Genesis 41:1-13 ▼

1 Two years later—to the day—Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River,

2 when all of a sudden seven healthy, plump cows emerged from the Nile to graze in the grass that grew in the reeds that lined the bank.

3 Right after that, seven more cows came up out of the Nile. Ugly and gaunt, they stood next to the other cows on the bank of the Nile River.

4 But all of a sudden they ate up the seven healthy, plump cows! Then Pharaoh woke up.

5 After he had fallen back to sleep, he had a second dream, in which seven ears of plump, fruit-filled grain grew up on a single stalk.

6 Suddenly seven thin ears of grain that had been scorched by an east wind sprouted up right after them

7 and ate up the seven plump, fruit-filled ears. Then Pharaoh woke up a second time, and it had been a very vivid dream!

8 The very next morning, he was frustrated about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.

9 Then Pharaoh's senior security advisor spoke up. |Maybe I should make a confession.

10 When Pharaoh was angry with some of his servants, he incarcerated me in custody of the captain of the bodyguard, along with Pharaoh's head chef.

11 We each had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.

12 There was a Hebrew young man incarcerated with us, who was also working as a servant to the captain of the bodyguard. |We each related our dreams, and then he interpreted them for us. He provided specific meanings for each of our dreams.

13 And what he interpreted for each of us came true! Pharaoh restored me to my responsibilities, but he executed the other man.|