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Genesis 41
Legacy Standard Bible

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream

41 Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2 And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and [a]fat; and they grazed in the (A)reeds. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, [b]ugly and [c]thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly and [d]thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 He again fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6 And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 Now it happened that in the morning (B)his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the [e](C)magicians of Egypt and all its (D)wise men. And Pharaoh recounted to them his dream, but (E)there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would bring to remembrance today (F)my own [f]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)And we had a dream [g]on the same night, [h]he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now there was with us a Hebrew youth, a (J)slave of the captain of the bodyguard, and we recounted 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 [i]office, but he hanged him.”

14 Then Pharaoh sent and (M)called for Joseph, and they (N)rushed him out of the pit; and he shaved himself and changed his clothes, and he came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, (O)but no one can interpret it; yet (P)I have heard [j]it said about you, that [k]you hear a dream and that you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “[l](Q)It is not in me; (R)God will [m]answer concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.” 17 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and behold, seven cows, [n]fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. 19 And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and lean, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt, in regard to [o]ugliness; 20 and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21 But they [p]devoured them, and yet it could not be known that they had [q]devoured them. [r]For they were just as ugly as [s]before. Then I awoke. 22 Then I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23 and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. So (S)I told it to the [t]magicians, but there was no one who could declare it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s [u]dreams are one and the same; (T)God has declared 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 [v]dreams are one and the same. 27 And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven lean ears scorched by the east wind (U)will be seven years of famine. 28 [w]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; 30 and after them (X)seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will [x]ravage the land, 31 so that the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very heavy. 32 Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that (Y)the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33 So now let Pharaoh look for a man (Z)understanding and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over 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 let them store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them keep watch over it. 36 And let the food be appointed for the land for the seven years of famine which will happen in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be cut off during the famine.”

Joseph Is Set over Egypt

37 And the [y]proposal seemed good [z]to Pharaoh and [aa]to all his servants. 38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, (AB)in whom is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made you know all of this, there is no one so (AC)understanding and wise as you are. 40 (AD)You shall be over my house, and according to your [ab]command all my people shall [ac]do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you (AE)over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh (AF)removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and (AG)put the gold necklace around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in [ad]his second chariot; and they called out before him, “[ae]Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet (AH)without [af]your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph [ag]Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [ah](AI)On, as a wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

46 Now Joseph was (AJ)thirty years old when he [ai]stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and passed through all the land of Egypt. 47 And during the seven years of plenty the land brought forth [aj]abundantly. 48 So he gathered all the food of these seven years which happened in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49 Thus Joseph stored up grain [ak]in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped [al]measuring it, for it was [am]beyond measure.

The Sons of Joseph

50 Now before the year of famine came, (AK)two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [an]On, bore to him. 51 And Joseph named the firstborn [ao]Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 And he named the second [ap]Ephraim, “For,” he said, “(AL)God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53 Then the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and (AM)the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. So there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 Then all the land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (AN)whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56 Now the famine was over all the face of the land. And Joseph opened all [aq]the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Now all the earth also came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because (AO)the famine was severe in all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 41:2 Lit fat of flesh
  2. Genesis 41:3 Lit bad, so in ch
  3. Genesis 41:3 Lit lean of flesh
  4. Genesis 41:4 Lit lean of flesh
  5. Genesis 41:8 Or soothsayer priests
  6. Genesis 41:9 Or sins
  7. Genesis 41:11 Lit one night
  8. Genesis 41:11 Lit I and he
  9. Genesis 41:13 Lit place
  10. Genesis 41:15 Lit about you, saying
  11. Genesis 41:15 Lit you hear a dream to interpret it
  12. Genesis 41:16 Lit Apart from me
  13. Genesis 41:16 Lit answer the peace of Pharaoh
  14. Genesis 41:18 Lit fat of flesh
  15. Genesis 41:19 Lit badness
  16. Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
  17. Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
  18. Genesis 41:21 Lit And
  19. Genesis 41:21 Lit in the beginning
  20. Genesis 41:24 Or soothsayer priests
  21. Genesis 41:25 Lit dream is
  22. Genesis 41:26 Lit dream is
  23. Genesis 41:28 Lit That is the thing which I spoke
  24. Genesis 41:30 Lit destroy
  25. Genesis 41:37 Lit word
  26. Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
  27. Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
  28. Genesis 41:40 Lit mouth
  29. Genesis 41:40 Lit kiss
  30. Genesis 41:43 Lit the second...which was his
  31. Genesis 41:43 Or Attention, Make way; Heb Abreck
  32. Genesis 41:44 Lit you no one
  33. Genesis 41:45 Probably Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”
  34. Genesis 41:45 Or Heliopolis
  35. Genesis 41:46 Or entered the service of
  36. Genesis 41:47 Lit by handfuls
  37. Genesis 41:49 Lit very much
  38. Genesis 41:49 Lit numbering
  39. Genesis 41:49 Or without number
  40. Genesis 41:50 Or Heliopolis
  41. Genesis 41:51 Lit making to forget
  42. Genesis 41:52 Lit fruitfulness
  43. Genesis 41:56 Lit that which was in them
Listen to Genesis 41
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Genesis 41
New King James Version

Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that (A)Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. 2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the (B)east wind, sprang up after them. 7 And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. 8 Now it came to pass in the morning (C)that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all (D)the magicians of Egypt and all its (E)wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.

9 Then the (F)chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. 10 When Pharaoh was (G)angry with his servants, (H)and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, 11 (I)we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now there was a young (J)Hebrew man with us there, a (K)servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he (L)interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And it came to pass, just (M)as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”

14 (N)Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they (O)brought him quickly (P)out of the dungeon; and he shaved, (Q)changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. (R)But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”

16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, (S)“It is not in me; (T)God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, (U)in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. 18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven [a]heads came up on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24 And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So (V)I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; (W)God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good [b]heads are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are (X)seven years of famine. 28 (Y)This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Indeed (Z)seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but after them seven years of famine will (AA)arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine (AB)will deplete the land. 31 So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 32 And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the (AC)thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

33 “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint [c]officers over the land, (AD)to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. 35 And (AE)let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the [d]authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 Then that food shall be as a [e]reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land (AF)may not [f]perish during the famine.”

Joseph’s Rise to Power

37 So (AG)the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man (AH)in whom is the Spirit of God?”

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 (AI)You shall be [g]over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have (AJ)set you over all the land of Egypt.”

42 Then Pharaoh (AK)took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he (AL)clothed him in garments of fine linen (AM)and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the second (AN)chariot which he had; (AO)and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him (AP)over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name [h]Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife (AQ)Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he (AR)stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth [i]abundantly. 48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. 49 Joseph gathered very much grain, (AS)as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.

50 (AT)And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn [j]Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my (AU)father’s house.” 52 And the name of the second he called [k]Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be (AV)fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, 54 (AW)and the seven years of famine began to come, (AX)as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (AY)whatever he says to you, do.” 56 The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened [l]all the storehouses and (AZ)sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. 57 (BA)So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to (BB)buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 41:22 Heads of grain
  2. Genesis 41:26 Heads of grain
  3. Genesis 41:34 overseers
  4. Genesis 41:35 Lit. hand
  5. Genesis 41:36 Lit. supply
  6. Genesis 41:36 be cut off
  7. Genesis 41:40 In charge of
  8. Genesis 41:45 Probably Egyptian for God Speaks and He Lives
  9. Genesis 41:47 Lit. by handfuls
  10. Genesis 41:51 Lit. Making Forgetful
  11. Genesis 41:52 Lit. Fruitfulness
  12. Genesis 41:56 Lit. all that was in them
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Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

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New King James Version (NKJV)

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