The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 41 -

And two yeeres after, Pharaoh also dreamed, and beholde, he stoode by a riuer,

And loe, there came out of the riuer seuen goodly kine and fatfleshed, and they fedde in a medowe:

And loe, seuen other kine came vp after the out of the riuer, euill fauoured and leane fleshed, and stoode by the other kine vpon the brinke of the riuer.

And the euilfauoured and leane fleshed kine did eate vp the seuen welfauoured and fatte kine: so Pharaoh awoke.

Againe he slept, and dreamed the second time: and beholde, seuen eares of corne grewe vpon one stalke, ranke and goodly.

And loe, seuen thinne eares, and blasted with the east winde, sprang vp after them:

And the thinne eares deuoured the seuen ranke and full eares. then Pharaoh awaked, and loe, it was a dreame.

Nowe when the morning came, his spirit was troubled: therefore he sent and called all the soothsayers of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof, and Pharaoh tolde them his dreames: but none coulde interprete them to Pharaoh.

Then spake the chiefe butler vnto Pharaoh, saying, I call to minde my faultes this day.

Pharaoh being angrie with his seruantes, put me in ward in the chiefe stewards house, both me and the chiefe baker.

Then we dreamed a dreame in one night, both I, and he: we dreamed eche man according to the interpretation of his dreame.

And there was with vs a yong man, an Ebrew, seruant vnto the chiefe steward, whome when we told, he declared our dreames to vs, to euery one he declared according to his dreame.

And as he declared vnto vs, so it came to passe: for he restored me to mine office, and hanged him.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

Then sent Pharaoh, and called Ioseph, and they brought him hastily out of prison, and he shaued him, and chaunged his rayment, and came to Pharaoh.

Then Pharaoh sayde to Ioseph, I haue dreamed a dreame, and no man can interprete it, and I haue hearde say of thee, that when thou hearest a dreame, thou canst interprete it.

And Ioseph answered Pharaoh, saying, Without me God shall answere for the wealth of Pharaoh.

And Pharaoh sayde vnto Ioseph, In my dreame, beholde, I stoode by the banke of the riuer:

And lo, there came vp out of the riuer seuen fat fleshed, and welfauoured kine, and they fedde in the medowe.

Also loe, seuen other kine came vp after them, poore and very euilfauoured, and leanefleshed: I neuer sawe the like in all the lande of Egypt, for euilfauoured.

And the leane and euilfauoured kine did eate vp the first seuen fat kine.

And when they had eaten them vp, it could not be knowen that they had eaten them, but they were still as euilfauoured, as they were at the beginning: so did I awake.

Moreouer I sawe in my dreame, and beholde, seuen eares sprang out of one stalke, full and faire.

And lo, seuen eares, withered, thinne, and blasted with the East winde, sprang vp after them.

And the thinne eares deuoured the seuen good eares. Nowe I haue tolde the soothsayers, and none can declare it vnto me.

Then Ioseph answered Pharaoh, Both Pharaohs dreames are one. God hath shewed Pharaoh, what he is about to doe.

The seuen good kine are seuen yeres, and the seuen good eares are seuen yeeres: this is one dreame.

Likewise the seuen thinne and euilfauoured kine, that came out after them, are seuen yeeres: and the seuen emptie eares blasted with the East winde, are seuen yeeres of famine.

This is the thing which I haue saide vnto Pharaoh, that God hath shewed vnto Pharaoh, what he is about to doe.

Beholde, there come seuen yeeres of great plentie in all the land of Egypt.

Againe, there shall arise after them seuen yeeres of famine, so that all the plentie shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine shall consume the land:

Neither shall the plentie bee knowen in the land, by reason of this famine that shall come after: for it shalbe exceeding great.

And therefore the dreame was doubled vnto Pharaoh the second time, because the thing is established by God, and God hasteth to performe it.

Nowe therefore let Pharaoh prouide for a man of vnderstanding and wisedome, and set him ouer the land of Egypt.

Let Pharaoh make and appoynt officers ouer the lande, and take vp the fift part of the land of Egypt in the seuen plenteous yeeres.

Also let them gather all the foode of these good yeeres that come, and lay vp corne vnder the hand of Pharaoh for foode, in the cities, and let them keepe it.

So the foode shall be for the prouision of the lande, against the seuen yeeres of famine, which shalbe in the lande of Egypt, that the land perish not by famine.

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

And the saying pleased Pharaoh and all his seruants.

Then saide Pharaoh vnto his seruants, Can we finde such a man as this, in whom is the Spirit of God?

The Pharaoh said to Ioseph, For as much as God hath shewed thee all this, there is no man of vnderstanding, or of wisedome like vnto thee.

Thou shalt be ouer mine house, and at thy word shall all my people be armed, onely in the kings throne will I be aboue thee.

Moreouer Pharaoh said to Ioseph, Behold, I haue set thee ouer all the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh tooke off his ring from his hand, and put it vpon Iosephs hand, and arayed him in garments of fine linnen, and put a golden cheyne about his necke.

So he set him vpon the best charet that hee had, saue one: and they cryed before him, Abrech, and placed him ouer all the land of Egypt.

Againe Pharaoh saide vnto Ioseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift vp his hand or his foote in all the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh called Iosephs name Zaphnath-paaneah: and he gaue him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah prince of On. then went Ioseph abrode in the land of Egypt.

The Seven Years of Plenty

And Ioseph was thirtie yeere old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt: and Ioseph departing from the presence of Pharaoh, went throughout all the land of Egypt.

And in the seuen plenteous yeres the earth brought foorth store.

And hee gathered vp all the foode of the seuen plenteous yeeres, which were in the lande of Egypt, and layde vp foode in the cities: the foode of the fielde, that was round about euery citie, layde he vp in the same.

So Ioseph gathered wheate, like vnto the sand of the sea in multitude out of measure, vntill he left numbring: for it was without number.

Now vnto Ioseph were borne two sonnes (before the yeeres of famine came) which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah prince of On bare vnto him.

And Ioseph called the name of the first borne Manasseh: for God, said he, hath made me forget all my labour and al my fathers houshold.

Also hee called the name of the second, Ephraim: For God, sayde he hath made me fruitfull in the land of mine affliction.

The Famine Begins

So the seuen yeeres of the plentie that was in the land of Egypt were ended.

Then began the seuen yeeres of famine to come, according as Ioseph had saide: and the famine was in all landes, but in all the land of Egypt was bread.

At the length all the lande of Egypt was affamished, and the people cryed to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said vnto all the Egyptians, Goe to Ioseph: what he sayth to you, doe ye.

When the famine was vpon all the land, Ioseph opened all places, wherein the store was, and solde vnto the Egyptians: for the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

And all countries came to Egypt to bye corne of Ioseph, because the famine was sore in all landes.

At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river.

Behold, seven cattle came up out of the river. They were sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass.

Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.

The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.

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

Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

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

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

Then the chief cup bearer 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, with the chief baker.

We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. Each man dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream.

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. He interpreted to each man according to his dream.

As he interpreted to us, so it was. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

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

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed 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 isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river;

and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass;

and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.

The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle;

and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

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

and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

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

Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh.

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

The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.

That is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

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

Seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,

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

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

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

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

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

The food will be to supply the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; so that the land will not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

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

Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you.

You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne I will 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, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.

He made him ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” He set him over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”

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

The Seven Years of Plenty

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

In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly.

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. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city.

Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.

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

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh,(a) “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”

The name of the second, he called Ephraim:(b) “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

The Famine Begins

The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.

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, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

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

Footnotes

(a)41:51 “Manasseh” sounds like the Hebrew for “forget”.

(b)41:52 “Ephraim” sounds like the Hebrew for “twice fruitful”.