Genesis 41:1-31 ▼

1 AND it came to pass, two years later, Pharaoh dreamed; and he was standing by the river.

2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven beautiful and fat cows; and they fed in a meadow.

3 And, behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean; and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the river.

4 And the ill-favored and lean cows ate up the seven beautiful and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.

5 And he slept and dreamed a second time; and, behold, seven ears of grain were growing on a single stalk, rank and good.

6 And, behold, seven thin ears blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them.

7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called for all the magicians and all the wise men of Egypt; and Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was no man who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief butler spoke in the presence of Pharaoh, and said, I will mention my offense today;

10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in the prison in the commander of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker;

11 And we dreamed dreams in the same night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12 And there was with us a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the commander of the guard; and we told him our dreams, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; I was restored to my position, and he was crucified.

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself, and changed his clothes, and came in before Pharaoh.

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have heard concerning you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.

16 And Joseph answered and said to Pharaoh, Do you think, perhaps, that without God I am able to give Pharaoh an answer that everything will be well?

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream I was standing on the bank of the river;

18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven fat and beautiful cows; and they fed in a meadow;

19 And, behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and ill-favored and lean. I had never seen such ill-favored cows in all the land of Egypt.

20 And the lean and ill-favored cows ate up the first seven fat cows;

21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them: for they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

22 And again, I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears of grain growing on one stalk, full and good;

23 And, behold, seven other ears, thin and blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them;

24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears; and I told this to the magicians; but there was no one who could interpret these dreams to me.

25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one; God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one.

27 And the seven lean and ill-favored cows that came up after them are seven years; and the seven thin ears blasted by the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

28 It is the thing which I told Pharaoh; what God is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh.

29 Behold. there are coming seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt;

30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

31 And the plenty shall not be remembered in the land because of the famine which shall follow; for it shall be very severe.