And then at the end of two full years Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the river. 2 And he saw coming up from the river seven cows good to look at and well-fleshed, and they grazed in the sedge. 3 And he saw seven other cows coming up after them from the river, looking poor and gaunt, and they stood beside the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the cows that looked poor and gaunt devoured the seven cows that were good to look at and fat. And Pharaoh woke up. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and saw seven ears of corn coming up on one stalk, fat and good. 6 And he saw seven ears of corn, thin and scorched by an east wind, growing up after them. 7 And the thin ears of corn swallowed up the seven fat and full ears of corn. And Pharaoh woke up, and it was all a dream. 8 And so in the morning his mind was troubled, and he sent and called all the magicians of Egypt and all the wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream, and there was no one who could interpret it to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cup-bearer spoke to Pharaoh and said, I call to mind my sins today. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the chief guard. 11 And we had a dream on the same night, both of us; we dreamed, each man with a meaning to his dream. 12 And a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the chief guard; and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams to us, to each of us according to his dream he gave an interpretation. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about; he restored me to my office, and he hanged him.

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him from the pit; and when he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you that you understand dreams so as to interpret them. 16 But Joseph answered Pharaoh, and said, It does not belong to me; it is God who will give an answer reassuring to Pharaoh. 17 Then Pharaoh told Joseph, In my dream, then, I was standing on the bank of the river; 18 and I saw seven cows coming up from the river, well-fleshed and in good shape; and they grazed in the sedge. 19 And I saw seven other cows coming up after them, weak and very poorly-formed and lean-fleshed; in all the land of Egypt I have seen none as bad as they were. 20 And the lean and poor cows devoured the first seven cows, the fat ones. 21 And when they had completely devoured them, no one would have known that they had completely devoured them; for they looked as bad as before. And I woke up. 22 And I saw in my dream, and again, seven ears of corn coming up on one stalk, full and good; 23 and I saw seven ears of corn, withered up, thin, scorched by an east wind, growing up after them; 24 and the thin ears of corn swallowed up the seven good ears of corn. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh's dreams are one; God has made known to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears of corn are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 And the seven lean and bad cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears of corn, scorched by an east wind, are seven years of famine. 28 This is what I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Thus, seven years of great plenty are coming throughout the land of Egypt; 30 but after them will follow seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will consume the land. 31 And the plenty in the land will be unknown because of that famine which will follow it, for it will be very severe. 32 And as for the repetition of the dream to Pharaoh, the second time, it is because the thing is a certainty with God, and God is hastening to do it. 33 So now let Pharaoh look for a mats, understanding and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh act, and let him appoint commissioners over the land, and take up a fifth part of the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up grain under Pharaoh's disposal for food in the cities; and let them guard it. 36 And the food shall be in store for the land, ready for the seven years of famine which there will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish during the famine.

37 And what he said was good in Pharaoh's eyes and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, Shall we find anyone like this, a man in whom is the spirit of God? 39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has given you to know all this, there is no one as understanding and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall obey your command; only as regards the throne will I be greater than you. 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in robes of fine linen, and placed the gold chain around his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his own second chariot, and they cried before him, Abrek* and he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without you no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah, and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera the priest of On, for a wife; and Joseph travelled over the land of Egypt. * Perhaps an Egyptian word, possibly meaning Bow the knee

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence, and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of plenty the earth yielded by handfuls, 48 and he gathered all the food of these seven years in the land of Egypt, and he stored up the food in the cities; he stored up in them the food of the fields which were around the cities. 49 And Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, in great abundance, until he ceased to measure it, for it was beyond measuring.

50 And before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera the priest of On, bore to him. 51 And Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, and said, God has made me forget* all my labour and all my father's house. 52 And he named the second one Ephraim, and said, God has made me fruitful** in the land of my affliction. * Heb nashshani, from which is the name Manasseh ** Heb hiphrani, from which is the name Ephraim

53 Then the seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt came to an end. 54 And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said; and the famine was in all lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And the whole land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all Egypt, Go to Joseph; do what he tells you. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the land; and Joseph opened all the granaries among them, and sold to Egypt; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 And all the earth came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; for the famine was severe throughout the earth.