| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, | 1At the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream. As he was standing by the Nile, |
| 2and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. | 2seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. |
| 3And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. | 3Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. |
| 4And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. | 4The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. |
| 5And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. | 5Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, healthy and good. |
| 6And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. | 6Then seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. |
| 7And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. | 7The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. |
| 8So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. | 8In the morning he was troubled, so he called for all the diviner-priests of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. |
| 9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. | 9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I recall my failures. |
| 10When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, | 10Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards--me and the chief baker. |
| 11we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. | 11We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. |
| 12A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. | 12Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. |
| 13And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.” | 13It happened just as he had said to us--Pharaoh restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker." |
| 14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. | 14Then Pharaoh summoned Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. |
| 15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” | 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard about you, that you can interpret dreams." |
| 16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” | 16Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh." |
| 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. | 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile. |
| 18Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. | 18Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. |
| 19Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. | 19Then seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows as these in all the land of Egypt! |
| 20And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, | 20The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven fat cows. |
| 21but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. | 21When they had eaten them, no one would have known that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. |
| 22I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. | 22I also saw in my dream seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. |
| 23Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, | 23Then seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. |
| 24and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” | 24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning." |
| 25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. | 25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. |
| 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. | 26The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. |
| 27The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. | 27The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent seven years of famine. |
| 28It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. | 28This is just what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. |
| 29There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, | 29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. |
| 30but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, | 30But seven years of famine will occur after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate the land. |
| 31and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. | 31The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. |
| 32And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. | 32The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon. |
| 33Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. | 33"So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt. |
| 34Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. | 34Pharaoh should do this--he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. |
| 35And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. | 35They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh's authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it. |
| 36That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” | 36This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine." |
| 37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. | 37This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. |
| 38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” | 38So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?" |
| 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. | 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are! |
| 40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” | 40You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. Only I, the king, will be greater than you. |
| 41And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” | 41"See here," Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt." |
| 42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. | 42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph's. He clothed him with fine linen clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. |
| 43And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. | 43Pharaoh had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, and they cried out before him, "Kneel down!" So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. |
| 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” | 44Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt." |
| 45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. | 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt. |
| 46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. | 46Now Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by Pharaoh and was in charge of all the land of Egypt. |
| 47During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, | 47During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. |
| 48and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. | 48Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. |
| 49And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured. | 49Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure. |
| 50Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. | 50Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. |
| 51Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” | 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, "Certainly God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's house." |
| 52The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” | 52He named the second child Ephraim, saying, "Certainly God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." |
| 53The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, | 53The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. |
| 54and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. | 54Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. |
| 55When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” | 55When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you." |
| 56So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. | 56While the famine was over all the earth, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. |
| 57Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth. | 57People from every country came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth. |
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