Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dream
"Do not interpretations belong to God?" Genesis 40:8
Genesis chapter 41
And
it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed:
and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine
(cows) and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river,
ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink
of the river.
4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well
favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears
of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung
up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And
Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8 And 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.
9 Then spake
the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this
day:
10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain
of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man
according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 And there was there with us a young man, an 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.
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored
unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14 Then 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.
15 And 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 thou
canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give
Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the
bank of the river:
18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed
and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill
favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt
for badness:
20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven
fat kine:
21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they
had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning.
So I awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk,
full and good:
23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east
wind, sprung up after them:
24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto
the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath
shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are
seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them
are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind
shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about
to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the
land of Egypt:
30 And 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;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine
following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because
the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set
him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land,
and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous
years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and
lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the
cities.
36 And that food shall be for 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.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of
all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this
is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all
this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou 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.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land
of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his 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;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they
cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land
of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall
no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him
to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph
went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 And 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.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48 And 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.
49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until
he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came,
which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said
he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused
me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt,
were ended.
54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph
had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt
there was bread.
55 And 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.
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened
all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed
sore in the land of Egypt.
57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because
that the famine was so sore in all lands.