Genesis 41:37–57

Joseph’s Rise to Power

³⁷The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. ³⁸Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this, one in whom is the spirit of God?”^{* 39}So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”^{* 41}And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”^{* 42}Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.^{* 43}He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command, and they cried out in front of him, “Bow the knee!”^c Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.^{* 44}Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”^{* 45}Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Thus Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.^{* 47}During the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly. ⁴⁸He gathered up all the food of the seven years when there was plenty^d in the land of Egypt and stored up food in the cities; he stored up in every city the food from the fields around it. ⁴⁹So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand of the sea—that he stopped measuring it; it was beyond measure.

⁵⁰Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.^{* 51}Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh,^e “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” ⁵²The second he named Ephraim,^f “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes.”^*

⁵³The seven years of plenty that prevailed in the land of Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread.^{* 55}When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.” ⁵⁶And since the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses^g and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.^{* 57}Moreover, all the world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine became severe throughout the world.