Genesis 41:1-36
Christian Standard Bible
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
41 At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,(A) 2 when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. 4 The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk. 6 After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.
8 When morning came, he was troubled,(B) so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men.(C) Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my faults. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards. 11 He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning. 12 Now a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, he interpreted our dreams for us, and each had its own interpretation. 13 It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”(D)
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon.[a](E) He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.(F)
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.”(G)
16 “I am not able to,”(H) Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”[b](I)
17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows—weak, very sickly, and thin—came up. I’ve never seen such sickly ones as these in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows. 21 When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up. 22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk. 23 After them, seven heads of grain—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means.”(J)
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.(K) 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.(L)
28 “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. 30 After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land.(M) 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. 32 Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.
33 “So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food. 36 The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”
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Genesis 41:1-36
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.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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
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