 ⁹Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I would make mention today of ^(F)my own offenses.

 ¹⁰"Pharaoh was ^(G)furious with his servants, and ^(H)he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker.

 ¹¹"^(I)We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.

 ¹²"Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a ^(J)servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and ^(K)he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream.

 ¹³"And just ^(L)as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him."

Joseph Interprets

 ¹⁴Then Pharaoh sent and ^(M)called for Joseph, and they ^(N)hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.

 ¹⁵Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, ^(O)but no one can interpret it; and ^(P)I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

 ¹⁶Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "^(Q)It is not in me; ^(R)God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

 ¹⁷So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;

 ¹⁸and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

 ¹⁹"Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt;

 ²⁰and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.

 ²¹"Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.

 ²²"I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk;

 ²³and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them;

 ²⁴and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then ^(S)I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."

 ²⁵Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same; ^(T)God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

 ²⁶"The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same.

 ²⁷"The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind ^(U)will be seven years of famine.

 ²⁸"It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: ^(V)God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

 ²⁹"Behold, ^(W)seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt;

 ³⁰and after them ^(X)seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land.

 ³¹"So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe.

 ³²"Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that ^(Y)the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

 ³³"Now let Pharaoh look for a man ^(Z)discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

 ³⁴"Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.

 ³⁵"Then let them ^(AA)gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard it.

 ³⁶"Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine."