Parallel Bible results for "genesis 41"

Genesis 41

The Message Bible MSG

1 Two years passed and Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile River.

2 Seven cows came up out of the Nile, all shimmering with health, and grazed on the marsh grass.

3 Then seven other cows, all skin and bones, came up out of the river after them and stood by them on the bank of the Nile.

4 The skinny cows ate the seven healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5 He went back to sleep and dreamed a second time: Seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, grew out of a single stalk.

6 Then seven more ears grew up, but these were thin and dried out by the east wind.

7 The thin ears swallowed up the full, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up - another dream.

8 When morning came, he was upset. He sent for all the magicians and sages of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but they couldn't interpret them to him.

9 The head cupbearer then spoke up and said to Pharaoh, "I just now remembered something - I'm sorry, I should have told you this long ago.

10 Once when Pharaoh got angry with his servants, he locked me and the head baker in the house of the captain of the guard.

11 We both had dreams on the same night, each dream with its own meaning.

12 It so happened that there was a young Hebrew slave there with us; he belonged to the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us, each dream separately.

13 Things turned out just as he interpreted. I was returned to my position and the head baker was impaled."

14 Pharaoh at once sent for Joseph. They brought him on the run from the jail cell. He cut his hair, put on clean clothes, and came to Pharaoh.

15 "I dreamed a dream," Pharaoh told Joseph. "Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it."

16 Joseph answered, "Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh's mind at ease."

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile.

18 Seven cows, shimmering with health, came up out of the river and grazed on the marsh grass.

19 On their heels seven more cows, all skin and bones, came up. I've never seen uglier cows anywhere in Egypt.

20 Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate up the first seven healthy cows.

21 But you couldn't tell by looking - after eating them up they were just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up.

22 "In my second dream I saw seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, growing out of a single stalk,

23 and right behind them, seven other ears, shriveled, thin, and dried out by the east wind.

24 And the thin ears swallowed up the full ears. I've told all this to the magicians but they can't figure it out."

25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's two dreams both mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do.

26 The seven healthy cows are seven years and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years - they're the same dream.

27 The seven sick and ugly cows that followed them up are seven years and the seven scrawny ears of grain dried out by the east wind are the same - seven years of famine.

28 "The meaning is what I said earlier: God is letting Pharaoh in on what he is going to do.

29 Seven years of plenty are on their way throughout Egypt.

30 But on their heels will come seven years of famine, leaving no trace of the Egyptian plenty. As the country is emptied by famine,

31 there won't be even a scrap left of the previous plenty - the famine will be total.

32 The fact that Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice emphasizes God's determination to do this and do it soon.

33 "So: Pharaoh needs to look for a wise and experienced man and put him in charge of the country.

34 Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty.

35 Their job will be to collect all the food produced in the good years ahead and stockpile the grain under Pharaoh's authority, storing it in the towns for food.

36 This grain will be held back to be used later during the seven years of famine that are coming on Egypt. This way the country won't be devastated by the famine."

37 This seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials.

38 Then Pharaoh said to his officials, "Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?"

39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story - no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom.

40 From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you."

41 So Pharaoh commissioned Joseph: "I'm putting you in charge of the entire country of Egypt."

42 Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and slipped it on Joseph's hand. He outfitted him in robes of the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

43 He put the second-in-command chariot at his disposal, and as he rode people shouted "Bravo!" Joseph was in charge of the entire country of Egypt.

44 Pharaoh told Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but no one in Egypt will make a single move without your stamp of approval."

45 Then Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah (God Speaks and He Lives). He also gave him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis). And Joseph took up his duties over the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he went to work for Pharaoh the king of Egypt. As soon as Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he began his work in Egypt.

47 During the next seven years of plenty the land produced bumper crops.

48 Joseph gathered up the food of the seven good years in Egypt and stored the food in cities. In each city he stockpiled surplus from the surrounding fields.

49 Joseph collected so much grain - it was like the sand of the ocean! - that he finally quit keeping track.

50 Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother.

51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, "God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home."

52 He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, "God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow."

53 Then Egypt's seven good years came to an end

54 and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread.

55 When the famine spread throughout Egypt, the people called out in distress to Pharaoh, calling for bread. He told the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you."

56 As the famine got worse all over the country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold emergency supplies to the Egyptians. The famine was very bad.

57 Soon the whole world was coming to buy supplies from Joseph. The famine was bad all over.

New Living Translation NLT

1 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.

2 In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.

3 Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank.

4 Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.

5 But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.

6 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind.

7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.

8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh.

10 “Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.

11 One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning.

12 There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant.

13 And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.”

14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.

15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

17 So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,

18 and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.

19 But then I saw seven sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I’ve never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt.

20 These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows.

21 But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up.

22 “In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.

23 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind.

24 And the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean.”

25 Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.

26 The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity.

27 The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine.

28 “This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.

29 The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt.

30 But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land.

31 This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased.

32 As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.

33 “Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt.

34 Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years.

35 Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities.

36 That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials.

38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?”

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are.

40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.”

42 Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck.

43 Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt.

44 And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.”

45 Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.

46 He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt.

47 As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops.

48 During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities.

49 He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure.

50 During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.

51 Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.”

52 Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.”

53 At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end.

54 Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food.

55 Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.”

56 So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt.

57 And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.