Genesis 41:37–57

³⁷The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.^{x 38}So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God^a?”^y

³⁹Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you,^z there is no one so discerning and wise as you.^{a 40}You shall be in charge of my palace,^b and all my people are to submit to your orders.^c Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.^d”

Joseph in Charge of Egypt

⁴¹So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”^{e 42}Then Pharaoh took his signet ring^f from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes^g of fine linen^h and put a gold chain around his neck.^{i 43}He had him ride in a chariot^j as his second-in-command,^bk and people shouted before him, “Make way^c!”^l Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.^m

⁴⁴Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.”^{n 45}Pharaoh gave Joseph^o the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest^p of On,^dq to be his wife.^r And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶Joseph was thirty years old^s when he entered the service^t of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. ⁴⁷During the seven years of abundance^u the land produced plentifully. ⁴⁸Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities.^v In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. ⁴⁹Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea;^w it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

⁵⁰Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.^{x 51}Joseph named his firstborn^y Manasseh^ez and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” ⁵²The second son he named Ephraim^fa and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful^b in the land of my suffering.”

⁵³The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴and the seven years of famine^c began,^d just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. ⁵⁵When all Egypt began to feel the famine,^e the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”^f

⁵⁶When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians,^g for the famine^h was severe throughout Egypt.^{i 57}And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph,^j because the famine was severe everywhere.^k