Genesis Chapter 41
Pharaoh’s Dreams
1 Two years later, Pharaoh dreamed he was standing by the Nile. 2 Seven healthy, well-fed cows came up from the river and started grazing on the marsh grass. 3 Seven scrawny, bony cows came up 4 and ate the seven healthy, well-fed ones. Then he woke up.
5 He went back to sleep and had another dream. Seven heads of filled-out, good grain grew on a single stalk. 6 Seven thin, wind-scorched grain heads sprouted up 7 and swallowed the filled-out heads. Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. 8 In the morning, the dreams haunted him. He sent for Egypt’s astrologers and wise men. He told them the dreams, but no one could figure out what they meant.
Gen 41:1-8
9 The cupbearer said to Pharaoh,
“I remember my own sins today. 10 You were furious with us and confined me and the chief baker in the captain of the bodyguard’s house. 11 We both had a dream the same night. 12 A Hebrew young man was with us there, a servant to the captain. We told him the dreams, and he interpreted them for us. 13 Things came about like he said. You gave me back my office but impaled the chief baker.”
Gen 41:9-13
14 Pharaoh called for Joseph, and they hurried and brought him out of the dungeon. He shaved and changed clothes and went to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh told him, “I’ve had a dream that no one can interpret. I’ve heard that you can interpret dreams.”
16 “It’s not me. God will give you a sensible answer.”
17 Pharaoh told Joseph,
“I dreamed I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18 Seven healthy, well-fed cows came up from the river and started grazing on the marsh grass. 19 Seven unhealthy, scrawny, boniest cows I’d ever seen anywhere in Egypt, 20 came up and ate the first seven cows. 21 Yet when they’d eaten them, you couldn’t tell it. They were as scrawny as before. Then I woke up.
22 “I also dreamed about seven filled-out, good grain heads that grew on a single stalk. 23 Seven withered, thin, wind-scorched grain heads sprouted up, 24 and swallowed the seven good heads. When I told the astrologers the dream, none of them could explain it to me.”
Gen 41:14-24
25 Joseph told him,
“Your dreams both mean the same thing. God has told you what he’s going to do. 26 The seven good cows and seven good ears represent seven years. 27 The seven bony, scrawny cows that came up after them and the seven thin heads scorched by the east wind represent seven years of famine. [ 28 ] 29 Seven abundant years are coming on Egypt. [ 30 ] 31 The seven-year famine that follows will ruin the land. It’ll be severe enough to erase the memory of previous abundance. 32 Repeating the dream emphasizes that God is determined to do it. He’ll make it happen soon. 33 Now you can look for a discerning man to appoint over Egypt. 34 He can appoint land managers and exact a fifth of the crop during the seven abundant years. 35 They can gather the food during those years, store it up in cities under your authority, and guard it. 36 It can remain in reserve for the seven famine years so the land won’t perish from the famine.
Gen 41:25-36
Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt
37 The plan made sense to him and his officials. 38 He asked, “Can we find anyone else like this who has a divine spirit in him?” 39 Pharaoh told Joseph,
“Since God has informed you about this, there’s nobody more discerning and wise than you. 40 You’ll be over my house, and my people will pay you homage. Only in regard to the throne will I have more authority than you. 41 I’ve set you over Egypt.”
42 Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it on Joseph’s finger, dressed him in fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in his second chariot, and they declared ahead of him, “Bend the knee!” 44 Pharaoh told him, “I’m Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody will lift hand or foot anywhere in Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh named him Zaphenath-paneah and gave him as a wife Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Gen 41:37-45
46 Joseph was 30 when he stood in front of Pharaoh. He went out from Pharaoh all over Egypt. 47 During the seven abundant years, the ground produced abundantly. 48 He gathered food during those years and put it in each city from its own fields. 49 He stored up so much grain that he stopped trying to measure it—like sand on the seashore.
50 Before the first famine year, Asenath bore Joseph two sons. 51 He named the first son Manasseh, “God has ‘made me forget’ my problems and my father’s family.” 52 He named the second son Ephraim, “God has made me ‘productive’ in the country where I suffered adversity.”
53 The seven abundant years came to an end, 54 and seven famine years set in—like Joseph had said. The famine spread over all the surrounding countries, but Egypt had food. 55 The entire country was famished, and the people appealed to Pharaoh for food. He told them to go to Joseph and do what he said. 56 When the famine had spread over the whole region, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. 57 People from all over the region came to Egypt to buy grain from him because the famine was severe everywhere.
Gen 41:46-57