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Giovedi, 28 marzo 2024 - San Castore di Tarso ( Letture di oggi)

Genesis 41


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1Two years later it happened that Pharaoh had a dream: there he was, standing by the Nile,2and there, coming up from the Nile, were seven cows, sleek and fat, and they began to feed amongthe rushes.3And then seven other cows, wretched and lean, came up from the Nile, behind them; and these wentover and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile.4The wretched and lean cows ate the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.5He fel asleep and dreamed a second time: there, growing on one stalk, were seven ears of grain, fulland ripe.6And then sprouting up, behind them, came seven ears of grain, meagre and scorched by the eastwind.7The scanty ears of grain swal owed the seven ful and ripe ears of grain. Then Pharaoh woke up; ithad been a dream.8In the morning Pharaoh, feeling disturbed, had all the magicians and wise men of Egypt summoned tohim. Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was no one to interpret it for Pharaoh.9Then the chief cup-bearer addressed Pharaoh, 'Today, I recal having been at fault.10When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, he put myself and the chief baker in custody in thehouse of the commander of the guard.11We had a dream on the same night, he and I, and each man's dream had a meaning for himself.12There was a young Hebrew with us, one of the slaves belonging to the commander of the guard. Wetold our dreams to him and he interpreted them for us, tel ing each of us what his dream meant.13It turned out exactly according to his interpretation: I was restored to my position, but the other manwas hanged.'14Then Pharaoh had Joseph summoned, and they hurried him from the dungeon. He shaved andchanged his clothes, and presented himself before Pharaoh.15Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. But I have heard itsaid of you that you can interpret a dream the instant you hear it.'16'Not I,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'God wil give Pharaoh a favourable answer.'17So Pharaoh told Joseph, 'In my dream there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile.18And there were seven cows, fat and sleek, coming up out of the Nile, and they began to feed amongthe rushes.19And then seven other cows came up, behind them, starved, very wretched and lean; I have neverseen such poor cows in all Egypt.20The lean and wretched cows ate up the first seven fat cows.21But when they had eaten them up, it was impossible to tel they had eaten them, for they looked aswretched as ever. Then I woke up.22And then again in my dream, there, growing on one stalk, were seven ears of grain, beautiful y ripe;23but then sprouting up behind them came seven ears of grain, withered, meagre and scorched by theeast wind.24Then the shrivel ed ears of grain swal owed the seven ripe ears of grain. I have told the magicians,but no one has given me the answer.'25Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same: God has revealed to Pharaohwhat he is going to do.26The seven fine cows are seven years and the seven ripe ears of grain are seven years; it is one andthe same dream.27The seven gaunt and lean cows coming up behind them are seven years, as are the seven shrivel edears of grain scorched by the east wind: there wil be seven years of famine.28It is as I have told Pharaoh: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is going to do.29Seven years are coming, bringing great plenty to the whole of Egypt,30but seven years of famine will fol ow them, when al the plenty in Egypt wil be forgotten, and faminewil exhaust the land.31The famine that is to fol ow wil be so very severe that no one wil remember what plenty the countryused to enjoy.32The reason why Pharaoh had the same dream twice is that the event is already determined by God,and God wil shortly bring it about.33'Pharaoh should now find someone intel igent and wise to govern Egypt.34Pharaoh should take action and appoint supervisors for the country, and impose a tax of one-fifth onEgypt during the seven years of plenty.35They wil col ect al the food produced during these good years that are coming, and store the grainunder Pharaoh's authority, putting it in the towns and keeping it.36This food wil form a reserve for the country against the seven years of famine which are coming onEgypt, so that the country wil not be destroyed by the famine.'37Pharaoh and all his ministers approved of what he had said.38Then Pharaoh asked his ministers, 'Can we find anyone else endowed with the spirit of God, likehim?'39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Since God has given you knowledge of al this, there can be no one asintelligent and wise as you.40You shall be my chancel or, and al my people shall respect your orders; only this throne shal set meabove you.'41Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I hereby make you governor of the whole of Egypt.'42Pharaoh took the ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's. He dressed him in robes of fine linen andput a gold chain round his neck.43He made him ride in the best chariot he had after his own, and they shouted 'Abrek!' ahead of him.Thus he became governor of the whole of Egypt.44Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Although I am Pharaoh, no one is to move hand or foot without yourpermission throughout Egypt.'45Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-Paneah, and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest ofOn, to be his wife. And Joseph began to journey al over Egypt.46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. After leavingPharaoh's presence, Joseph travel ed throughout the length and breadth of Egypt.47During the seven years of plenty, the soil yielded generously.48He col ected al the food of the seven years while there was an abundance in Egypt, and stored thefood in the towns, placing in each the food from the surrounding countryside.49Joseph gathered in grain like the sand of the sea, in such quantity that he gave up keeping count,since it was past accounting.50Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph: Asenath daughter of Potiphera,priest of On, bore him these.51Joseph named the first-born Manasseh, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me completely forget myhardships and my father's House.'52He named the second Ephraim, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me fruitful in the country of mymisfortune.'53Then the seven years of plenty that there had been in Egypt came to an end,54and the seven years of famine set in, as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in every country,but throughout Egypt there was food.55But when al Egypt too began to feel the famine and the people appealed to Pharaoh for food,Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, 'Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.'56There was famine all over the world. Then Joseph opened al the granaries and rationed out grain tothe Egyptians, as the famine grew even worse in Egypt.57People came to Egypt from al over the world to get supplies from Joseph, for the famine had grownsevere throughout the world.