Genesis 41:1-36
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].”
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Genesis 41:1-36
Amplified Bible
Pharaoh’s Dream
41 Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the [a]Nile. 2 And lo, there came up out of the Nile seven [healthy] cows, sleek and handsome and fat; and they grazed in the reed grass [in a marshy pasture]. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the Nile, ugly and gaunt and raw-boned, and stood by the fat cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 Then the ugly and gaunt and raw-boned cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 Then 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 [of grain], thin and dried up by the east wind, sprouted after them. 7 Then the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream. 8 So when morning came his spirit was troubled and disturbed and he sent and called for all the magicians and all the wise men of Egypt. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them to him.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would mention my faults today. 10 [Two years ago] Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker. 11 We dreamed a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to [the significance of] the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now there was with us [in the prison] a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us, to each man according to the significance of his own dream. 13 And just as he interpreted [the dreams] for us, so it happened; I was restored to my office [as chief cupbearer], and the baker was hanged.”
Joseph Interprets
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when Joseph shaved himself and changed his clothes [making himself presentable], he came to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you that you can understand a dream and interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me [to interpret the dream]; God [not I] will give Pharaoh a [b]favorable answer [through me].” 17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and seven fat, sleek and handsome cows came up out of the river, and they grazed in the reed grass [of a marshy pasture]. 19 Lo, seven other cows came up after them, very ugly and gaunt [just skin and bones]; such emaciated animals as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21 Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had eaten them, because they were still as thin and emaciated as before. Then I awoke [but again I fell asleep and dreamed]. 22 I saw in my [second] dream, seven ears [of grain], plump and good, growing on a single stalk; 23 and lo, seven [other] ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them; 24 and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. Now I told this to the magicians and soothsayers, but there was no one who could explain it [to me].”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The [two] dreams are one [and the same and have one interpretation]; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the [two] dreams are one [and the same]. 27 The seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years; and also the seven thin ears, dried up and scorched by the east wind, they are seven years of famine and hunger. 28 This is the message just as I have told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Listen very carefully: seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but afterward seven years of famine and hunger will come, and [there will be such desperate need that] all the great abundance [of the previous years] will be forgotten in the land of Egypt [as if it never happened], and famine and destitution will ravage and destroy the land. 31 So the great abundance will become forgotten in the land because of that subsequent famine, for it will be very severe. 32 That the dream was repeated twice to Pharaoh [and in two different ways] indicates that this matter is fully determined and established by God, and God will bring it to pass very quickly. 33 So now let Pharaoh [prepare ahead and] look for a man discerning and clear-headed and wise, and set him [in charge] over the land of Egypt [as governor under Pharaoh]. 34 Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers and officials over the land, and set aside one-fifth [of the produce] of the [entire] land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them gather [as a tax] all [of the fifth of] the food of these good years that are coming, and store up grain under the direction and authority of Pharaoh, and let them guard the food [in fortified granaries] in the cities. 36 That food shall be put [in storage] as a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine and hunger which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land (people) will not be ravaged during the famine.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 41:1 Lit the river, and so throughout.
- Genesis 41:16 Lit answer of peace.
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