Genesis 41

1 It happened at the end of two full years, that Par`oh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 Behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, well-favored and fat-fleshed, and they fed in the reed-grass.
3 Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.
4 The ill-favored and lean-fleshed cattle ate up the seven well-favored and fat cattle. So Par`oh awoke.
5 He slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of grain came up on one stalk, rank and good.
6 Behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
7 The thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears. Par`oh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8 It happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Mitzrayim, and all the wise men of it. Par`oh told them his dream, but there was no one who could interpret them to Par`oh.
9 Then the chief butler spoke to Par`oh, saying, "I remember my faults today.
10 Par`oh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker.
11 We dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. To each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13 It happened, as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored to my office, and him he hanged."
14 Then Par`oh sent and called Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Par`oh.
15 Par`oh said to Yosef, "I have dreamed 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."
16 Yosef answered Par`oh, saying, "It isn't in me: God will give Par`oh an answer of shalom."
17 Par`oh spoke to Yosef, "In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river:
18 and, behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, fat-fleshed and well-favored. They fed in the reed-grass,
19 and, behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Mitzrayim for badness.
20 The lean and ill-favored cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle,
21 and when they had eaten them up, it couldn't be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, full and good:
23 and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
24 The thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. I told it to the magicians; but there was no one who could explain it to me."
25 Yosef said to Par`oh, "The dream of Par`oh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Par`oh.
26 The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years. The dream is one.
27 The seven lean and ill-favored cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.
28 That is the thing which I spoke to Par`oh. What God is about to do he has shown to Par`oh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Mitzrayim.
30 There will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Mitzrayim. The famine will consume the land,
31 and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.
32 The dream was doubled to Par`oh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Par`oh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Mitzrayim.
34 Let Par`oh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Mitzrayim's produce in the seven plenteous years.
35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Par`oh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
36 The food will be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Mitzrayim; that the land not perish through the famine."
37 The thing was good in the eyes of Par`oh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 Par`oh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?"
39 Par`oh said to Yosef, "Because God has shown you all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as you.
40 You shall be over my house, and according to your word will all my people be ruled. Only in the throne I will be greater than you."
41 Par`oh said to Yosef, "Behold, I have set you over all the land of Mitzrayim."
42 Par`oh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Yosef's hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck,
43 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, "Bow the knee!" He set him over all the land of Mitzrayim.
44 Par`oh said to Yosef, "I am Par`oh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Mitzrayim."
45 Par`oh called Yosef's name Tzafenat-Pa`neach; and he gave him Asenat, the daughter of Potiphera Kohen of On as a wife. Yosef went out over the land of Mitzrayim.
46 Yosef was thirty years old when he stood before Par`oh king of Mitzrayim. Yosef went out from the presence of Par`oh, and went throughout all the land of Mitzrayim.
47 In the seven plenteous years the eretz brought forth by handfuls.
48 He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Mitzrayim, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, he laid up in the same.
49 Yosef laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.
50 To Yosef were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenat, the daughter of Potiphera Kohen of On, bore to him.
51 Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashsheh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."
52 The name of the second, he called Efrayim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."
53 The seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Mitzrayim, came to an end.
54 The seven years of famine began to come, just as Yosef had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Mitzrayim there was bread.
55 When all the land of Mitzrayim was famished, the people cried to Par`oh for bread, and Par`oh said to all the Mitzrim, "Go to Yosef. What he says to you, do."
56 The famine was over all the surface of the eretz. Yosef opened all the store-houses, and sold to the Mitzrim. The famine was severe in the land of Mitzrayim.
57 All countries came into Mitzrayim, to Yosef, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the eretz.

Genesis 41 Commentaries

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.