The Dreams of Pharaoh

1And after two yeares Pharao had a dreame, how that he stode by a water syde: and beholde, out of the water there came seuen 2goodly kyne, and fatfleshed, and wente fedinge in the medowe. 3After these he sawe other seuen kyne come out of the water, which were euell fauoured and leane fleshed, and wente by the kyne vpon ye water syde: 4and the euell fauoured leene kyne ate vp the seuen goodly and fatt kyne. Then Pharao awaked. 5And he slepte agayne, and dreamed the seconde tyme. And he sawe that seuen eares of corne grewe vpon one stalke, full and good. 6Afterwarde he sawe seue thynne and blasted eares come vp, 7and the seuen thynne eares deuoured the seuen greate and full eares. Then Pharao awaked, and sawe that it was a dreame. 8And whan it was daye, his sprete was troubled, and he sente out, & caused to call all the soythsayers in Egipte & all the wyse men, and tolde them his dreame. But there was none, that coude tell Pharao the interpretacion of it.

9Then spake the chefe butlar vnto Pharao, and saide: This daye do I remembre my fawte. 10Whan Pharao was angrie with his seruauntes, and put me in preson with ye chefe baker in ye chefe marshals house, 11we dreamed both in one night euery ma his dreame, hauinge his owne interpretacion. 12Then was there with vs a yonge man an Hebrue, the chefe marshals seruaunt, vnto whom we tolde it, and he declared oure dreames vnto vs, vnto eueryma acordinge to his dreame. 13And as he declared it vnto vs, so came it to passe. So I was restored vnto myne office, and he was hanged.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

14Then Pharao sent and called for Ioseph and they let him out of the dongeon. And he let himself be shauen, and chaunged his clothes, and came in vnto Pharao. 15Then saide Pharao vnto him: I haue dreamed a dreame, and there is no man that can interprete it: but I haue herde tell of the, that wha thou hearest a dreame, thou declarest it. 16Ioseph answered Pharao, and sayde: God shall geue Pharao a prosperous answere, yee well without me. 17Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: I dreamed that I stode by a water syde, and beholde, out of the water there came 18seuen kyne, fatfleshed and goodly, and wente fedinge in ye medowe. 19And after them I sawe other seue kyne come out, thynne, euell fauoured, and leenfleshed. So euell fauoured sawe I neuer in all the lande of Egipte. 20And the seuen leene and euell fauoured kyne, ate vp the seuen first fat kyne. 21And whan they had eate them vp, a man coude not perceaue that they had eaten them, & were as euell fauoured as they were afore. Then I awaked. 22And I sawe agayne in my dreame seuen eares of corne, growinge vpo one stalke, full and good. 23Afterwarde there spronge vp seuen wythred eares, thynne and blasted, 24and the seuen thynne eares deuoured the seuen good eares. And I haue shewed it vnto my soithsayers, but they can tell me nothinge therof.

25Ioseph answered Pharao: Both Pharaos dreames are one. God sheweth Pharao what he wil do. 26The seuen good kyne are seuen yeares, and the seuen good eares are seuen yeares also. It is one dreame. 27The seuen leene and euell fauoured kyne, that came vp after them, are seuen yeares. And the seuen thynne and blasted eares, shalbe seuen yeares of derth. 28This is now the thinge which I tolde Pharao, that God sheweth Pharao, what he wyll do. 29Beholde, there shal come seuen yeares wt greate plenteousnes in ye whole lande of Egipte, 30and after the same there shall come seuen yeares of derth, so that all this plenteousnes shalbe forgotten in ye lande of Egipte: and the derth shall consume the lande, 31so that the plenteousnes shal not be perceaued in the lande, because of the derth that commeth therafter, for it shall be very greate. 32Where as Pharao dreamed the seconde tyme, it signifieth that this thinge is surely prepared of God, and that God wil shortly brynge the same to passe. 33Let Pharao now prouyde for a man of vnderstondinge & wysdome, whom he maye set ouer the lande of Egipte, 34and se that he ordene officers in the londe, and take ye fifth (parte) of the lande of Egipte in the seuen plenteous yeares, 35and gather all ye foode yt shal come of the plenteous yeares, that they maye laye vp corne vnder Pharaos power for sustenaunce in the cities, 36and kepe it, yt there maye be foode founde prepared for the lande in the seuen deare yeares, which shall come vpon the lande of Egipte, that the lande be not destroyed of honger.

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

37The sayenge pleased Pharao well and all his seruautes.

38And Pharao sayde vnto his seruauntes? How might we fynde soch a man, in whom is the sprete of God? 39And sayde vnto Iosep: For so moch as God hath shewed ye all this, there is none of soch vnderstondinge & wysdome as thou. 40Thou shalt be ouer my house, and acordinge vnto thy worde shall all my people obeye: onely in the kynges seate wyll I be more then thou. 41And he sayde: Beholde, I haue set the ouer the whole lande of Egipte. 42And he toke of his ringe from his hade and gaue it Ioseph in his hade, and clothed him with whyte sylke, and honge a cheyne of golge aboute his neck, 43and made him ryde vpo the seconde charet: and caused it be proclamed before him, that men shulde bowe their knees vnto him, as to him who Pharao had set ouer the whole lande of Egipte. 44And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: I am Pharao: without thy wyll shall no man moue his hande or his fote in all the lade Egipte. 45And he called him Zaphnath Paena, & gaue him a wife, euen Asnath the doughter of Potiphar the prest of On. So Ioseph wente out, for to vyset the lande of Egipte.

The Seven Years of Plenty

46(And he was thirtie yeare olde, whan he stode before Pharao.) And he departed from Pharao, and wente thorow all the lande of Egipte. 47And the londe dyd so those seuen plenteous yeares, and they gathered 48all the foode of the seuen yeares that were in the lande of Egipte, & layed it in the cities. Loke what foode grewe in the felde rounde aboute euery cite, they put it therin. 49So Ioseph layed vp the corne in stoare, and that moch aboue measure, as the sonde of the see: in so moch yt he left of nombrynge of it, for it coude not be nombred.

50And vnto Ioseph there were borne two sonnes (before ye derth came) whom Asnath the doughter of Potiphar prest of On bare vnto him. 51And the first called he Manasses: for God (sayde he) hath caused me to forget all my laboure, and all my fathers house. 52The seconde called he Ephraim: for God (sayde he) hath caused me to growe in ye lande of my trouble.

The Famine Begins

53Now whan ye seuen plenteous yeares were ended in Egipte, 54then beganne the seuen deare yeares to come, wherof Ioseph had sayde. And there was derth in all landes, but in all the lade of Egipte there was foode. 55Now whan the lande of Egipte beganne to suffre honger also, the people cryed vnto Pharao for bred. But Pharao sayde vnto all ye Egipcians: Go vnto Ioseph, what he sayeth vnto you, yt doo. 56So whan there was derth in all ye lade, Ioseph opened all yt was by him, & solde vnto the Egipcians. Thus ye derth preuayled in the lande, 57& all countrees came to Egipte to bye at Ioseph: for the derth was mightie in all landes.