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Genesis 41
New English Translation

Joseph’s Rise to Power

41 At the end of two full years[a] Pharaoh had a dream.[b] As he was standing by the Nile, 2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile,[c] and they grazed in the reeds. 3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile,[d] and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river.[e] 4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing[f] on one stalk, healthy[g] and good. 6 Then[h] seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream.[i]

8 In the morning he[j] was troubled, so he called for[k] all the diviner-priests[l] of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams,[m] but no one could interpret[n] them for him.[o] 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures.[p] 10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards—me and the chief baker. 11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning.[q] 12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant[r] of the captain of the guards,[s] was with us there. We told him our dreams,[t] and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us.[u] 13 It happened just as he had said[v] to us—Pharaoh[w] restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.”[x]

14 Then Pharaoh summoned[y] Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream,[z] and there is no one who can interpret[aa] it. But I have heard about you, that[ab] you can interpret dreams.”[ac] 16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power,[ad] but God will speak concerning[ae] the welfare of Pharaoh.”[af]

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing[ag] by the edge of the Nile. 18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds.[ah] 19 Then[ai] seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows[aj] as these in all the land of Egypt! 20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven[ak] fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them,[al] no one would have known[am] that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 22 I also saw in my dream[an] seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then[ao] seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this[ap] to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.”[aq]

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning.[ar] God has revealed[as] to Pharaoh what he is about to do.[at] 26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning.[au] 27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent[av] seven years of famine. 28 This is just what I told[aw] Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 30 But seven years of famine will occur[ax] after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate[ay] the land. 31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered[az] because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe.[ba] 32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh[bb] because the matter has been decreed[bc] by God, and God will make it happen soon.[bd]

33 “So now Pharaoh should look[be] for a wise and discerning man[bf] and give him authority[bg] over all the land of Egypt. 34 Pharaoh should do[bh] this—he should appoint[bi] officials[bj] throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt[bk] during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should gather all the excess food[bl] during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority[bm] they should store up grain so the cities will have food,[bn] and they should preserve it.[bo] 36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.”[bp]

37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials.[bq] 38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph,[br] one in whom the Spirit of God is present?”[bs] 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning[bt] as you are! 40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands.[bu] Only I, the king, will be greater than you.[bv]

41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place[bw] you in authority over all the land of Egypt.”[bx] 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen[by] clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 Pharaoh[bz] had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command,[ca] and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!”[cb] So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission[cc] no one[cd] will move his hand or his foot[ce] in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah.[cf] He also gave him Asenath[cg] daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,[ch] to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of[ci] all the land of Egypt.

46 Now Joseph was 30 years old[cj] when he began serving[ck] Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by[cl] Pharaoh and was in charge of[cm] all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests.[cn] 48 Joseph[co] collected all the excess food[cp] in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities.[cq] In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. 49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea,[cr] until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came.[cs] Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother.[ct] 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh,[cu] saying,[cv] “Certainly[cw] God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 52 He named the second child Ephraim,[cx] saying,[cy] “Certainly[cz] God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 54 Then the seven years of famine began,[da] just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt,[db] “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

56 While the famine was over all the earth,[dc] Joseph opened the storehouses[dd] and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 57 People from every country[de] came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 41:1 tn Heb “two years, days.”
  2. Genesis 41:1 tn Heb “was dreaming.”
  3. Genesis 41:2 tn Heb “And look, he was standing by the Nile, and look, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, attractive of appearance and fat of flesh.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to see the dream through Pharaoh’s eyes.
  4. Genesis 41:3 tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”
  5. Genesis 41:3 tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  6. Genesis 41:5 tn Heb “coming up.”
  7. Genesis 41:5 tn Heb “fat.”
  8. Genesis 41:6 tn Heb “And look.”
  9. Genesis 41:7 tn Heb “And look, a dream.”sn Pharaoh’s two dreams, as explained in the following verses, pertained to the economy of Egypt. Because of the Nile River, the land of Egypt weathered all kinds of famines—there was usually grain in Egypt, and if there was grain and water the livestock would flourish. These two dreams, however, indicated that poverty would overtake plenty and that the blessing of the herd and the field would cease.
  10. Genesis 41:8 tn Heb “his spirit.”
  11. Genesis 41:8 tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.
  12. Genesis 41:8 tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.
  13. Genesis 41:8 tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though Smr reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).
  14. Genesis 41:8 tn “there was no interpreter.”
  15. Genesis 41:8 tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  16. Genesis 41:9 tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).
  17. Genesis 41:11 tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”
  18. Genesis 41:12 tn Or “slave.”
  19. Genesis 41:12 tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.
  20. Genesis 41:12 tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  21. Genesis 41:12 tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”
  22. Genesis 41:13 tn Heb “interpreted.”
  23. Genesis 41:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. Genesis 41:13 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the baker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  25. Genesis 41:14 tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.
  26. Genesis 41:15 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
  27. Genesis 41:15 tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”
  28. Genesis 41:15 tn Heb “saying.”
  29. Genesis 41:15 tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”
  30. Genesis 41:16 tn Heb “not within me.”
  31. Genesis 41:16 tn Heb “God will answer.”
  32. Genesis 41:16 tn The expression שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה (shelom parʿoh) is here rendered “the welfare of Pharaoh” because the dream will be about life in his land. Some interpret it to mean an answer of “peace”—one that will calm his heart, or give him the answer that he desires (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  33. Genesis 41:17 tn Heb “In my dream look, I was standing.” The use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here (and also in vv. 18, 19, 22, 23) invites the hearer (within the context of the narrative, Joseph, but in the broader sense the reader or hearer of the Book of Genesis) to observe the scene through Pharaoh’s eyes.
  34. Genesis 41:18 tn Heb “and look, from the Nile seven cows were coming up, fat of flesh and attractive of appearance, and they grazed in the reeds.”
  35. Genesis 41:19 tn Heb “And look.”
  36. Genesis 41:19 tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  37. Genesis 41:20 tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”
  38. Genesis 41:21 tn Heb “when they went inside them.”
  39. Genesis 41:21 tn Heb “it was not known.”
  40. Genesis 41:22 tn Heb “and I saw in my dream and look.”
  41. Genesis 41:23 tn Heb “And look.”
  42. Genesis 41:24 tn The words “all this” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  43. Genesis 41:24 tn Heb “and there was no one telling me.”
  44. Genesis 41:25 tn Heb “the dream of Pharaoh is one.”
  45. Genesis 41:25 tn Heb “declared.”
  46. Genesis 41:25 tn The active participle here indicates what is imminent.
  47. Genesis 41:26 tn Heb “one dream it is.”
  48. Genesis 41:27 tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”
  49. Genesis 41:28 tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”
  50. Genesis 41:30 tn The perfect with the vav consecutive continues the time frame of the preceding participle, which has an imminent future nuance here.
  51. Genesis 41:30 tn The Hebrew verb כָּלָה (kalah) in the Piel stem means “to finish, to destroy, to bring an end to.” The severity of the famine will ruin the land of Egypt.
  52. Genesis 41:31 tn Heb “known.”
  53. Genesis 41:31 tn Or “heavy.”
  54. Genesis 41:32 tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”
  55. Genesis 41:32 tn Heb “established.”
  56. Genesis 41:32 tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.
  57. Genesis 41:33 tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
  58. Genesis 41:33 tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  59. Genesis 41:33 tn Heb “and let him set him.”
  60. Genesis 41:34 tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. Smr has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”
  61. Genesis 41:34 tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
  62. Genesis 41:34 tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.
  63. Genesis 41:34 tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.
  64. Genesis 41:35 tn Heb “all the food.”
  65. Genesis 41:35 tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”
  66. Genesis 41:35 tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.
  67. Genesis 41:35 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.
  68. Genesis 41:36 tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”
  69. Genesis 41:37 tn Heb “and the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.”
  70. Genesis 41:38 tn Heb “like this,” but the referent could be misunderstood to be a man like that described by Joseph in v. 33, rather than Joseph himself. For this reason the proper name “Joseph” has been supplied in the translation.
  71. Genesis 41:38 tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”
  72. Genesis 41:39 tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  73. Genesis 41:40 tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions—such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40, ” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.
  74. Genesis 41:40 tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”
  75. Genesis 41:41 tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is descriptive of a present action. Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, in which case Pharaoh describes a still future action as if it had already occurred in order to emphasize its certainty. In this case one could translate “I have placed” or “I will place.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is translated here as “to place in authority [over].”
  76. Genesis 41:41 sn Joseph became the grand vizier of the land of Egypt. See W. A. Ward, “The Egyptian Office of Joseph,” JSS 5 (1960): 144-50; and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 129-31.
  77. Genesis 41:42 tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.
  78. Genesis 41:43 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  79. Genesis 41:43 tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”
  80. Genesis 41:43 tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).
  81. Genesis 41:44 tn Heb “apart from you.”
  82. Genesis 41:44 tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.
  83. Genesis 41:44 tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.
  84. Genesis 41:45 sn The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah, is uncertain. Many recent commentators have followed the proposal of G. Steindorff that it means “the god has said, ‘he will live’” (“Der Name Josephs Saphenat-Pa‘neach,” ZÄS 31 [1889]: 41-42); others have suggested “the god speaks and lives” (see BDB 861 s.v. צָפְנָת פַּעְנֵחַ); “the man he knows” (J. Vergote, Joseph en Égypte, 145); or “Joseph [who is called] ʾIp-ʿankh” (K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 1262).
  85. Genesis 41:45 sn The name Asenath may mean “she belongs to the goddess Neit” (see HALOT 74 s.v. אָֽסְנַת). A novel was written at the beginning of the first century entitled Joseph and Asenath, which included a legendary account of the conversion of Asenath to Joseph’s faith in Yahweh. However, all that can be determined from this chapter is that their children received Hebrew names. See also V. Aptowitzer, “Asenath, the Wife of Joseph—a Haggadic Literary-Historical Study,” HUCA 1 (1924): 239-306.
  86. Genesis 41:45 sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.
  87. Genesis 41:45 tn Heb “and he passed through.”
  88. Genesis 41:46 tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”
  89. Genesis 41:46 tn Heb “when he stood before.”
  90. Genesis 41:46 tn Heb “went out from before.”
  91. Genesis 41:46 tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”
  92. Genesis 41:47 tn Heb “brought forth by handfuls.”
  93. Genesis 41:48 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  94. Genesis 41:48 tn Heb “all the food.”
  95. Genesis 41:48 tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”
  96. Genesis 41:49 tn Heb “and Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying much.” To emphasize the vast amount of grain he stored up, the Hebrew text modifies the verb “gathered” with an infinitive absolute and an adverb.
  97. Genesis 41:50 tn Heb “before the year of the famine came.”
  98. Genesis 41:50 tn Heb “gave birth for him.”
  99. Genesis 41:51 sn The name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, menasheh) describes God’s activity on behalf of Joseph, explaining in general the significance of his change of fortune. The name is a Piel participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” The Hebrew verb נַשַּׁנִי (nashani) may have been used instead of the normal נִשַּׁנִי (nishani) to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.
  100. Genesis 41:51 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  101. Genesis 41:51 tn Or “for.”
  102. Genesis 41:52 sn The name Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם, ʾefrayim), a form of the Hebrew verb פָּרָה (parah), means “to bear fruit.” The theme of fruitfulness is connected with this line of the family from Rachel (30:2) on down (see Gen 49:22, Deut 33:13-17, and Hos 13:15). But there is some difficulty with the name “Ephraim” itself. It appears to be a dual, for which F. Delitzsch simply said it meant “double fruitfulness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:305). G. J. Spurrell suggested it was a diphthongal pronunciation of a name ending in -an or -am, often thought to be dual suffixes (Notes on the text of the book of Genesis, 334). Many, however, simply connect the name to the territory of Ephraim and interpret it to be “fertile land” (C. Fontinoy, “Les noms de lieux en -ayim dans la Bible,” UF 3 [1971]: 33-40). The dual would then be an old locative ending. There is no doubt that the name became attached to the land in which the tribe settled, and it is possible that is where the dual ending came from, but in this story it refers to Joseph’s God-given fruitfulness.
  103. Genesis 41:52 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  104. Genesis 41:52 tn Or “for.”
  105. Genesis 41:54 tn Heb “began to arrive.”
  106. Genesis 41:55 tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.
  107. Genesis 41:56 tn Or “over the entire land”; Heb “over all the face of the earth.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal to the next clause.
  108. Genesis 41:56 tc The MT reads “he opened all that was in [or “among”] them.” The translation follows the reading of the LXX and Syriac versions.
  109. Genesis 41:57 tn Heb “all the earth,” which refers here (by metonymy) to the people of the earth. Note that the following verb is plural in form, indicating that the inhabitants of the earth are in view.
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Génesis 41
Nueva Biblia de las Américas

Los sueños de Faraón

41 Y aconteció que después de dos años[a], Faraón tuvo un sueño. Soñó que estaba de pie junto al Nilo. 2 Y de pronto[b], del Nilo subieron siete vacas de hermoso aspecto y gordas[c], y pacían en el carrizal(A). 3 Entonces otras siete vacas de mal aspecto y flacas[d] subieron del Nilo detrás de ellas, y se pararon junto a las otras vacas a la orilla del Nilo. 4 Y las vacas de mal aspecto y flacas[e] devoraron las siete vacas de hermoso aspecto y gordas. Entonces Faraón se despertó.

5 Se quedó dormido y soñó por segunda vez. Vio que siete espigas llenas y buenas crecían en una sola caña, 6 y que siete espigas, menudas y quemadas por el viento del este, brotaron después de aquellas. 7 Y las espigas menudas devoraron a las siete espigas gruesas y llenas. Entonces Faraón despertó, y resultó que era un sueño.

8 Y por la mañana su espíritu estaba turbado(B), y mandó llamar a todos los magos[f](C), y a todos sus sabios de Egipto(D). Faraón les contó sus sueños[g], pero no hubo quien se los pudiera interpretar a Faraón(E).

9 Entonces el jefe de los coperos habló a Faraón: «Quisiera hablar hoy de mis faltas[h](F). 10 Cuando Faraón se enojó con sus siervos y me puso bajo custodia en la casa del capitán de la guardia, a mí y al jefe de los panaderos(G), 11 él y yo tuvimos[i] un sueño en una misma noche. Cada uno de nosotros soñó según la interpretación de su propio sueño(H). 12 Y estaba allí con nosotros un joven hebreo, un siervo del capitán de la guardia(I). Y se los contamos, y él nos interpretó los sueños. A cada uno interpretó su[j] sueño(J). 13 Tal como nos lo había interpretado, así sucedió. A mí me restableció Faraón en mi puesto, pero al otro[k] lo ahorcó(K)».

José interpreta el sueño de Faraón

14 Entonces Faraón mandó llamar a José(L), y lo sacaron aprisa del calabozo[l]. Después de afeitarse y cambiarse sus vestidos, vino a Faraón(M). 15 Y Faraón dijo a José: «He tenido[m] un sueño y no hay quien lo interprete(N). Pero he oído decir de ti[n], que oyes un sueño y lo puedes interpretar[o](O)». 16 «No está en mí(P)», respondió José a Faraón. «Dios dará a Faraón una respuesta favorable[p](Q)».

17 Entonces Faraón dijo a José: «En mi sueño yo estaba de pie a la orilla del Nilo. 18 Y vi[q] siete vacas gordas[r] y de hermoso aspecto que salieron del Nilo. Pacían en el carrizal. 19 Pero sucedió que otras siete vacas subieron detrás de ellas, pobres, de muy mal aspecto y flacas[s], de tal fealdad[t] como yo nunca había visto en toda la tierra de Egipto. 20 Y las vacas flacas y feas[u] se comieron las primeras siete vacas gordas. 21 Pero cuando las habían devorado[v], no se podía notar[w] que las hubieran devorado[x]; pues[y] su aspecto era tan feo[z] como al principio. Entonces me desperté.

22 »En mi sueño también vi que siete espigas llenas y hermosas crecían en una sola caña; 23 y que siete espigas marchitas, menudas y quemadas por el viento del este, brotaron después de aquellas. 24 Las espigas menudas devoraron a las siete espigas hermosas. Se lo conté a los magos[aa], pero no hubo quien me lo pudiera explicar(R)».

25 Entonces José dijo a Faraón: «Los dos sueños de Faraón son[ab] uno. Dios ha anunciado a Faraón lo que Él va a hacer(S). 26 Las siete vacas hermosas son siete años, y las siete espigas hermosas son siete años. Los dos sueños son[ac] uno. 27 Y las siete vacas flacas y feas[ad] que subieron detrás de ellas son siete años, y las siete espigas quemadas por el viento del este serán siete años de hambre(T).

28 »Esto es lo que he dicho a Faraón: Dios ha mostrado a Faraón lo que va a hacer(U). 29 Van a venir siete años de gran abundancia en toda la tierra de Egipto(V); 30 y después de ellos vendrán[ae] siete años de hambre(W). Será olvidada toda la abundancia en la tierra de Egipto, y el hambre asolará[af] la tierra. 31 No se conocerá la abundancia en la tierra a causa del hambre que vendrá[ag], que será muy severa. 32 En cuanto a la repetición del sueño a Faraón dos veces, quiere decir que el asunto está determinado por Dios(X), y que Dios lo hará pronto.

33 »Ahora pues, busque Faraón un hombre prudente y sabio(Y), y póngalo sobre la tierra de Egipto. 34 Decida Faraón nombrar inspectores sobre el país y exija un quinto de la producción de la tierra de Egipto en los siete años de abundancia. 35 Que los inspectores recojan todos los víveres de esos años buenos que vienen, y almacenen en las ciudades(Z) el grano para alimento bajo la autoridad[ah] de Faraón, y que lo protejan. 36 Y que los víveres sean una reserva para el país durante los siete años de hambre que ocurrirán en la tierra de Egipto, a fin de que la gente del país no perezca por el hambre».

José gobernador de todo Egipto

37 La idea[ai] pareció bien a[aj] Faraón y a[ak] todos sus siervos. 38 Entonces Faraón dijo a sus siervos: «¿Podemos hallar un hombre como este, en quien esté el espíritu de Dios(AA)?». 39 Y Faraón dijo a José: «Puesto que Dios te ha hecho saber todo esto, no hay nadie tan prudente ni tan sabio como tú(AB). 40 Tú estarás sobre mi casa, y todo mi pueblo obedecerá tus órdenes[al]. Solamente en el trono yo seré mayor que tú(AC)». 41 Faraón dijo también a José: «Mira, te he puesto sobre toda la tierra de Egipto(AD)».

42 Y Faraón se quitó el anillo de sellar de su mano(AE) y lo puso en la mano de José. Lo vistió con vestiduras de lino fino y puso un collar de oro en su cuello(AF). 43 Lo hizo montar en su segundo carro[am], y proclamaron delante de él: «¡Doblen la rodilla[an]!». Y lo puso sobre toda la tierra de Egipto.

44 Entonces Faraón dijo a José: «Aunque yo soy Faraón, sin embargo, nadie levantará su mano ni su pie sin tu permiso[ao](AG) en toda la tierra de Egipto». 45 Y Faraón llamó a José por el nombre de Zafnat Panea[ap], y le dio por mujer a Asenat, hija de Potifera, sacerdote de On[aq](AH). Y salió José para ver[ar] la tierra de Egipto.

46 José tenía treinta años(AI) cuando se presentó ante[as] Faraón, rey de Egipto. Y salió José de la presencia de Faraón y recorrió toda la tierra de Egipto. 47 La tierra produjo a manos llenas durante los siete años de abundancia. 48 José recogió todo el fruto[at] de estos siete años de abundancia[au] que hubo en la tierra de Egipto, y guardó[av] el alimento en las ciudades. En cada ciudad guardó el fruto de sus campos circunvecinos. 49 Así José almacenó grano en gran abundancia, como la arena del mar, hasta que dejó de medirlo[aw] porque no se podía medir[ax].

50 Antes de que llegaran los años[ay] de hambre, le nacieron a José dos hijos(AJ), los que le dio Asenat, hija de Potifera, sacerdote de On[az]. 51 Al primogénito José le puso el nombre de Manasés[ba], porque dijo: «Dios me ha hecho olvidar todo mi trabajo y toda la casa de mi padre». 52 Y al segundo le puso el nombre de Efraín[bb], porque dijo: «Dios me ha hecho fecundo(AK) en la tierra de mi aflicción».

Los siete años de hambre

53 Cuando pasaron los siete años de abundancia que había habido en la tierra de Egipto, 54 comenzaron a venir los siete años de hambre(AL), tal como José había dicho. Entonces hubo hambre en todas las tierras, pero en toda la tierra de Egipto había alimento. 55 Cuando se sintió el hambre en toda la tierra de Egipto, el pueblo clamó a Faraón por alimento. Faraón dijo a todos los egipcios: «Vayan a José, y hagan lo que él les diga(AM)».

56 El hambre también se extendió[bc] sobre toda la superficie de la tierra. Entonces José abrió todos los graneros[bd] y vendió a los egipcios, pues el hambre era severa en la tierra de Egipto. 57 Y de todos los países venían a Egipto para comprar grano a José, porque el hambre era severa en toda la tierra(AN).

Footnotes

  1. 41:1 Lit. dos años completos.
  2. 41:2 Lit. he aquí.
  3. 41:2 Lit. gordas de carne.
  4. 41:3 Lit. flacas de carne.
  5. 41:4 Lit. flacas de carne.
  6. 41:8 O sacerdotes adivinos.
  7. 41:8 Lit. su sueño.
  8. 41:9 O pecados.
  9. 41:11 Lit. soñamos.
  10. 41:12 Lit. según su.
  11. 41:13 Lit. a él.
  12. 41:14 Lit. foso.
  13. 41:15 Lit. soñado.
  14. 41:15 Lit. de ti, diciendo.
  15. 41:15 Lit. para interpretarlo.
  16. 41:16 Lit. Aparte de mí, Dios responderá a la paz de Faraón.
  17. 41:18 Lit. he aquí.
  18. 41:18 Lit. gordas de carne.
  19. 41:19 Lit. flacas de carne.
  20. 41:19 Lit. tan malas.
  21. 41:20 Lit. malas.
  22. 41:21 Lit. habían entrado en sus entrañas.
  23. 41:21 O saber.
  24. 41:21 Lit. habían entrado en sus entrañas.
  25. 41:21 Lit. y.
  26. 41:21 Lit. malo.
  27. 41:24 O sacerdotes adivinos.
  28. 41:25 Lit. El sueño…es.
  29. 41:26 Lit. el sueño es.
  30. 41:27 Lit. malas.
  31. 41:30 Lit. se levantarán.
  32. 41:30 Lit. destruirá.
  33. 41:31 Lit. seguirá.
  34. 41:35 Lit. mano.
  35. 41:37 Lit. palabra.
  36. 41:37 Lit. a los ojos de.
  37. 41:37 Lit. a los ojos de.
  38. 41:40 Lit. besará a causa de tu boca.
  39. 41:43 Lit. el segundo carro que era suyo.
  40. 41:43 Heb. abrek; i.e. atención o abran paso.
  41. 41:44 Lit. sin ti.
  42. 41:45 Probablemente en egipcio: Dios habla; él vive.
  43. 41:45 O Heliópolis.
  44. 41:45 Lit. sobre.
  45. 41:46 O entró al servicio de.
  46. 41:48 O alimento.
  47. 41:48 Así en la versión gr.; el heb. omite: de abundancia.
  48. 41:48 Lit. puso.
  49. 41:49 Lit. contarlo.
  50. 41:49 Lit. era sin número.
  51. 41:50 Lit. llegará el año.
  52. 41:50 O Heliópolis.
  53. 41:51 I.e. Hace olvidar.
  54. 41:52 I.e. Fecundo.
  55. 41:56 Lit. estaba.
  56. 41:56 Lit. todo lo que había en ellos.
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