46 S Genesis 41:25
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the
same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good
cows are seven years, and the seven good h
eads of g
rain are seven years; it is
one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward
are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the
east wind: They are seven years of famine.
28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has s hown Pharaoh what he is about
to do. 29 Seven years of g
reat abundance are coming throughout the land of
Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance
in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abun
dance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it
will be so severe. 32 The reason the d
ream was given to Pharaoh in two f orms
is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in
charge of the land of E
gypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the
land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abun
dance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming
and store up the g
rain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities
for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used dur
ing the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country
may not be ruined by the famine.”
37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh
asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of
God a ?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you,
there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my
palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to
the throne will I be greater than you.”
Joseph in Charge of Egypt
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land
of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on
Joseph’s finger. He d
ressed him in r obes of fine linen and put a gold c hain
around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, b
and people shouted before him, “Make way c !” Thus he put him in charge of
the whole land of Egypt.
44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word
no one will lift hand or foot in all E
gypt.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name
Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of
On, d to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king
of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled through
out Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plenti
fully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in t hose seven years of abun
dance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown
in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like
the sand of the sea; it was so much that he s topped keeping records because
it was beyond measure.
50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Ase
nath daughter of Potiphera, p
riest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manas
seh e and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all
my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim f and said, “It is
because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven
years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the
a 38 Or
of the gods b 43 Or in the chariot of his second-in-command ; or in his second
chariot c 43 Or Bow down d 45 That is, Heliopolis; also in verse 50 e 51 Manasseh
sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget. f 52 Ephraim sounds like
the Hebrew for twice fruitful.