Genesis 41

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.	1 After a lapse of two years, Pharaoh had a dream. He saw himself standing by the Nile,
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.	2 when up out of the Nile came seven cows, handsome and fat; they grazed in the reed grass.
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.	3 Behind them seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile; and standing on the bank of the Nile beside the others,
4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.	4 the ugly, gaunt cows ate up the seven handsome, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.	5 He fell asleep again and had another dream. He saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single stalk.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.	6 Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, thin and blasted by the east wind;
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.	7 and the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven fat, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up, to find it was only 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.	8 Next morning his spirit was agitated. So he summoned all the magicians and sages of Egypt and recounted his dreams to them; but no one could interpret his dreams for him.
9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:	9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke up and said to Pharaoh: "On this occasion I am reminded of my negligence.
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:	10 Once, when Pharaoh was angry, he put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the chief steward.
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.	11 Later, we both had dreams on the same night, and each of our dreams had its own meaning.
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.	12 There with us was a Hebrew youth, a slave of the chief steward; and when we told him our dreams, he interpreted them for us and explained for each of us the meaning of his dream.
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.	13 And it turned out just as he had told us: I was restored to my post, but the other man was impaled."
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.	14 Pharaoh therefore had Joseph summoned, and they hurriedly brought him from the dungeon. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he came into Pharaoh's presence.
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.	15 Pharaoh then said to him: "I had certain dreams that no one can interpret. But I hear it said of you that the moment you are told a dream you can interpret it."
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.	16 "It is not I," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God who will give Pharaoh the right answer."
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:	17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: "In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:	18 when up from the Nile came seven cows, fat and well-formed; they grazed in the reed grass.
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:	19 Behind them came seven other cows, scrawny, most ill-formed and gaunt. Never have I seen such ugly specimens as these in all the land of Egypt!
20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:	20 The gaunt, ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
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.	21 But when they had consumed them, no one could tell that they had done so, because they looked as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:	22 In another dream I saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single stalk.
23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:	23 Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, shriveled and thin and blasted by the east wind;
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.	24 and the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven healthy ears. I have spoken to the magicians, but none of them can give me an explanation."
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.	25 Joseph said to Pharaoh: "Both of Pharaoh's dreams have the same meaning. God has thus foretold to 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.	26 The seven healthy cows are seven years, and the seven healthy ears are seven years--the same in each dream.
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.	27 So also, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven thin, wind-blasted ears; they are 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.	28 It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:	29 Seven years of great abundance are now coming throughout 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;	30 but these will be followed by seven years of famine, when all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. When the famine has ravaged 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.	31 no trace of the abundance will be found in the land because of the famine that follows it--so utterly severe will that famine be.
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.	32 That Pharaoh had the same dream twice means that the matter has been reaffirmed by God and that God will soon bring it about.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.	33 "Therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a wise and discerning man and put him in charge of 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.	34 Pharaoh should also take action to appoint overseers, so as to regiment the land during the seven years of abundance.
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.	35 They should husband all the food of the coming good years, collecting the grain under Pharaoh's authority, to be stored in the towns for food.
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.	36 This food will serve as a reserve for the country against the seven years of famine that are to follow in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine."
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.	37 This advice pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.
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?	38 "Could we find another like him," Pharaoh asked his officials, "a man so endowed with the spirit of God?"
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:	39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph: "Since God has made all this known to you, no one can be as wise and discerning as you are.
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.	40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people shall dart at your command. Only in respect to the throne shall I outrank you.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.	41 Herewith," Pharaoh told Joseph, "I place you in charge of the whole 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;	42 With that, Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it on Joseph's finger. He had him dressed in robes 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.	43 He then had him ride in the chariot of his vizier, and they shouted "Abrek!" before him. Thus was Joseph installed over the whole 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.	44 "I, Pharaoh, proclaim," he told Joseph, "that without your approval no one shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.	45 Pharaoh also bestowed the name of Zaphnath-paneah on Joseph, and he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis.
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.	46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. After Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.	47 During the seven years of plenty, when the land produced abundant crops,
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.	48 he husbanded all the food of these years of plenty that the land of Egypt was enjoying and stored it in the towns, placing in each town the crops of the fields around it.
49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.	49 Joseph garnered grain in quantities like the sands of the sea, so vast that at last he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.	50 Before the famine years set in, Joseph became the father of two sons, borne to him by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis.
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.	51 He named his first-born Manasseh, meaning, "God has made me forget entirely the sufferings I endured at the hands of my family";
52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.	52 and the second he named Ephraim, meaning, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."
53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.	53 When the seven years of abundance enjoyed by the land of Egypt came to an end,
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.	54 the seven years of famine set in, just as Joseph had predicted. Although there was famine in all the other countries, food was available throughout the land of Egypt.
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.	55 When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them.
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.	56 When the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the cities that had grain and rationed it to the Egyptians, since the famine had gripped 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.	57 In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world.