Genesis 41
Expanded Bible
The King’s Dreams
41 Two years later ·the king [L Pharaoh] dreamed he was standing ·on the bank of [L by] the Nile River. 2 He saw seven fat and ·beautiful [sleek] cows come up out of the river, and they stood there, ·eating [grazing on] the ·grass [reed beds]. 3 Then seven more cows came up out of the river, but they were thin and ugly. They stood beside the seven ·beautiful [L other] cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 The seven thin and ugly cows ate the seven ·beautiful [sleek] fat cows. Then ·the king [L Pharaoh] woke up. 5 He slept again and dreamed a second time. In his dream he saw seven ·full [plump] and ·good [healthy] heads of grain growing on one stalk. 6 After that, seven more heads of grain sprang up, but they were thin and ·burned [shriveled] by the hot east wind. 7 The thin heads of grain ate the seven ·full [plump] and good heads. Then ·the king [L Pharaoh] woke up again, and he realized it was only a dream. 8 The next morning ·the king [L his spirit] was troubled about these dreams, so he [L called and] sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. ·The king [L Pharaoh] told them his dreams, but no one could ·explain their meaning [L interpret them] to him.
9 Then the chief ·officer who served wine to the king [L cupbearer to Pharaoh] said to him, “Now I ·remember [make known] ·something I promised to do, but I forgot about it [my errors/faults/sins today]. 10 There was a time when you were angry with the [L chief] baker and me, and you put us in prison in the house of the chief butcher [37:36]. 11 In prison we each had a dream on the same night, and each dream had a different ·meaning [interpretation]. 12 A young Hebrew man, a servant of the chief butcher [37:36], was in the prison with us. When we told him our dreams, he explained their ·meanings [interpretations] to us. He told each man the ·meaning [interpretation] of his dream, and 13 things happened exactly as he ·said they would [L interpreted]: I was given back my old position, and the baker was hanged.”
14 So the king called [L and sent] for Joseph. The guards quickly brought him out of the ·prison [dungeon; L pit], and he shaved, ·put on clean [changed his] clothes, and went before ·the king [L Pharaoh].
15 ·The king [L Pharaoh] said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can ·explain its meaning to [interpret it for] me. I have heard that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 Joseph answered ·the king [L Pharaoh], “·I am not able to explain the meaning of dreams, but God will do this for the king [L It is not me, but only God can give Pharaoh a favorable interpretation].”
17 Then ·the king [L Pharaoh] said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 18 I saw seven fat and ·beautiful [sleek] cows that came up out of the river and ate the ·grass [reed beds]. 19 Then I saw seven ·more [L other] cows come out of the river that were ·thin [L poor] and lean and ugly—the worst looking cows I have seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And these ·thin [lean] and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows, 21 but after they had ·eaten [L gone into their belly] the seven cows, no one could tell they had ·eaten them [L gone into their belly]. They looked just as ·thin and ugly [L ugly] as they did at the beginning. Then I woke up.
22 “I had another dream. I saw seven ·full [plump] and ·good [healthy] heads of grain growing on one stalk. 23 Then seven more heads of grain sprang up after them, but these heads were thin and ·ugly [withered] and ·were burned [shriveled] by the hot east wind. 24 Then the thin heads ·ate [L swallowed] the seven ·good [healthy] heads. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain ·its meaning [L it] to me.”
Joseph Tells the Dreams’ Meaning
25 Then Joseph said to ·the king [L Pharaoh], “Both of these dreams ·mean the same thing [L are one]. God is telling you what he is about to do. 26 The seven ·good [healthy] cows stand for seven years, and the seven ·good [healthy] heads of grain stand for seven years. Both dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin and ugly cows stand for seven years, and the seven thin heads of grain ·burned [shriveled] by the hot east wind stand for seven years of ·hunger [famine]. 28 This will happen as I told you. God is showing ·the king [L Pharaoh] what he is about to do. 29 You will have seven years of ·good crops and plenty to eat [L great plenty] in all the land of Egypt. 30 But after ·those seven years [L them], there will come seven years of ·hunger [famine], and all the ·food that grew [L plenty] in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The ·time of hunger will eat up [L famine will consume] the land. 31 ·People will forget what it was like to have plenty of food [L The plenty will not be known in the land], because the ·hunger [famine] that follows will be so ·great [heavy]. 32 ·You had two dreams which mean the same thing. This shows [L The doubling of the dream of Pharaoh means] that God has firmly decided that this will happen, and he will make it happen soon.
33 “So let ·the king [L Pharaoh] choose a man who is very wise and ·understanding [discerning] and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 And let ·the king [L Pharaoh] also appoint ·officers [overseers] over the land, who should take one-fifth of all the food that is grown during the seven ·good years [years of plenty]. 35 They should gather all the food that is produced during the good years that are coming, and under the king’s ·authority [control; L hand] they should store the grain in the cities and guard it. 36 That food ·should be saved to use [shall serve as a reserve] during the seven years of ·hunger [famine] that will come on the land of Egypt. Then the people in Egypt will not ·die [L be cut off] during the seven years of ·hunger [famine].”
Joseph Is Made Ruler over Egypt
37 ·This seemed like a very good idea to the king [L The thing/word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh], and all his ·officers [servants] agreed. 38 And ·the king asked them [L Pharaoh said to his servants], “Can we find a ·better man than Joseph to take this job [L man like this man]? God’s spirit is truly in him!”
39 So ·the king [L Pharaoh] said to Joseph, “God has shown you all this. There is no one as wise and ·understanding [discerning] as you are, so 40 I will put you in charge of my ·palace [house]. All the people will obey your orders, and only [L in terms of the throne] I will be greater than you.”
41 Then ·the king [L Pharaoh] said to Joseph, “Look! I have put you in charge of all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then ·the king [L Pharaoh] took off ·from his own finger his ring with the royal seal on it [L his signet ring; C a form of identification], and he put it on Joseph’s finger. He gave Joseph fine linen clothes to wear, and he put a gold chain around Joseph’s neck [C all symbols of authority]. 43 ·The king had Joseph [L He made him] ride in the second royal chariot, and people walked ahead of his chariot calling, “Bow down [C an Egyptian word of uncertain meaning]!” By doing these things, the king put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt.
44 The king said to him, “I am ·the king [L Pharaoh], and I say that no one in all the land of Egypt may lift a hand or a foot without your permission.” 45 ·The king [L Pharaoh] gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah [C may mean “the god said, ‘let him live’ ”; showing the Egyptians’ acceptance of him]. He also gave Joseph a wife named Asenath, who was the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On [C an important city seven miles northeast of Cairo also known as Heliopolis, a center of the worship of the sun]. So Joseph ·traveled through [or rose over] all the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he ·began serving [L stood before the Pharaoh] the king of Egypt. And he ·left the king’s court [L went out from before Pharaoh] and traveled through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven ·good years [years of plenty], the ·crops in the land grew well [land produced much; L land made by handfuls]. 48 And Joseph gathered all the food produced in Egypt during those seven years of good crops and stored the food in the cities. In every city he stored grain that had been grown in the fields around that city. 49 Joseph stored much grain, as much as the sand of the seashore—so much that he could not ·measure [count] it.
50 Joseph’s wife was Asenath daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On [41:45]. Before the years of ·hunger [famine] came, Joseph and Asenath had two sons. 51 Joseph named the ·first son [firstborn] Manasseh [C sounds like “made me forget” in Hebrew] and said, “God has made me forget all the troubles I have had and all ·my father’s family [L the house of my father].” 52 Joseph named the second son Ephraim [C related to the Hebrew word for “fruitful”; 1:22] and said, “God has ·given me children [L made me fruitful] in the land of my ·troubles [afflictions].”
53 The seven years of ·good crops [plenty] came to an end in the land of Egypt. 54 Then the seven years of ·hunger [famine] began, just as Joseph had said. In all the lands people had ·nothing to eat [famine], but in Egypt there was ·food [bread]. 55 The ·time of hunger [famine] became terrible in all of Egypt, and the people cried to ·the king [L Pharaoh] for food. He said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
56 The ·hunger [famine] was ·everywhere in that part of the world [L over all the face of the earth]. And Joseph opened ·the storehouses [L everything that was in them] and sold grain to the people of Egypt, because the ·time of hunger [famine] became ·terrible [severe] in Egypt. 57 And all the people in that part of the world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the ·hunger [famine] was ·terrible [severe] everywhere in ·that part of the [L the] world.
Genesis 41
New American Standard Bible
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 seven cows came up, fine-looking and [a]fat; and they grazed in the (A)marsh grass. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and [b]thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 Then the ugly and [c]thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 But he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 Now in the morning (B)his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the (C)soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its (D)wise men. And Pharaoh told them his [d]dreams, but (E)there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of (F)my own [e]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 Then (I)we had a dream one night, [f]he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now a Hebrew youth was there with us, a (J)servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we told him the dreams, and (K)he interpreted our dreams for us. For each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And just (L)as he interpreted for us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me in my office, but he hanged [g]the chief baker.”
Joseph Interprets
14 Then Pharaoh sent word 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. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, (O)but no one can interpret it; and (P)I have heard [h]it said about you, that [i]when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “[j](Q)It has nothing to do with me; (R)God will [k]give Pharaoh an answer for his own good.” 17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and behold, seven cows, [l]fat and fine-looking came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very [m]ugly and [n]thin, such as I had never seen for [o]ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20 and the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. 21 Yet when they had [p]devoured them, it could not be [q]detected that they had [r]devoured them, [s]for they were just as ugly as [t]before. Then I awoke. 22 I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears of grain, 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. Then (S)I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s [u]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 [v]dreams are one and the same. 27 The seven thin 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 [w]It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: (V)God has shown 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 [x]come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will [y]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 confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33 So now let Pharaoh look for a man (Z)discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers [z]in charge of the land, and let him take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt as a tax in the seven years of abundance. 35 Then have them (AA)collect 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 have them guard it. 36 Let the food be used 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.”
37 Now the [aa]proposal seemed good [ab]to Pharaoh and [ac]to all his servants.
Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt
38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, (AB)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 (AC)discerning and wise as you are. 40 (AD)You shall be [ad]in charge of my house, and all my people shall [ae]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 (AE)over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh (AF)took off 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 [af]his second chariot; and they proclaimed ahead of him, “[ag]Bow the knee!” And he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet (AH)without [ah]your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph [ai]Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [aj](AI)On, to be his wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 Now Joseph was (AJ)thirty years old when he [ak]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 [al]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 [am]in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped [an]measuring it, for it was [ao]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 [ap]On, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn [aq]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 [ar]Ephraim; “For,” he said, “(AL)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 (AM)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; (AN)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 [as]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 (AO)the famine was severe in all the earth.
Footnotes
- Genesis 41:2 Lit fat of flesh
- Genesis 41:3 Lit thin of flesh
- Genesis 41:4 Lit thin of flesh
- Genesis 41:8 Lit dream
- Genesis 41:9 Or sins
- Genesis 41:11 Lit I and he
- Genesis 41:13 Lit him
- Genesis 41:15 Lit about you, saying
- Genesis 41:15 Lit you hear a dream to interpret it
- Genesis 41:16 Lit Apart from me
- Genesis 41:16 Lit answer the peace of Pharaoh
- Genesis 41:18 Lit fat of flesh
- Genesis 41:19 Lit bad
- Genesis 41:19 Lit thin of flesh
- Genesis 41:19 Lit badness
- Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
- Genesis 41:21 Or known
- Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
- Genesis 41:21 Lit and
- Genesis 41:21 Lit in the beginning
- Genesis 41:25 Lit dream is
- Genesis 41:26 Lit dream is
- Genesis 41:28 Lit That is the thing which I spoke
- Genesis 41:30 Lit arise
- Genesis 41:30 Lit destroy
- Genesis 41:34 Lit over
- Genesis 41:37 Lit word
- Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
- Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
- 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
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
