Genesis 41:38-57
New American Standard Bible
Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt
38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, (A)in whom there is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one as (B)discerning and wise as you are. 40 (C)You shall be [a]in charge of my house, and all my people shall [b]be obedient to you; only regarding the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I have placed you (D)over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh (E)took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and (F)put the gold necklace around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in [c]his second chariot; and they proclaimed ahead of him, “[d]Bow the knee!” And he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet (G)without [e]your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph [f]Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [g](H)On, to be his wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 Now Joseph was (I)thirty years old when he [h]stood in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of plenty the land produced [i]abundantly. 48 So he collected all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities; he put in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49 Joseph stored up grain [j]in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped [k]measuring it, for it was [l]beyond measure.
The Sons of Joseph
50 Now before the year of famine came, (J)two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of [m]On, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn [n]Manasseh; “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all of my father’s household.” 52 And he named the second [o]Ephraim; “For,” he said, “(K)God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 When the seven years of plenty which had taken place in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and (L)the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt suffered famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (M)whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56 When the famine was spread over the entire face of the earth, then Joseph opened all [p]the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Then the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because (N)the famine was severe in all the earth.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 41:40 Lit over
- Genesis 41:40 Lit kiss your mouth; LXX obey at your command
- Genesis 41:43 Lit the second...which was his
- Genesis 41:43 Or Make way
- Genesis 41:44 Lit you no one
- Genesis 41:45 Prob. Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”
- Genesis 41:45 Or Heliopolis
- Genesis 41:46 Or entered the service of
- Genesis 41:47 Lit by handfuls
- Genesis 41:49 Lit very much
- Genesis 41:49 Lit numbering
- Genesis 41:49 Or without number
- Genesis 41:50 Or Heliopolis
- Genesis 41:51 I.e., making to forget
- Genesis 41:52 I.e., fruitfulness
- Genesis 41:56 Lit that which was in them
Genesis 41:38-57
The Message
38 Then Pharaoh said to his officials, “Isn’t this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God’s spirit in him like this?”
39-40 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You’re the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you’re in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.”
41-43 So Pharaoh commissioned Joseph: “I’m putting you in charge of the entire country of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and slipped it on Joseph’s hand. He outfitted him in robes of the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He put the second-in-command chariot at his disposal, and as he rode people shouted “Bravo!”
Joseph was in charge of the entire country of Egypt.
44 Pharaoh told Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but no one in Egypt will make a single move without your stamp of approval.”
45 Then Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah (God Speaks and He Lives). He also gave him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis).
And Joseph took up his duties over the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he went to work for Pharaoh the king of Egypt. As soon as Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he began his work in Egypt.
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47-49 During the next seven years of plenty the land produced bumper crops. Joseph gathered up the food of the seven good years in Egypt and stored the food in cities. In each city he stockpiled surplus from the surrounding fields. Joseph collected so much grain—it was like the sand of the ocean!—that he finally quit keeping track.
50-52 Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, “God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home.” He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, “God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow.”
53-54 Then Egypt’s seven good years came to an end and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread.
55 When the famine spread throughout Egypt, the people called out in distress to Pharaoh, calling for bread. He told the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you.”
56-57 As the famine got worse all over the country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold emergency supplies to the Egyptians. The famine was very bad. Soon the whole world was coming to buy supplies from Joseph. The famine was bad all over.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson