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Genesis 39-41
New American Standard Bible

Joseph’s Success in Egypt

39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him [a]from the (A)Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2 And (B)the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a [b]successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master (C)saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord (D)made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph (E)found favor in his sight and [c]became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and [d]put him in charge of (F)all that he owned. 5 It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord (G)blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so (H)the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6 So he left [e]Joseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not [f]concern himself with anything except the [g]food which he [h]ate.

Now Joseph was (I)handsome in form and appearance. 7 And it came about after these events (J)that his master’s wife [i]had her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “(K)Sleep with me.” 8 But (L)he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master [j]does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has [k]put me in charge of all that he owns. 9 [l](M)There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and (N)sin against God?” 10 Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11 Now it happened [m]one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside. 12 So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 13 [n]When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a [o]Hebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I [p]screamed. 15 When he heard that I raised my voice and [q]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16 So she [r]left his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she (O)spoke to him [s]with these [t]words: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me; 18 but when I raised my voice and [u]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

Joseph Imprisoned

19 Now when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, “[v]This is what your slave did to me,” (P)his anger burned. 20 So Joseph’s master took him and (Q)put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison. 21 But (R)the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and (S)gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22 And the warden of the prison [w](T)put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was [x]responsible for it. 23 (U)The warden of the prison did not supervise anything [y]under Joseph’s authority, because (V)the Lord was with him; and, (W)the Lord made whatever he did prosper.

Joseph Interprets Dreams

40 Then it came about after these things, that (X)the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was (Y)furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the (Z)captain of the bodyguard, in the prison, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 And the captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he [z]took care of them; and they were in confinement for [aa]some time. 5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 [ab]When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, [ac]behold, they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “[ad](AA)Why are your faces so sad today?” 8 And they said to him, “(AB)We have [ae]had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “(AC)Do interpretations not belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, [af]saying to him, “In my dream, [ag]behold, there was a vine in front of me; 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s [ah]hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the (AD)interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within three more days Pharaoh will [ai]lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as in your former practice when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only [aj]keep me in mind when it goes well for you, and please (AE)do me a kindness [ak]by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this [al]prison. 15 For (AF)I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the [am]dungeon.”

16 When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17 and in the top basket there were some of all [an]kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a wooden post, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

20 So it came about on the third day, which was (AG)Pharaoh’s birthday, that he held a feast for all his servants; (AH)and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his [ao]office, and (AI)he put the cup into Pharaoh’s [ap]hand; 22 but (AJ)he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but (AK)forgot him.

Pharaoh’s Dream

41 Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2 And behold, from the Nile seven cows came up, fine-looking and [aq]fat; and they grazed in the (AL)marsh grass. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and [ar]thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 Then the ugly and [as]thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 But he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 Now in the morning (AM)his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the (AN)soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its (AO)wise men. And Pharaoh told them his [at]dreams, but (AP)there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of (AQ)my own [au]offenses. 10 Pharaoh was (AR)furious with his servants, and (AS)he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 11 Then (AT)we had a dream one night, [av]he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now a Hebrew youth was there with us, a (AU)servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we told him the dreams, and (AV)he interpreted our dreams for us. For each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And just (AW)as he interpreted for us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me in my office, but he hanged [aw]the chief baker.”

Joseph Interprets

14 Then Pharaoh sent word and (AX)called for Joseph, and they (AY)hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, (AZ)but no one can interpret it; and (BA)I have heard [ax]it said about you, that [ay]when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “[az](BB)It has nothing to do with me; (BC)God will [ba]give Pharaoh an answer for his own good.” 17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and behold, seven cows, [bb]fat and fine-looking came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very [bc]ugly and [bd]thin, such as I had never seen for [be]ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20 and the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. 21 Yet when they had [bf]devoured them, it could not be [bg]detected that they had [bh]devoured them, [bi]for they were just as ugly as [bj]before. Then I awoke. 22 I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears of grain, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23 and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind sprouted up after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then (BD)I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s [bk]dreams are one and the same; (BE)God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the [bl]dreams are one and the same. 27 The seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind (BF)will be seven years of famine. 28 [bm]It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: (BG)God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Behold, (BH)seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30 and after them (BI)seven years of famine will [bn]come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will [bo]ravage the land. 31 So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 32 Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that (BJ)the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33 So now let Pharaoh look for a man (BK)discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers [bp]in charge of the land, and let him take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt as a tax in the seven years of abundance. 35 Then have them (BL)collect all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and have them guard it. 36 Let the food be used as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.”

37 Now the [bq]proposal seemed good [br]to Pharaoh and [bs]to all his servants.

Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt

38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, (BM)in whom there is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one as (BN)discerning and wise as you are. 40 (BO)You shall be [bt]in charge of my house, and all my people shall [bu]be obedient to you; only regarding the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I have placed you (BP)over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh (BQ)took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and (BR)put the gold necklace around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in [bv]his second chariot; and they proclaimed ahead of him, “[bw]Bow the knee!” And he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet (BS)without [bx]your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph [by]Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [bz](BT)On, to be his wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

46 Now Joseph was (BU)thirty years old when he [ca]stood in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of plenty the land produced [cb]abundantly. 48 So he collected all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities; he put in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49 Joseph stored up grain [cc]in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped [cd]measuring it, for it was [ce]beyond measure.

The Sons of Joseph

50 Now before the year of famine came, (BV)two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of [cf]On, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn [cg]Manasseh; “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all of my father’s household.” 52 And he named the second [ch]Ephraim; “For,” he said, “(BW)God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53 When the seven years of plenty which had taken place in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and (BX)the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt suffered famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (BY)whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56 When the famine was spread over the entire face of the earth, then Joseph opened all [ci]the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Then the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because (BZ)the famine was severe in all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 39:1 Lit from the hand of
  2. Genesis 39:2 Or prosperous
  3. Genesis 39:4 Or ministered to him
  4. Genesis 39:4 Lit handed over to him
  5. Genesis 39:6 Lit in Joseph’s hand
  6. Genesis 39:6 Lit know
  7. Genesis 39:6 Lit bread
  8. Genesis 39:6 Or used to eat
  9. Genesis 39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes at
  10. Genesis 39:8 Lit does not know what is in the house
  11. Genesis 39:8 Lit handed over to me
  12. Genesis 39:9 Or He is not greater
  13. Genesis 39:11 Lit about this day
  14. Genesis 39:13 Lit And it came about when
  15. Genesis 39:14 Lit Hebrew man
  16. Genesis 39:14 Lit called with a great voice
  17. Genesis 39:15 Lit called out
  18. Genesis 39:16 Lit let...lie beside
  19. Genesis 39:17 Lit according to
  20. Genesis 39:17 Lit words, saying
  21. Genesis 39:18 Lit called out
  22. Genesis 39:19 Lit According to these things your slave
  23. Genesis 39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph all
  24. Genesis 39:22 Lit the doer
  25. Genesis 39:23 Lit in his hand
  26. Genesis 40:4 Lit ministered to
  27. Genesis 40:4 Lit days
  28. Genesis 40:6 Or And
  29. Genesis 40:6 Lit and behold
  30. Genesis 40:7 Lit saying, Why
  31. Genesis 40:8 Lit dreamed
  32. Genesis 40:9 Lit and said
  33. Genesis 40:9 Lit and behold
  34. Genesis 40:11 Lit palm
  35. Genesis 40:13 I.e., a royal gesture of forgiveness
  36. Genesis 40:14 Lit remember me with yourself
  37. Genesis 40:14 Lit and mention
  38. Genesis 40:14 Lit house
  39. Genesis 40:15 Or pit
  40. Genesis 40:17 Lit food for Pharaoh made by a baker
  41. Genesis 40:21 Lit wine-pouring
  42. Genesis 40:21 Lit palm
  43. Genesis 41:2 Lit fat of flesh
  44. Genesis 41:3 Lit thin of flesh
  45. Genesis 41:4 Lit thin of flesh
  46. Genesis 41:8 Lit dream
  47. Genesis 41:9 Or sins
  48. Genesis 41:11 Lit I and he
  49. Genesis 41:13 Lit him
  50. Genesis 41:15 Lit about you, saying
  51. Genesis 41:15 Lit you hear a dream to interpret it
  52. Genesis 41:16 Lit Apart from me
  53. Genesis 41:16 Lit answer the peace of Pharaoh
  54. Genesis 41:18 Lit fat of flesh
  55. Genesis 41:19 Lit bad
  56. Genesis 41:19 Lit thin of flesh
  57. Genesis 41:19 Lit badness
  58. Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
  59. Genesis 41:21 Or known
  60. Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
  61. Genesis 41:21 Lit and
  62. Genesis 41:21 Lit in the beginning
  63. Genesis 41:25 Lit dream is
  64. Genesis 41:26 Lit dream is
  65. Genesis 41:28 Lit That is the thing which I spoke
  66. Genesis 41:30 Lit arise
  67. Genesis 41:30 Lit destroy
  68. Genesis 41:34 Lit over
  69. Genesis 41:37 Lit word
  70. Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
  71. Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
  72. Genesis 41:40 Lit over
  73. Genesis 41:40 Lit kiss your mouth; LXX obey at your command
  74. Genesis 41:43 Lit the second...which was his
  75. Genesis 41:43 Or Make way
  76. Genesis 41:44 Lit you no one
  77. Genesis 41:45 Prob. Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”
  78. Genesis 41:45 Or Heliopolis
  79. Genesis 41:46 Or entered the service of
  80. Genesis 41:47 Lit by handfuls
  81. Genesis 41:49 Lit very much
  82. Genesis 41:49 Lit numbering
  83. Genesis 41:49 Or without number
  84. Genesis 41:50 Or Heliopolis
  85. Genesis 41:51 I.e., making to forget
  86. Genesis 41:52 I.e., fruitfulness
  87. Genesis 41:56 Lit that which was in them
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Genesis 39-41
Living Bible

39 When Joseph arrived in Egypt as a captive of the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased from them by Potiphar, a member of the personal staff of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Now this man Potiphar was the captain of the king’s bodyguard and his chief executioner. 2 The Lord greatly blessed Joseph there in the home of his master, so that everything he did succeeded. 3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph in a very special way. 4 So Joseph naturally became quite a favorite with him. Soon he was put in charge of the administration of Potiphar’s household, and all of his business affairs. 5 At once the Lord began blessing Potiphar for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs began to run smoothly, his crops flourished and his flocks multiplied. 6 So Potiphar gave Joseph the complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. He hadn’t a worry in the world with Joseph there, except to decide what he wanted to eat! Joseph, by the way, was a very handsome young man.

7 One day at about this time Potiphar’s wife began making eyes at Joseph, and suggested that he come and sleep with her.

8 Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in the entire household; 9 he himself has no more authority here than I have! He has held back nothing from me except you yourself because you are his wife. How can I do such a wicked thing as this? It would be a great sin against God.”

10 But she kept on with her suggestions day after day, even though he refused to listen, and kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 Then one day as he was in the house going about his work—as it happened, no one else was around at the time— 12 she came and grabbed him by the sleeve[a] demanding, “Sleep with me.” He tore himself away, but as he did, his jacket slipped off and she was left holding it as he fled from the house. 13 When she saw that she had his jacket, and that he had fled, 14-15 she began screaming; and when the other men around the place came running in to see what had happened, she was crying hysterically. “My husband had to bring in this Hebrew slave to insult us!” she sobbed. “He tried to rape me, but when I screamed, he ran, and forgot to take his jacket.”

16 She kept the jacket, and when her husband came home that night, 17 she told him her story.

“That Hebrew slave you’ve had around here tried to rape me, 18 and I was only saved by my screams. He fled, leaving his jacket behind!”

19 Well, when her husband heard his wife’s story, he was furious. 20 He threw Joseph into prison, where the king’s prisoners were kept in chains. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph there, too, and was kind to him by granting him favor with the chief jailer. 22 In fact, the jailer soon handed over the entire prison administration to Joseph, so that all the other prisoners were responsible to him. 23 The chief jailer had no more worries after that, for Joseph took care of everything, and the Lord was with him so that everything ran smoothly and well.

40 1-3 Some time later it so happened that the king of Egypt became angry with both his chief baker and his chief butler, so he jailed them both in the prison where Joseph was, in the castle of Potiphar, the captain of the guard, who was the chief executioner. 4 They remained under arrest there for quite some time, and Potiphar assigned Joseph to wait on them. 5 One night each of them had a dream. 6 The next morning Joseph noticed that they looked dejected and sad.

7 “What in the world is the matter?” he asked.

8 And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but there is no one here to tell us what they mean.”

“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Tell me what you saw.”

9-10 The butler told his dream first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a vine with three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon there were clusters of ripe grapes. 11 I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into it, and gave it to him to drink.”

12 “I know what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches mean three days! 13 Within three days Pharaoh is going to take you out of prison and give you back your job again as his chief butler. 14 And please have some pity on me when you are back in his favor, and mention me to Pharaoh, and ask him to let me out of here. 15 For I was kidnapped from my homeland among the Hebrews, and now this—here I am in jail when I did nothing to deserve it.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the first dream had such a good meaning, he told his dream to Joseph, too.

“In my dream,” he said, “there were three baskets of pastries on my head. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of bakery goods for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them.”

18-19 “The three baskets mean three days,” Joseph told him. “Three days from now Pharaoh will take off your head and impale your body on a pole, and the birds will come and pick off your flesh!”

20 Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he held a party for all of his officials and household staff. He sent for his chief butler and chief baker, and they were brought to him from the prison. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his former position; 22 but he sentenced the chief baker to be impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. 23 Pharaoh’s wine taster, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph, never giving him a thought.

41 One night two years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River, 2 when suddenly, seven sleek, fat cows came up out of the river and began grazing in the grass. 3 Then seven other cows came up from the river, but they were very skinny and all their ribs stood out. They went over and stood beside the fat cows. 4 Then the skinny cows ate the fat ones! At which point, Pharaoh woke up!

5 Soon he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain on one stalk, with every kernel well formed and plump. 6 Then, suddenly, seven more heads appeared on the stalk, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. 7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was all a dream. 8 Next morning, as he thought about it, he became very concerned as to what the dreams might mean; he called for all the magicians and sages of Egypt and told them about it, but not one of them could suggest what his dreams meant. 9 Then the king’s wine taster spoke up. “Today I remember my sin!” he said. 10 “Some time ago when you were angry with a couple of us and put me and the chief baker in jail in the castle of the captain of the guard, 11 the chief baker and I each had a dream one night. 12 We told the dreams to a young Hebrew fellow there who was a slave of the captain of the guard, and he told us what our dreams meant. 13 And everything happened just as he said: I was restored to my position of wine taster, and the chief baker was executed, and impaled on a pole.”

14 Pharaoh sent at once for Joseph. He was brought hastily from the dungeon, and after a quick shave and change of clothes, came in before Pharaoh.

15 “I had a dream last night,” Pharaoh told him, “and none of these men can tell me what it means. But I have heard that you can interpret dreams, and that is why I have called for you.”

16 “I can’t do it by myself,” Joseph replied, “but God will tell you what it means!”

17 So Pharaoh told him the dream. “I was standing upon the bank of the Nile River,” he said, 18 “when suddenly, seven fat, healthy-looking cows came up out of the river and began grazing along the riverbank. 19 But then seven other cows came up from the river, very skinny and bony—in fact, I’ve never seen such poor-looking specimens in all the land of Egypt. 20 And these skinny cattle ate up the seven fat ones that had come out first, 21 and afterwards they were still as skinny as before! Then I woke up.

22 “A little later I had another dream. This time there were seven heads of grain on one stalk, and all seven heads were plump and full. 23 Then, out of the same stalk, came seven withered, thin heads. 24 And the thin heads swallowed up the fat ones! I told all this to my magicians, but not one of them could tell me the meaning.”

25 “Both dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph told Pharaoh. “God was telling you what he is going to do here in the land of Egypt. 26 The seven fat cows (and also the seven fat, well-formed heads of grain) mean that there are seven years of prosperity ahead. 27 The seven skinny cows (and also the seven thin and withered heads of grain) indicate that there will be seven years of famine following the seven years of prosperity.

28 “So God has showed you what he is about to do: 29 The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but afterwards there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out; famine will consume the land. 31 The famine will be so terrible that even the memory of the good years will be erased. 32 The double dream gives double impact, showing that what I have told you is certainly going to happen, for God has decreed it, and it is going to happen soon. 33 My suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of administering a nationwide farm program. 34-35 Let Pharaoh divide Egypt into five administrative districts,[b] and let the officials of these districts gather into the royal storehouses all the excess crops of the next seven years, 36 so that there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come. Otherwise, disaster will surely strike.”

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his assistants. 38 As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, “Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.” 39 Turning to Joseph, Pharaoh said to him, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, you are the wisest man in the country! 40 I am hereby appointing you to be in charge of this entire project. What you say goes, throughout all the land of Egypt. I alone will outrank you.”

41-42 Then Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph’s finger as a token of his authority, and dressed him in beautiful clothing and placed the royal gold chain about his neck and declared, “See, I have placed you in charge of all the land of Egypt.”

43 Pharaoh also gave Joseph the chariot of his second-in-command, and wherever he went the shout arose, “Kneel down!” 44 And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I, the king of Egypt, swear that you shall have complete charge over all the land of Egypt.”

45 Pharaoh gave him a name meaning “He has the godlike power of life and death!”[c] And he gave him a wife, a girl named Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. So Joseph became famous throughout the land of Egypt. 46 He was thirty years old as he entered the service of the king. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and began traveling all across the land.

47 And sure enough, for the next seven years there were bumper crops everywhere. 48 During those years, Joseph requisitioned for the government a portion of all the crops grown throughout Egypt, storing them in nearby cities. 49 After seven years of this, the granaries were full to overflowing, and there was so much that no one kept track of the amount.

50 During this time before the arrival of the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of the sun god Re of Heliopolis. 51 Joseph named his oldest son Manasseh (meaning “Made to Forget”—what he meant was that God had made up to him for all the anguish of his youth, and for the loss of his father’s home). 52 The second boy was named Ephraim (meaning “Fruitful”—“For God has made me fruitful in this land of my slavery,” he said).

53 So at last the seven years of plenty came to an end. 54 Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There were crop failures in all the surrounding countries, too, but in Egypt there was plenty of grain in the storehouses. 55 The people began to starve. They pleaded with Pharaoh for food, and he sent them to Joseph. “Do whatever he tells you to,” he instructed them.

56-57 So now, with severe famine all over the world, Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians and to those from other lands who came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 39:12 sleeve. The Hebrew word is not specific.
  2. Genesis 41:34 Let Pharaoh divide Egypt into five administrative districts, or “Let Pharaoh appoint officials to collect a fifth of all the crops.”
  3. Genesis 41:45 He has the godlike power of life and death, or “God (or Pharaoh) says, ‘He is living.’” he gave him a wife, a . . . daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. Joseph married into a family of high nobility, for his father-in-law was a major priest and politician of that time.
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