1 At the end of two full years, Pharaoh had a dream. He was standing by the Nile. 2 Seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat, came up out of the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 3 Then seven other cows, ugly in appearance and thin, came up out of the Nile after them and stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 The ugly, thin cows ate the seven beautiful, fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time. Seven heads of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 Then seven thin heads, scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them. 7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, full heads. Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream. 8 In the morning his spirit was troubled. He sent for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dream, but no one could interpret the dreams for Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my offenses. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker. 11 He and I had a dream on the same night, each dreaming a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, interpreting for each according to his dream. 13 It happened just as he interpreted for us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” 14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they hurried him out of the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer for his well-being.” 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, fat and beautiful in form, came up out of the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 19 Then seven other cows came up after them, scrawny, very ugly in form, and thin. I had never seen any so ugly in all the land of Egypt. 20 The thin, ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. 21 But when they had eaten them, no one could tell that they had eaten them. They looked as ugly as at first. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on one stalk. 23 Then seven withered, thin heads, scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them. 24 The thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads. I told the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.” 25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dream is one. God has told Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dream is one. 27 The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. 28 This is what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 After them will come seven years of famine. All the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will consume the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be known because of the famine that follows, for it will be very severe. 32 The dream was repeated twice to Pharaoh because the matter is established by God, and God will soon bring it about. 33 Now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh act and appoint overseers over the land, and take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store grain under Pharaoh’s authority as food in the cities, and guard it. 36 The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish in the famine.” 37 The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You will be in charge of my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have put you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Pharaoh took his ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand. He dressed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in his second chariot, and they called out before him, “Kneel!” Thus he put him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will lift a hand or a foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On, as his wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. 46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance, the land produced by the handful. 48 He gathered all the food of the seven years in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he stored the food from the fields around it. 49 Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, in such great quantities that he stopped counting, for it could not be counted. 50 Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52 He named the second Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” 53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you.” 56 The famine was over all the face of the earth. Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine grew severe in the land of Egypt. 57 People from all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.