Genesis 41

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Two years later it happened that Pharaoh had a dream: there he was, standing by the Nile,	1 After two years, Pharaoh saw a dream. He thought himself to be standing above a river,
2 and there, coming up from the Nile, were seven cows, sleek and fat, and they began to feed amongthe rushes.	2 from which ascended seven cows, exceedingly beautiful and stout. And they pastured in marshy places.
3 And 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.	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 wretched and lean cows ate the seven sleek and 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 fel asleep and dreamed a second time: there, growing on one stalk, were seven ears of grain, fulland ripe.	5 slept again, and he saw another dream. Seven ears of grain sprung up on one stalk, full and well-formed.
6 And then sprouting up, behind them, came seven ears of grain, meagre and scorched by the eastwind.	6 Likewise, other ears of grain, of the same number, rose up, thin and struck with blight,
7 The scanty ears of grain swal owed the seven ful and ripe ears of grain. Then Pharaoh woke up; ithad been a dream.	7 devouring all the beauty of the first. Pharaoh, when he awakened after his rest,
8 In 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.	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 cup-bearer addressed Pharaoh, 'Today, I recal having been at fault.	9 Then at last the chief cupbearer, remembering, said, “I confess my sin.
10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, he put myself and the chief baker in custody in thehouse of the commander of the guard.	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 We had a dream on the same night, he and I, and each man's dream had a meaning for himself.	11 There, in one night, both of us saw a dream presaging the future.
12 There 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.	12 In that place, there was a Hebrew, a servant of the same commander of the military, to whom we explained our dreams.
13 It turned out exactly according to his interpretation: I was restored to my position, but the other manwas hanged.'	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 Then Pharaoh had Joseph summoned, and they hurried him from the dungeon. He shaved andchanged his clothes, and presented himself before Pharaoh.	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 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.'	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 'Not I,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'God wil give Pharaoh a favourable answer.'	16 Joseph responded, “Apart from me, God will respond favorably to Pharaoh.”
17 So Pharaoh told Joseph, 'In my dream there 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 And there were seven cows, fat and sleek, coming up out of the Nile, and they began to feed amongthe rushes.	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 And then seven other cows came up, behind them, starved, very wretched and lean; I have neverseen such poor cows in all 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 lean and wretched cows ate up the first seven fat cows.	20 These devoured and consumed the first,
21 But 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.	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 And then again in my dream, there, growing on one stalk, were seven ears of grain, beautiful y ripe;	22 I saw a dream. Seven ears of grain sprang up on one stalk, full and very beautiful.
23 but then sprouting up behind them came seven ears of grain, withered, meagre and scorched by theeast wind.	23 Likewise, another seven, thin and struck with blight, rose up from the stalk.
24 Then 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.'	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, 'Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same: God has revealed to Pharaohwhat he is going to do.	25 Joseph responded: “The dream of the king is one. What God will do, he has revealed to Pharaoh.
26 The seven fine cows are seven years and the seven ripe ears of grain are seven years; it is one andthe same 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 The 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.	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 as I have told Pharaoh: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is going to do.	28 These will be fulfilled in this order.
29 Seven years are coming, bringing great plenty to the whole of Egypt,	29 Behold, there will arrive seven years of great fertility throughout the entire land of Egypt.
30 but seven years of famine will fol ow them, when al the plenty in Egypt wil be forgotten, and faminewil exhaust 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 The famine that is to fol ow wil be so very severe that no one wil remember what plenty the countryused to enjoy.	31 and the greatness of this destitution will cause the greatness of the abundance to be lost.
32 The reason why Pharaoh had the same dream twice is that the event is already determined by God,and God wil shortly 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 'Pharaoh should now find someone intel igent and wise to govern Egypt.	33 Now therefore, let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and place him over the land of Egypt,
34 Pharaoh should take action and appoint supervisors for the country, and impose a tax of one-fifth onEgypt during the seven years of plenty.	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 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.	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 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.'	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 Pharaoh and all his ministers approved of what he had said.	37 The counsel pleased Pharaoh and all his ministers.
38 Then Pharaoh asked his ministers, 'Can we find anyone else endowed with the spirit of God, likehim?'	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 given you knowledge of al this, there can be no one asintelligent and wise as you.	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 my chancel or, and al my people shall respect your orders; only this throne shal set meabove 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 Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I hereby make you governor of the whole of Egypt.'	41 And again, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have appointed you over the entire land of Egypt.”
42 Pharaoh 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.	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 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.	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 Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Although I am Pharaoh, no one is to move hand or foot without yourpermission throughout 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 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.	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 leavingPharaoh's presence, Joseph travel ed throughout the length and breadth 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, the soil yielded generously.	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 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.	48 And now all the abundance of grain was stored away in every city.
49 Joseph gathered in grain like the sand of the sea, in such quantity that he gave up keeping count,since it was past accounting.	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 year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph: Asenath daughter of Potiphera,priest of On, bore him these.	50 Then, before the famine arrived, Joseph had two sons born, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him.
51 Joseph named the first-born Manasseh, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me completely forget myhardships and my father's House.'	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 He named the second Ephraim, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me fruitful in the country of mymisfortune.'	52 Likewise, he named the second Ephraim, saying, “God has caused me to increase in the land of my poverty.”
53 Then the seven years of plenty that there had been in Egypt came to an end,	53 And so, when the seven years of fertility that occurred in Egypt had passed,
54 and the seven years of famine set in, as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in every country,but throughout Egypt there was food.	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 But 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.'	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 There 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.	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 People came to Egypt from al over the world to get supplies from Joseph, for the famine had grownsevere throughout the world.	57 And all the provinces came to Egypt, to buy food and to temper the misfortune of their destitution.