Genesis 41:1–37
1 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 lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and 1fat; and they grazed in the amarsh grass.
3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and 1gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.
4 The ugly and 1gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
5 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 The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
8 Now in the morning ahis spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the 1bmagicians of Egypt, and all its cwise men. And Pharaoh told them his 2dreams, but dthere was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of amy own 1offenses.
10 “Pharaoh was afurious with his servants, and bhe put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker.
11 “aWe had a dream 1on the same night, 2he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.
12 “Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a aservant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and bhe interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream.
13 “And just aas he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my 1office, but he hanged him.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent and acalled for Joseph, and they bhurriedly 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, abut no one can interpret it; and bI have heard 1it said about you, that 2when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “1aIt is not in me; bGod will 2give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;
18 and behold, seven cows, 1fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.
19 “Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and 1gaunt, such as I had never seen for 2ugliness in all the land of Egypt;
20 and the lean and 1ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
21 “Yet when they had 1devoured them, it could not be 2detected that they had 1devoured them, 3for they were just as ugly as 4before. Then I awoke.
22 “I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk;
23 and lo, 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 aI told it to the 1magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s 1dreams are one and the same; aGod 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 1dreams are one and the same.
27 “The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind awill be seven years of famine.
28 “1It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: aGod has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29 “Behold, aseven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt;
30 and after them aseven years of famine will 1come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will 2ravage 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 athe matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.
33 “Now let Pharaoh look for a man adiscerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 “Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers 1in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.
35 “Then let them agather 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 let them guard it.
36 “Let the food become 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 1proposal seemed good 2to Pharaoh and 2to all his servants.