Genesis 41:1-8

Contemporary English Version

Joseph Interprets the King's Dreams

41 Two years later the king^[a] of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River. ² Suddenly, seven fat, healthy cows came up from the river and started eating grass along the bank. ³ Then seven ugly, skinny cows came up out of the river and ⁴ ate the fat, healthy cows. When this happened, the king woke up.

⁵ The king went back to sleep and had another dream. This time seven full heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. ⁶ Later, seven other heads of grain appeared, but they were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert. ⁷ The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full heads. Again the king woke up, and it had only been a dream.

^8 (A) The next morning the king was upset. So he called in his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.