Genesis 41

1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

1Two full years later, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile River.

2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the reed-grass.

2Suddenly, seven healthy-looking, fat cows came up out of the river and began grazing in the marsh grass.

3And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

3Then seven other cows came up out of the river after them, but they were ugly and thin; they stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank.

4And the ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

4The ugly, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of grain came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

5He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, full and ripe, were growing on a single stalk.

6And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

6Then seven other heads of grain sprouted after them, but they were thin and scorched by the east wind.

7And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven full, ripe heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream.

8And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

8In the morning he was worried, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could explain what they meant.

9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, 'Today I am reminded of my failures.'

10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker:

10'Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the prison of the captain of the guard.'

11and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

11'We both had dreams on the same night, and each of our dreams had its own meaning.'

12And there was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

12'A young Hebrew man was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he explained to each of us what they meant.'

13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

13'Everything happened exactly as he said it would: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.'

14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the dungeon. After Joseph shaved and changed his clothes, he went in to see Pharaoh.

15And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard that when you hear a dream, you can explain what it means.'

16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

16Joseph answered Pharaoh, 'I cannot do it myself, but God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.'

17And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river:

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile.'

18and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored: and they fed in the reed-grass:

18'Out of the river came seven fat, healthy-looking cows, and they grazed in the marsh grass.'

19and, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

19'Then seven other cows came up after them, but they were sickly, very ugly, and thin. I have never seen such miserable-looking cows in all the land of Egypt.'

20and the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

20'The thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.'

21and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

21'But after they had eaten them, you couldn’t even tell; they were still as ugly as before. Then I woke up.'

22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good:

22'In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain growing on a single stalk, full and good.'

23and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

23'Then seven other heads of grain sprouted after them, but they were shriveled, thin, and scorched by the east wind.'

24and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears: and I told it unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

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

25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: what God is about to do he hath declared unto Pharaoh.

25Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'Pharaoh’s dreams both mean the same thing. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.'

26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

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

27And the seven lean and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of famine.

27'The seven thin, ugly cows that came up later are seven years, and the seven thin heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.'

28That is the thing which I spake unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do he hath showed unto Pharaoh.

28'It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.'

29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

29'Seven years of great abundance are coming to the entire land of Egypt.'

30and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

30'But after them, seven years of famine will come. All the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ruin the land.'

31and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which followeth; for it shall be very grievous.

31'The famine will be so severe that no one will remember the time of plenty.'

32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

32'The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh twice is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will make it happen very soon.'

33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

33'So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.'

34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

34'Pharaoh should also appoint commissioners over the land to take one-fifth of all the crops produced in Egypt during the seven years of plenty.'

35And let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.

35'Have them collect all the food from these good years that are coming and store the grain under Pharaoh’s authority; they should keep it in the cities for food.'

36And the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

36'This food will be a reserve for the country during the seven years of famine that will happen in Egypt, so that the land and the people won’t be destroyed by the hunger.'

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

37This plan seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and all his officials.

38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?

38So Pharaoh asked them, 'Can we find anyone else like this man, who has the Spirit of God in him?'

39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou:

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Since God has shown all this to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are.'

40thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

40'You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people will obey your orders. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.'

41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

41Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Look, I am putting you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.'

42And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

43and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he set him over all the land of Egypt.

43He had Joseph ride in his second-best chariot, and people shouted, 'Make way!' before him. So Pharaoh put him in charge of all Egypt.

44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.

44Pharaoh also said to Joseph, 'I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one will lift a hand or a foot in the whole land of Egypt.'

45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

46Joseph was thirty years old when he began serving Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled through the whole country.

47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

47During the seven years of plenty, the land produced huge harvests.

48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

48Joseph collected all the food produced in Egypt during those seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city, he stored the food from the surrounding fields.

49And Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left off numbering; for it was without number.

49Joseph stored up so much grain that it was like the sand of the sea. There was so much that he finally stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, bare unto him.

50Before the years of famine arrived, Joseph and Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, had two sons.

51And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh: For, said he, God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, 'God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s family.'

52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.

52He named the second son Ephraim, saying, 'God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.'

53And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end.

53The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end.

54And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

54Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the land of Egypt, there was food.

55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

55When the whole land of Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, 'Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.'

56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt.

56As the famine spread over the entire country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt.

57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.

57And people from all over the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.