| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, | 1Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. |
| 2when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. | 2In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. |
| 3After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river. | 3Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. |
| 4And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up, | 4Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up. |
| 5but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. | 5But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. |
| 6After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. | 6Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. |
| 7And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream. | 7And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream. |
| 8In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. | 8The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant. |
| 9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. | 9Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh. |
| 10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. | 10“Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. |
| 11One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning. | 11One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. |
| 12Now 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 individually. | 12There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. |
| 13And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” | 13And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.” |
| 14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh. | 14Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. |
| 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” | 15Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.” |
| 16“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.” | 16“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” |
| 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, | 17So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, |
| 18when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. | 18and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. |
| 19After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt! | 19But then I saw seven sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I’ve never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt. |
| 20Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. | 20These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows. |
| 21When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke. | 21But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up. |
| 22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk. | 22“In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. |
| 23After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. | 23Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind. |
| 24And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.” | 24And the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean.” |
| 25At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. | 25Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. |
| 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning. | 26The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. |
| 27Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine. | 27The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine. |
| 28It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. | 28“This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. |
| 29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, | 29The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. |
| 30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land. | 30But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. |
| 31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe. | 31This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. |
| 32Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly. | 32As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen. |
| 33Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. | 33“Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. |
| 34Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. | 34Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. |
| 35Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities. | 35Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. |
| 36This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.” | 36That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.” Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt |
| 37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. | 37Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. |
| 38So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?” | 38So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” |
| 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. | 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. |
| 40You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” | 40You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.” |
| 41Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.” | 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” |
| 42Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck. | 42Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. |
| 43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. | 43Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. |
| 44And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.” | 44And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.” |
| 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt. | 45Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt. |
| 46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt. | 46He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt. |
| 47During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully. | 47As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops. |
| 48During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it. | 48During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities. |
| 49So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure. | 49He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure. |
| 50Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. | 50During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. |
| 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” | 51Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.” |
| 52And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” | 52Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.” |
| 53When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, | 53At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end. |
| 54the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt. | 54Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food. |
| 55When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.” | 55Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.” |
| 56When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. | 56So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. |
| 57And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth. | 57And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world. |
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