Genesis 41

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 After a lapse of two years, Pharaoh had a dream. He saw himself standing by the Nile,	1 After two years, Pharaoh saw a dream. He thought himself to be standing above a river,
2 when up out of the Nile came seven cows, handsome and fat; they grazed in the reed grass.	2 from which ascended seven cows, exceedingly beautiful and stout. And they pastured in marshy places.
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,	3 Likewise, another seven emerged from the river, filthy and thoroughly emaciated. And they pastured on the same bank of the river, in green places.
4 the ugly, gaunt cows ate up the seven handsome, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.	4 And they devoured those whose appearance and condition of body was so wonderful. Pharaoh, having been awakened,
5 He fell asleep again and had another dream. He saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single stalk.	5 slept again, and he saw another dream. Seven ears of grain sprung up on one stalk, full and well-formed.
6 Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, thin and blasted by the east wind;	6 Likewise, other ears of grain, of the same number, rose up, thin and struck with blight,
7 and the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven fat, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up, to find it was only a dream.	7 devouring all the beauty of the first. Pharaoh, when he awakened after his rest,
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.	8 and when morning arrived, being terrified with fear, sent to all the interpreters of Egypt and to all of the wise men. And when they were summoned, he explained to them his dream; but there was no one who could interpret it.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke up and said to Pharaoh: "On this occasion I am reminded of my negligence.	9 Then at last the chief cupbearer, remembering, said, “I confess my sin.
10 Once, when Pharaoh was angry, he put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the chief steward.	10 The king, being angry with his servants, ordered me and the chief miller of grain to be forced into the prison of the leader of the military.
11 Later, we both had dreams on the same night, and each of our dreams had its own meaning.	11 There, in one night, both of us saw a dream presaging the future.
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.	12 In that place, there was a Hebrew, a servant of the same commander of the military, to whom we explained our dreams.
13 And it turned out just as he had told us: I was restored to my post, but the other man was impaled."	13 Whatever we heard was proven afterwards by the event of the matter. For I was restored to my office, and he was suspended on a cross.”
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.	14 Immediately, by the king’s authority, Joseph was led out of prison, and they shaved him. And changing his apparel, they presented him to him.
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."	15 And he said to him, “I have seen dreams, and there is no one who can unfold them. I have heard that you are very wise at interpreting these.”
16 "It is not I," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God who will give Pharaoh the right answer."	16 Joseph responded, “Apart from me, God will respond favorably to Pharaoh.”
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: "In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile,	17 Therefore, Pharaoh explained what he had seen: “I thought myself to be standing on the bank of a river,
18 when up from the Nile came seven cows, fat and well-formed; they grazed in the reed grass.	18 and seven cows climbed up from the river, exceedingly beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed in a pasture of a marshy greenery.
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!	19 And behold, there followed after these, another seven cows, with such deformity and emaciation as I had never seen in the land of Egypt.
20 The gaunt, ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.	20 These devoured and consumed the first,
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.	21 giving no indication of being full. But they remained in the same state of emaciation and squalor. Awakening, but being weighed down into sleep again,
22 In another dream I saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single stalk.	22 I saw a dream. Seven ears of grain sprang up on one stalk, full and very beautiful.
23 Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, shriveled and thin and blasted by the east wind;	23 Likewise, another seven, thin and struck with blight, rose up from the stalk.
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."	24 And they devoured the beauty of the first. I explained this dream to the interpreters, and there is no one who can unfold it.”
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.	25 Joseph responded: “The dream of the king is one. What God will do, he has revealed to Pharaoh.
26 The seven healthy cows are seven years, and the seven healthy ears are seven years--the same in each dream.	26 The seven beautiful cows, and the seven full ears of grain, are seven years of abundance. And so the force of the dreams is understood to be the same.
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.	27 Likewise, the seven thin and emaciated cows, which ascended after them, and the seven thin ears of grain, which were struck with the burning wind, are seven approaching years of famine.
28 It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.	28 These will be fulfilled in this order.
29 Seven years of great abundance are now coming throughout the land of Egypt;	29 Behold, there will arrive seven years of great fertility throughout the entire land of Egypt.
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,	30 After this, there will follow another seven years, of such great barrenness that all the former abundance will be delivered into oblivion. For the famine will consume all the land,
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.	31 and the greatness of this destitution will cause the greatness of the abundance to be lost.
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.	32 Now, as to what you saw the second time, it is a dream pertaining to the same thing. It is an indication of its firmness, because the word of God shall be done, and it shall be completed swiftly.
33 "Therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a wise and discerning man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.	33 Now therefore, let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and place him over the land of Egypt,
34 Pharaoh should also take action to appoint overseers, so as to regiment the land during the seven years of abundance.	34 so that he may appoint overseers throughout all the regions. And let a fifth part of the fruits, throughout the seven fertile years
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.	35 that now have already begun to occur, be gathered into storehouses. And let all the grain be stored away, under the power of Pharaoh, and let it be kept in the cities.
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."	36 And let it be prepared for the future famine of seven years, which will oppress Egypt, and then the land will not be consumed by destitution.”
37 This advice pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.	37 The counsel pleased Pharaoh and all his ministers.
38 "Could we find another like him," Pharaoh asked his officials, "a man so endowed with the spirit of God?"	38 And he said to them, “Would we be able to find another such man, who is full of the Spirit of God?”
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.	39 Therefore, he said to Joseph: “Because God has revealed to you all that you have said, would I be able to find anyone wiser and as much like you?
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.	40 You will be over my house, and to the authority of your mouth, all the people will show obedience. Only in one way, in the throne of the kingdom, will I go before you.”
41 Herewith," Pharaoh told Joseph, "I place you in charge of the whole land of Egypt."	41 And again, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have appointed you over the entire land of Egypt.”
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.	42 And he took the ring from his own hand, and he gave it into his hand. And he clothed him with a robe of fine linen, and he placed a necklace of gold around his neck.
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.	43 And he caused him to ascend upon his second swift chariot, with the herald proclaiming that everyone should bend their knee before him, and that they should know that he was governor over the entire 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."	44 Likewise, the king said to Joseph: “I am Pharaoh: apart from your authority, no one will move hand or foot in 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.	45 And he changed his name and called him, in the Egyptian tongue: ‘Savior of the world.’ And he gave him as a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. And so Joseph went out into 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.	46 (Now he was thirty years old when he stood in the sight of king Pharaoh.) And he traveled throughout the regions of Egypt.
47 During the seven years of plenty, when the land produced abundant crops,	47 And the fertility of the seven years arrived. And when the grain fields were reduced to sheaves, these were gathered into the storehouses of Egypt.
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.	48 And now all the abundance of grain was stored away in every city.
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.	49 And there was such a great abundance of wheat that it was comparable to the sands of the sea, and its bounty exceeded all measure.
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.	50 Then, before the famine arrived, Joseph had two sons born, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him.
51 He named his first-born Manasseh, meaning, "God has made me forget entirely the sufferings I endured at the hands of my family";	51 And he called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has caused me to forget all my labors and the house of my father.”
52 and the second he named Ephraim, meaning, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."	52 Likewise, he named the second Ephraim, saying, “God has caused me to increase in the land of my poverty.”
53 When the seven years of abundance enjoyed by the land of Egypt came to an end,	53 And so, when the seven years of fertility that occurred in Egypt had passed,
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.	54 the seven years of destitution, which Joseph had predicted, began to arrive. And the famine prevailed throughout the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.
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.	55 And being hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh, asking for provisions. And he said to them: “Go to Joseph. And do whatever he will tell you.”
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.	56 Then the famine increased daily in all the land. And Joseph opened all of the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. For the famine had oppressed them also.
57 In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world.	57 And all the provinces came to Egypt, to buy food and to temper the misfortune of their destitution.