Genesis

At the end of two full years, Pharaoh had a dream: behold, he was standing by the river.

Behold, seven cows came up out of the river, sleek and fat, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

Then seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.

The ugly and thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

He slept and dreamed a second time: behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.

Then seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them.

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to him.

Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I remember my faults today.

Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, along with the chief baker.

We both had a dream in one night. We dreamed, each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

There was a young Hebrew man there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his own dream.

And it happened just as he interpreted to us: he restored me to my office, and he hanged the other."

Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came in before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it."

Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river;

and behold, seven cows came up out of the river, fat and sleek, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

Then seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin—such as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.

The thin and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.

When they had eaten them up, it could not be told that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

I also saw in my dream: behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good.

Then seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them.

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."

Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; the dream is one.

The seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.

This is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt.

But after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will consume the land,

and the abundance will not be remembered in the land because of the famine that follows, for it will be very severe.

The dream was doubled to Pharaoh because the matter is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Now therefore, let Pharaoh look for a man of discernment and wisdom, and set him over the land of Egypt.

Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land to take a fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.

That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish through the famine."

The proposal was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find anyone like this man, in whom is the Spirit of God?"

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne will I be greater than you."

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

He had him ride in the second chariot which he had, and they cried out before him, "Bow the knee!" Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt."

Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and traveled throughout all the land of Egypt.

During the seven years of abundance, the earth produced plentifully.

He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and stored the food in the cities; the food of the fields surrounding each city he stored within it.

Joseph stored up grain as the sand of the sea, in such great quantity that he stopped counting, for it was beyond measure.

Two sons were born to Joseph before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.

Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house."

The name of the second he called Ephraim, saying, "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end.

And the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do."

The famine was over all the face of the earth. Then Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.

And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.