The Dreams of Pharaoh

1And it cometh to pass, at the end of two years of days that Pharaoh is dreaming, and lo, he is standing by the River, 2and lo, from the River coming up are seven kine, of fair appearance, and fat in flesh, and they feed among the reeds; 3and lo, seven other kine are coming up after them out of the River, of bad appearance, and lean in flesh, and they stand near the kine on the edge of the River, 4and the kine of bad appearance and lean in flesh eat up the seven kine of fair appearance, and fat -- and Pharaoh awaketh. 5And he sleepeth, and dreameth a second time, and lo, seven ears are coming up on one stalk, fat and good, 6and lo, seven ears, thin, and blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them; 7and the thin ears swallow the seven fat and full ears -- and Pharaoh awaketh, and lo, a dream. 8And it cometh to pass in the morning, that his spirit is moved, and he sendeth and calleth all the scribes of Egypt, and all its wise men, and Pharaoh recounteth to them his dream, and there is no interpreter of them to Pharaoh.

9And the chief of the butlers speaketh with Pharaoh, saying, 'My sin I mention this day: 10Pharaoh hath been wroth against his servants, and giveth me into charge in the house of the chief of the executioners, me and the chief of the bakers; 11and we dream a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we have dreamed. 12And there is with us a youth, a Hebrew, servant to the chief of the executioners, and we recount to him, and he interpreteth to us our dreams, to each according to his dream hath he interpreted, 13and it cometh to pass, as he hath interpreted to us so it hath been, me he put back on my station, and him he hanged.'

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams

14And Pharaoh sendeth and calleth Joseph, and they cause him to run out of the pit, and he shaveth, and changeth his garments, and cometh in unto Pharaoh. 15And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, 'A dream I have dreamed, and there is no interpreter of it, and I -- I have heard concerning thee, saying, Thou understandest a dream to interpret it,' 16and Joseph answereth Pharaoh, saying, 'Without me -- God doth answer Pharaoh with peace.' 17And Pharaoh speaketh unto Joseph: 'In my dream, lo, I am standing by the edge of the River, 18and lo, out of the River coming up are seven kine, fat in flesh, and of fair form, and they feed among the reeds; 19and lo, seven other kine are coming up after them, thin, and of very bad form, and lean in flesh; I have not seen like these in all the land of Egypt for badness. 20'And the lean and the bad kine eat up the first seven fat kine, 21and they come in unto their midst, and it hath not been known that they have come in unto their midst, and their appearance is bad as at the commencement; and I awake. 22'And I see in my dream, and lo, seven ears are coming up on one stalk, full and good; 23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them; 24and the thin ears swallow the seven good ears; and I tell unto the scribes, and there is none declaring to me.'

25And Joseph saith unto Pharaoh, 'The dream of Pharaoh is one: that which God is doing he hath declared to Pharaoh; 26the seven good kine are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years, the dream is one; 27and the seven thin and bad kine which are coming up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears, blasted with an east wind, are seven years of famine; 28this is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: That which God is doing, he hath shewn Pharaoh. 29'Lo, seven years are coming of great abundance in all the land of Egypt, 30and seven years of famine have arisen after them, and all the plenty is forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine hath finished the land, 31and the plenty is not known in the land because of that famine afterwards, for it is very grievous. 32'And because of the repeating of the dream unto Pharaoh twice, surely the thing is established by God, and God is hastening to do it. 33'And now, let Pharaoh provide a man, intelligent and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt; 34let Pharaoh make and appoint overseers over the land, and receive a fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty, 35and they gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and heap up corn under the hand of Pharaoh -- food in the cities; and they have kept it, 36and the food hath been for a store for the land, for the seven years of famine which are in the land of Egypt; and the land is cut off by the famine.'

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

37And the thing is good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants,

38and Pharaoh saith unto his servants, 'Do we find like this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?' 39and Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, 'After God's causing thee to know all this, there is none intelligent and wise as thou; 40thou -- thou art over my house, and at thy mouth do all my people kiss; only in the throne I am greater than thou.' 41And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, 'See, I have put thee over all the land of Egypt.' 42And Pharaoh turneth aside his seal-ring from off his hand, and putteth it on the hand of Joseph, and clotheth him with garments of fine linen, and placeth a chain of gold on his neck, 43and causeth him to ride in the second chariot which he hath, and they proclaim before him, 'Bow the knee!' and -- to put him over all the land of Egypt. 44And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, 'I am Pharaoh, and without thee a man doth not lift up his hand and his foot in all the land of Egypt;' 45and Pharaoh calleth Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he giveth to him Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, for a wife, and Joseph goeth out over the land of Egypt.

The Seven Years of Plenty

46And Joseph is a son of thirty years in his standing before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Joseph goeth out from the presence of Pharaoh, and passeth over through all the land of Egypt; 47and the land maketh in the seven years of plenty by handfuls. 48And he gathereth all the food of the seven years which have been in the land of Egypt, and putteth food in the cities; the food of the field which is round about each city hath he put in its midst; 49and Joseph gathereth corn as sand of the sea, multiplying exceedingly, until that he hath ceased to number, for there is no number.

The Sons of Joseph

50And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine cometh, whom Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, hath borne to him, 51and Joseph calleth the name of the first-born Manasseh: 'for, God hath made me to forget all my labour, and all the house of my father;' 52and the name of the second he hath called Ephraim: 'for, God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of mine affliction.'

The Famine Begins

53And the seven years of plenty are completed which have been in the land of Egypt, 54and the seven years of famine begin to come, as Joseph said, and famine is in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt hath been bread; 55and all the land of Egypt is famished, and the people crieth unto Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh saith to all the Egyptians, 'Go unto Joseph; that which he saith to you -- do.' 56And the famine has been over all the face of the land, and Joseph openeth all places which have corn in them, and selleth to the Egyptians; and the famine is severe in the land of Egypt, 57and all the earth hath come to Egypt, to buy, unto Joseph, for the famine was severe in all the earth.