| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. | 1At the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream. As he was standing by the Nile, |
| 2Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. | 2seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. |
| 3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. | 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 and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. | 4The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. |
| 5He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. | 5Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, healthy and good. |
| 6Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. | 6Then seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. |
| 7And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, 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. |
| 8Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for 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 butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. | 9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I recall my failures. |
| 10When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, | 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 each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. | 11We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. |
| 12Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own 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 it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.” | 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 brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to 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. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to 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." |
| 16So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” | 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 stood on the bank of the river. | 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile. |
| 18Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. | 18Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. |
| 19Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have 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 gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. | 20The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven fat cows. |
| 21When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So 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. |
| 22Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. | 22I also saw in my dream seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. |
| 23Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. | 23Then seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. |
| 24And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this 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 shown 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 heads 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. |
| 27And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are 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. |
| 28This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. | 28This is just what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. |
| 29Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; | 29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. |
| 30but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete 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. |
| 31So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, 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 dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. | 32The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon. |
| 33“Now 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 do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in 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 those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. | 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. |
| 36Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during 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." |
| 37So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. | 37This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. |
| 38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man 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, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. | 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 be ruled according to your word; only in regard to 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 off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around 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 had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So 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. |
| 44Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his 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 Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all 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 stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout 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. |
| 47Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. | 47During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. |
| 48So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. | 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. |
| 49Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. | 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. |
| 50And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore 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 God has made me forget all my toil 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." |
| 52And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be 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." |
| 53Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, | 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. The famine was 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. |
| 55So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever 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." |
| 56The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became 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. |
| 57So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. | 57People from every country came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth. |
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