The Genesis
Chapter
41
1 It was a full two years later that Pharaoh (likely AmenemHat 1) also had a dream. He dreamed that he was standing next to a river, 2 then {Look!} he saw seven fat and good-looking cows come up out of the water to feed at the river's edge. 3 And after that, seven more cows, which were skinny and ugly, came up out of the river to feed along its banks. 4 Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate the seven fat and good-looking cows… and that's when Pharaoh woke up.
5 Then he had another dream. {Look!} There were seven large and good-looking [heads] of grain that grew on a single stalk. 6 And {Look!} they were followed by [a stalk] with seven thin and windblown [heads] that grew up alongside them. 7 Then the [stalk] with the seven thin and windblown [heads] ate the ones with the seven large, good-looking [heads]… and that's when Pharaoh woke up… and it was just a dream.
8 Well the next morning, he was still deeply disturbed [by the dreams], so he sent for all the [dream] interpreters of Egypt and all the wise men. Pharaoh told them of his dreams, but no one could tell him what they meant. 9 And that's when Pharaoh's chief cupbearer told him: 'I just remembered something that I'm responsible for. 10 [You were once] quite angry with your servants and you had us imprisoned in the house of the captain of the guard… both the chief baker and me. 11 Each of us had a dream in that same night (both him and me)… but we each had our own dream. 12 And there was a young man with us, a Hebrew servant of the captain of the guard, to whom we told [our dreams], and he interpreted [them] to us. 13 Well, everything that he said would happen, came true… I was restored to my office and [the baker] was hanged.'
14 So Pharaoh sent and called for JoSeph… they took him from the prison, shaved him and changed his clothes; then he went in to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'I had a vision that no one can interpret, and I've heard that you have listened to dreams and interpreted them.'
16 But JoSeph answered Pharaoh, saying: 'Without God, [I couldn't] give a safe answer to Pharaoh.'
17 Then Pharaoh told JoSeph: 'In my dream, I was standing by the bank of the river. 18 Then out of the river came seven fat and good-looking cows that fed along the river's edge. 19 And after that, {Look!} seven more cows came up out of the river that were evil, skinny, and ugly… I've never seen worse in the entire land of Egypt. 20 Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate the seven fat and good-looking cows… 21 they swallowed them down whole; yet, I couldn't see that they had gone into their stomachs, because they still looked as ugly as they did before. 'And after I woke up, I went to sleep again. 22 Then I saw what looked like seven large and good-looking [heads] of grain growing from a single stalk. 23 And [after that, I saw] seven more [heads] that were thin and windblown, coming up next to them. 24 Then the seven thin and wind-blown [heads] ate the seven large, good-looking [heads]. Now, I told all this to the [dream] interpreters, but none of them could explain it to me.'
25 So JoSeph told Pharaoh: 'Both of your dreams are the same, for God has shown Pharaoh what He's going to do.
26 'The seven good-looking cows mean seven years, and the seven good-looking [grain heads] mean seven years… so Pharaoh's dreams are both the same! 27 Also, the seven skinny cattle that came up after them mean seven years, and the seven thin and windblown [heads] mean seven years… therefore, there will be seven years of famine.
28 'Now, what I'm telling Pharaoh is that it's God's purpose to show you what He's going to do. 29 And look! Seven years are coming when there will be a great abundance throughout the land of Egypt; 30 but they will be followed by seven years of famine, which will be so bad that the abundance Egypt had will be forgotten, and famine will consume the land. 31 Yes, the abundance in the land will be gone because of the famine that will follow, since it's going to be an extremely bad time. 32 And the fact that Pharaoh saw the dream twice, proves that the things I'm telling you (which will come from God) are true; for God will cause it to happen very soon!
33 'Therefore, search for a wise and discerning man, and put him in charge over the land of Egypt. 34 Also, Pharaoh should appoint local governors over the land who must collect a fifth of all the produce in the land of Egypt during the seven abundant years. 35 They must gather all the food that will come in during the seven good years, and have all the grain gathered into the hands of Pharaoh… and you must store the food in each city. 36 This stored food will then [protect] the land during the seven years of famine that are coming upon Egypt, so [the country] won't be totally destroyed by the famine.'
37 Well, what [JoSeph] said appeared good to Pharaoh and to all of his servants. 38 So [he] asked his servants: 'Where will we find such a man as this… someone who has the Breath of God in him?'
39 Then Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'Since God has shown all of these things to you; is there a man who is wiser or more discerning than you? 40 I'll appoint you to be over my house, and then all of my people must do whatever you say… only I will be greater than you on the throne.'
41 Then Pharaoh told JoSeph: '{Look!} Today, I'm putting you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.' 42 And at that, Pharaoh took the ring off his hand and put it on JoSeph's hand, [he had him dressed in] a robe of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he mounted [JoSeph] on his second-best chariot and had a herald walk in front of him to proclaim that [JoSeph] had been appointed over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'Although I am the Pharaoh; nobody will lift his hand anywhere in the land of Egypt without [your permission].'
45 Thereafter, Pharaoh started calling JoSeph the Savior of the Age, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis (Greek for City of the Sun), to be his woman.
46 Well, JoSeph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Then JoSeph left the presence of Pharaoh and traveled throughout the entire the land of Egypt. 47 And the land did produce well during the seven years of abundance… by the heaping handfuls. 48 So during those seven years he gathered much food, because there was such abundance in the land, which he stored away in each of the cities. He took the food that grew in the fields around each city and stored it there. 49 And the grain that JoSeph stored away became like the sands of the seas… so much that it couldn't be calculated.
50 Meanwhile, JoSeph had two sons born to him before the seven years of famine came, to whom Asenath (the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis) had given birth. 51 And JoSeph named his firstborn ManasSeh (Forgotten), for he said, 'God has made me forget all my hard work, and even the house of my father.' 52 Then he named his second son Ephraim (Double Fruitfulness); for he said, 'God has caused me to grow in the land where I was humiliated.'
53 Well, the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt passed, 54 then the seven years of famine began, just as JoSeph had said. And although there was a famine throughout the entire earth, there was plenty [in Egypt]. 55 Then as the people of Egypt got hungry, they called out to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to [them]: 'Go to JoSeph and do whatever he tells you to do.'
56 Well, before long, the famine covered the entire earth; so JoSeph opened all the granaries and sold [the stored grain] to the Egyptians. 57 Then all the countries roundabout started coming to Egypt to buy [food] from JoSeph, because the famine was [so widespread].
5 Then he had another dream. {Look!} There were seven large and good-looking [heads] of grain that grew on a single stalk. 6 And {Look!} they were followed by [a stalk] with seven thin and windblown [heads] that grew up alongside them. 7 Then the [stalk] with the seven thin and windblown [heads] ate the ones with the seven large, good-looking [heads]… and that's when Pharaoh woke up… and it was just a dream.
8 Well the next morning, he was still deeply disturbed [by the dreams], so he sent for all the [dream] interpreters of Egypt and all the wise men. Pharaoh told them of his dreams, but no one could tell him what they meant. 9 And that's when Pharaoh's chief cupbearer told him: 'I just remembered something that I'm responsible for. 10 [You were once] quite angry with your servants and you had us imprisoned in the house of the captain of the guard… both the chief baker and me. 11 Each of us had a dream in that same night (both him and me)… but we each had our own dream. 12 And there was a young man with us, a Hebrew servant of the captain of the guard, to whom we told [our dreams], and he interpreted [them] to us. 13 Well, everything that he said would happen, came true… I was restored to my office and [the baker] was hanged.'
14 So Pharaoh sent and called for JoSeph… they took him from the prison, shaved him and changed his clothes; then he went in to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'I had a vision that no one can interpret, and I've heard that you have listened to dreams and interpreted them.'
16 But JoSeph answered Pharaoh, saying: 'Without God, [I couldn't] give a safe answer to Pharaoh.'
17 Then Pharaoh told JoSeph: 'In my dream, I was standing by the bank of the river. 18 Then out of the river came seven fat and good-looking cows that fed along the river's edge. 19 And after that, {Look!} seven more cows came up out of the river that were evil, skinny, and ugly… I've never seen worse in the entire land of Egypt. 20 Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate the seven fat and good-looking cows… 21 they swallowed them down whole; yet, I couldn't see that they had gone into their stomachs, because they still looked as ugly as they did before. 'And after I woke up, I went to sleep again. 22 Then I saw what looked like seven large and good-looking [heads] of grain growing from a single stalk. 23 And [after that, I saw] seven more [heads] that were thin and windblown, coming up next to them. 24 Then the seven thin and wind-blown [heads] ate the seven large, good-looking [heads]. Now, I told all this to the [dream] interpreters, but none of them could explain it to me.'
25 So JoSeph told Pharaoh: 'Both of your dreams are the same, for God has shown Pharaoh what He's going to do.
26 'The seven good-looking cows mean seven years, and the seven good-looking [grain heads] mean seven years… so Pharaoh's dreams are both the same! 27 Also, the seven skinny cattle that came up after them mean seven years, and the seven thin and windblown [heads] mean seven years… therefore, there will be seven years of famine.
28 'Now, what I'm telling Pharaoh is that it's God's purpose to show you what He's going to do. 29 And look! Seven years are coming when there will be a great abundance throughout the land of Egypt; 30 but they will be followed by seven years of famine, which will be so bad that the abundance Egypt had will be forgotten, and famine will consume the land. 31 Yes, the abundance in the land will be gone because of the famine that will follow, since it's going to be an extremely bad time. 32 And the fact that Pharaoh saw the dream twice, proves that the things I'm telling you (which will come from God) are true; for God will cause it to happen very soon!
33 'Therefore, search for a wise and discerning man, and put him in charge over the land of Egypt. 34 Also, Pharaoh should appoint local governors over the land who must collect a fifth of all the produce in the land of Egypt during the seven abundant years. 35 They must gather all the food that will come in during the seven good years, and have all the grain gathered into the hands of Pharaoh… and you must store the food in each city. 36 This stored food will then [protect] the land during the seven years of famine that are coming upon Egypt, so [the country] won't be totally destroyed by the famine.'
37 Well, what [JoSeph] said appeared good to Pharaoh and to all of his servants. 38 So [he] asked his servants: 'Where will we find such a man as this… someone who has the Breath of God in him?'
39 Then Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'Since God has shown all of these things to you; is there a man who is wiser or more discerning than you? 40 I'll appoint you to be over my house, and then all of my people must do whatever you say… only I will be greater than you on the throne.'
41 Then Pharaoh told JoSeph: '{Look!} Today, I'm putting you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.' 42 And at that, Pharaoh took the ring off his hand and put it on JoSeph's hand, [he had him dressed in] a robe of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he mounted [JoSeph] on his second-best chariot and had a herald walk in front of him to proclaim that [JoSeph] had been appointed over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said to JoSeph: 'Although I am the Pharaoh; nobody will lift his hand anywhere in the land of Egypt without [your permission].'
45 Thereafter, Pharaoh started calling JoSeph the Savior of the Age, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis (Greek for City of the Sun), to be his woman.
46 Well, JoSeph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Then JoSeph left the presence of Pharaoh and traveled throughout the entire the land of Egypt. 47 And the land did produce well during the seven years of abundance… by the heaping handfuls. 48 So during those seven years he gathered much food, because there was such abundance in the land, which he stored away in each of the cities. He took the food that grew in the fields around each city and stored it there. 49 And the grain that JoSeph stored away became like the sands of the seas… so much that it couldn't be calculated.
50 Meanwhile, JoSeph had two sons born to him before the seven years of famine came, to whom Asenath (the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis) had given birth. 51 And JoSeph named his firstborn ManasSeh (Forgotten), for he said, 'God has made me forget all my hard work, and even the house of my father.' 52 Then he named his second son Ephraim (Double Fruitfulness); for he said, 'God has caused me to grow in the land where I was humiliated.'
53 Well, the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt passed, 54 then the seven years of famine began, just as JoSeph had said. And although there was a famine throughout the entire earth, there was plenty [in Egypt]. 55 Then as the people of Egypt got hungry, they called out to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to [them]: 'Go to JoSeph and do whatever he tells you to do.'
56 Well, before long, the famine covered the entire earth; so JoSeph opened all the granaries and sold [the stored grain] to the Egyptians. 57 Then all the countries roundabout started coming to Egypt to buy [food] from JoSeph, because the famine was [so widespread].
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