Pharaoh (to Joseph): ¹⁵ I’ve had a dream, and I can’t find anyone who can tell me what it means. But I’ve heard that when someone tells you a dream, you are able to interpret it.

Joseph: ¹⁶ I cannot do this, but God will answer Pharaoh’s request and relieve your concerns.

Pharaoh: ¹⁷ In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, ¹⁸ and seven healthy, fat cows came up out of the Nile River and grazed in the grassy reeds at the river’s edge. ¹⁹ Then seven other cows came up after them. They were miserable, very ugly and thin. Never had I seen such horrible-looking cows in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ Anyway, the thin, ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. ²¹ But after they had eaten them, no one would have known they had done so because they were still as ugly as before. Then I woke up. ²² I fell asleep and dreamed a second time. I saw in this dream seven ears of grain, all plump and fine, growing on one stalk. ²³ And then seven ears that were withered, shriveled up, and burnt by the east wind sprouted after them. ²⁴ The thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. When I told the magicians about these dreams, there was no one who could explain them to me.

Joseph (to Pharaoh): ²⁵ Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same. God is revealing to Pharaoh what He is going to do. ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years and the seven good ears are the same seven years—years of plenty. Both dreams tell one story. ²⁷ The seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are also seven years, as are the seven thin ears burnt by the east wind. These are seven years of famine. ²⁸ As I told Pharaoh, God is showing Pharaoh what He means to do and what will come. ²⁹ There will be seven years of great abundance throughout all the land of Egypt. ³⁰ But after that, there will be seven years of famine. Whatever abundance was once enjoyed will be totally forgotten, because the famine will consume the land. ³¹ The famine will be so severe that no one will know what it is like to have enough of anything. ³² The doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means this future is fixed by God, and He will make it happen very soon.

³³ My advice is that Pharaoh should select someone who is wise and discerning and put him in charge of the land of Egypt during this time. ³⁴ Pharaoh should appoint officers over the land and direct them to take one-fifth of all that the land of Egypt produces during the seven abundant years, ³⁵ gather it together, store it up, and guard it under Pharaoh’s authority. That way each city will have a supply of food. ³⁶ The food would then be held in reserve for the people during the seven years of famine that are sure to come to Egypt. In this way, the people of Egypt will not starve to death during the famine.