The Dreams of Pharaoh

1After two years, Pharaoh saw a dream. He thought himself to be standing above a river, 2from which ascended seven cows, exceedingly beautiful and stout. And they pastured in marshy places. 3Likewise, another seven emerged from the river, filthy and thoroughly emaciated. And they pastured on the same bank of the river, in green places. 4And they devoured those whose appearance and condition of body was so wonderful. Pharaoh, having been awakened, 5slept again, and he saw another dream. Seven ears of grain sprung up on one stalk, full and well-formed. 6Likewise, other ears of grain, of the same number, rose up, thin and struck with blight, 7devouring all the beauty of the first. Pharaoh, when he awakened after his rest, 8and 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.

9Then at last the chief cupbearer, remembering, said, “I confess my sin. 10The 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. 11There, in one night, both of us saw a dream presaging the future. 12In that place, there was a Hebrew, a servant of the same commander of the military, to whom we explained our dreams. 13Whatever 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.”

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

14Immediately, by the king’s authority, Joseph was led out of prison, and they shaved him. And changing his apparel, they presented him to him. 15And 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.” 16Joseph responded, “Apart from me, God will respond favorably to Pharaoh.” 17Therefore, Pharaoh explained what he had seen: “I thought myself to be standing on the bank of a river, 18and seven cows climbed up from the river, exceedingly beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed in a pasture of a marshy greenery. 19And behold, there followed after these, another seven cows, with such deformity and emaciation as I had never seen in the land of Egypt. 20These devoured and consumed the first, 21giving no indication of being full. But they remained in the same state of emaciation and squalor. Awakening, but being weighed down into sleep again, 22I saw a dream. Seven ears of grain sprang up on one stalk, full and very beautiful. 23Likewise, another seven, thin and struck with blight, rose up from the stalk. 24And they devoured the beauty of the first. I explained this dream to the interpreters, and there is no one who can unfold it.”

25Joseph responded: “The dream of the king is one. What God will do, he has revealed to Pharaoh. 26The 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. 27Likewise, 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. 28These will be fulfilled in this order. 29Behold, there will arrive seven years of great fertility throughout the entire land of Egypt. 30After 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, 31and the greatness of this destitution will cause the greatness of the abundance to be lost. 32Now, 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. 33Now therefore, let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and place him over the land of Egypt, 34so that he may appoint overseers throughout all the regions. And let a fifth part of the fruits, throughout the seven fertile years 35that 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. 36And 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.”

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

37The counsel pleased Pharaoh and all his ministers.

38And he said to them, “Would we be able to find another such man, who is full of the Spirit of God?” 39Therefore, 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? 40You 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.” 41And again, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have appointed you over the entire land of Egypt.” 42And 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. 43And 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. 44Likewise, 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.” 45And 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.

The Seven Years of Plenty

46(Now he was thirty years old when he stood in the sight of king Pharaoh.) And he traveled throughout the regions of Egypt. 47And the fertility of the seven years arrived. And when the grain fields were reduced to sheaves, these were gathered into the storehouses of Egypt. 48And now all the abundance of grain was stored away in every city. 49And there was such a great abundance of wheat that it was comparable to the sands of the sea, and its bounty exceeded all measure.

50Then, before the famine arrived, Joseph had two sons born, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him. 51And he called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has caused me to forget all my labors and the house of my father.” 52Likewise, he named the second Ephraim, saying, “God has caused me to increase in the land of my poverty.”

The Famine Begins

53And so, when the seven years of fertility that occurred in Egypt had passed, 54the 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. 55And 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.” 56Then 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. 57And all the provinces came to Egypt, to buy food and to temper the misfortune of their destitution.