Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 Two years later Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,(A) when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.

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.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my faults. 10 Pharaoh had been angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. 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.(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.”[a](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 began to graze among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows—ugly, very sickly, and thin—came up. I’ve never seen such ugly ones as these in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then the thin, ugly 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 had also seen seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, 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 plump 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 ripe heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless, scorched heads of grain 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[b] 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.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 41:16 Or “God will answer Pharaoh with peace [of mind].”
  2. Genesis 41:29 Lit Look! Seven

Pharaoh’s Dream

41 Two years later—to the day—Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River,[a] when all of a sudden seven healthy, plump cows emerged from the Nile to graze in the grass that grew in the reeds that lined the bank.[b] Right after that, seven more cows came up out of the Nile. Ugly and gaunt, they stood next to the other cows on the bank of the Nile River. But all of a sudden they ate up the seven healthy, plump cows! Then Pharaoh woke up.

After he had fallen back to sleep, he had a second dream, in which seven ears of plump, fruit-filled grain grew up on a single stalk. Suddenly seven thin ears of grain that had been scorched by an east wind sprouted up right after them and ate up the seven plump, fruit-filled ears. Then Pharaoh woke up a second time,[c] and it had been a very vivid[d] dream!

Pharaoh Seeks an Interpretation

The very next morning, he[e] was frustrated[f] about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.[g]

Then Pharaoh’s senior security advisor[h] spoke up. “Maybe I should make a confession. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with some of his servants, he incarcerated me in custody of the captain of the bodyguard, along with Pharaoh’s head chef.[i] 11 We each had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. 12 There was a Hebrew young man incarcerated with us, who was also working as a servant to the captain of the bodyguard.

“We each related our dreams,[j] and then he interpreted them for us. He provided specific meanings for each of our dreams. 13 And what he interpreted for each of us came true! Pharaoh[k] restored me to my responsibilities, but he executed[l] the other man.”

Pharaoh Tells Joseph His Dream

14 Pharaoh sent word to summon Joseph quickly from the dungeon, so they shaved his beard, changed his clothes, and then sent him straight to Pharaoh. 15 “I’ve had a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph, “but nobody can interpret it. I’ve heard that you can interpret dreams.”

16 “I can’t do that,” Joseph replied, “but God is concerned about Pharaoh’s well-being.”

17 So Pharaoh told Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, 18 and all of a sudden seven healthy, plump, beautiful cows emerged from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds that line the bank.[m] 19 Just then, seven other cows emerged after them, poor, ugly, and appearing very gaunt in their flesh. I’ve never seen anything as ugly as those cows anywhere in the entire land of Egypt! 20 But those thin, gaunt cows gobbled up the first seven healthy cows! 21 Not only that,” Pharaoh continued,[n] “after they had finished devouring the cows, nobody could tell that they had gobbled them up, because they were just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. 22 Later, I also dreamed about seven plump, fruit-filled ears of grain[o] that grew up out of a single stalk. 23 All of a sudden, seven thin, withered ears of grain,[p] scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 24 But the thin ears gobbled up the seven good ears. I told all this to my advisors, but nobody was able to explain it to me.”

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream

25 “Pharaoh’s dreams are identical,” Joseph replied. “God has told Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do. 26 The seven healthy cows represent seven years, as do the seven healthy ears. The dreams are identical. 27 The seven gaunt cows that arose after the healthy cows[q] are seven years, as are the seven gaunt ears scorched by the east wind. There will be seven years of famine. 28 So the message that I have for Pharaoh is that God is telling Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do. 29 Be advised that seven years of phenomenal abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them seven years of famine are ahead, during which all of the abundance will be forgotten throughout the land of Egypt. The famine will ravage the land so severely that[r] 31 there will be no surplus in the land due to the coming famine, because it will be very severe.

32 “Now since Pharaoh had that dream twice, it means that this event has been scheduled by God, and God will bring it to pass very soon. 33 Therefore let Pharaoh select a wise, discerning person to place in charge over the land of Egypt. 34 Also, let Pharaoh immediately proceed to appoint supervisors over the land of Egypt, who will collect one fifth of its agricultural production[s] during the coming seven years of abundance. 35 Let them collect all the food during the coming fruitful years, store up the grain in cities governed by Pharaoh’s authority,[t] and place it under guard. 36 Let the food be kept in reserve to feed[u] the land for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout Egypt, so the people don’t[v] die during the famine.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 41:1 The Heb. lacks River, and so throughout the chapter
  2. Genesis 41:2 The Heb. lacks that lined the bank
  3. Genesis 41:7 The Heb. lacks a second time
  4. Genesis 41:7 Lit. and behold, it was a
  5. Genesis 41:8 Lit. morning, his spirit
  6. Genesis 41:8 Or troubled
  7. Genesis 41:8 Lit. interpret the dreams for Pharaoh
  8. Genesis 41:9 Lit. Pharaoh’s cupbearer; a servant who tested the Pharaoh’s food and beverages for poison; cf. Neh 1:11
  9. Genesis 41:10 Lit. baker
  10. Genesis 41:12 The Heb. lacks our dreams
  11. Genesis 41:13 Lit. He
  12. Genesis 41:13 Lit. hanged
  13. Genesis 41:18 The Heb. lacks that lined the bank
  14. Genesis 41:21 The Heb. lacks Pharaoh continued
  15. Genesis 41:22 The Heb. lacks of grain
  16. Genesis 41:23 The Heb. lacks of grain
  17. Genesis 41:27 Lit. after them
  18. Genesis 41:30 The Heb. lacks so severely that
  19. Genesis 41:34 Lit. of the land
  20. Genesis 41:35 Lit. cities in Pharaoh’s hand
  21. Genesis 41:36 Lit. reserve for
  22. Genesis 41:36 Lit. land doesn’t