The Dreams of Pharaoh

1After two full years had passed, Pharaoh (great house) had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, 2when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 3After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river. 4And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows.

Then Pharaoh (great house) woke up, 5but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. 6After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. 7And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh (great house) awoke and realized it was a dream.

8In the morning his spirit {ruachow} was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt (land of bondage). Pharaoh (great house) told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh (great house), “Today I recall my failures. 10Pharaoh (great house) was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. 11One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning. 12Now a young Hebrew (one from beyond) was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually. 13And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

14So Pharaoh (great house) sent for Joseph (YHWH has added), who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.

15Pharaoh (great house) said to Joseph (YHWH has added), “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph (YHWH has added) replied (great house), “but God {Elohim} will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”

17Then Pharaoh (great house) said to Joseph (YHWH has added): “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 19After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt (land of bondage)! 20Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. 21When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.

22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk. 23After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. 24And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones.

I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

25At this, Joseph (YHWH has added) said to Pharaoh (great house), “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God {Elohim} has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning. 27Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.

28It is just as I said to Pharaoh (great house): God {Elohim} has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt (land of bondage), 30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt (land of bondage) will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land. 31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.

32Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh (great house) in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God {Elohim}, and He will carry it out shortly.

33Now, therefore, Pharaoh (great house) should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt (land of bondage). 34Let Pharaoh (great house) take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest [a fifth from the land]a of Egypt (land of bondage) during the seven years of abundance. 35Under the authority of Pharaoh (great house), let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities. 36This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt (land of bondage). Then the country will not perish in the famine.”

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

37This proposal pleased Pharaoh (great house) and all his officials. 38So Pharaoh (great house) asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God {Ruach Elohim}b abides?”

39Then Pharaoh (great house) said to Joseph (YHWH has added), “Since God {Elohim} has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

41Pharaoh (great house) also told Joseph (YHWH has added), “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt (land of bondage).” 42Then Pharaoh (great house) removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s (YHWH has added) finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee {Abrek}!”c So he placed him over all the land of Egypt (land of bondage).

44And Pharaoh (great house) declared to Joseph (YHWH has added), “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt (land of bondage) shall lift his hand or foot.”

45Pharaoh (great house) gave Joseph (YHWH has added) the name Zaphenath-paneah (Revealer of Mysteries),d and he gave him Asenath (belonging to the goddess Neith) daughter of Potiphera (he whom the Ra gave), priest of On (Heliopolis),e to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt (land of bondage).

The Seven Years of Plenty

46Now Joseph (YHWH has added) was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh (great house) king of Egypt (land of bondage). And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

47During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully. 48During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt (land of bondage) and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it. 49So Joseph (YHWH has added) stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.

50Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph (YHWH has added) by Asenath (belonging to the goddess Neith) daughter of Potiphera (he whom the Ra gave), priest of On (Heliopolis). 51Joseph (YHWH has added) named the firstborn Manasseh (making to forget),f saying, “God {Elohim} has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” 52And the second son he named Ephraim (twice fruitful),g saying, “God {Elohim} has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

The Famine Begins

53When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt (land of bondage) came to an end, 54the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph (YHWH has added) had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt (land of bondage). 55When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt (land of bondage) and the people cried out to Pharaoh (great house) for food, he told all the Egyptians (double straits), “Go to Joseph (YHWH has added) and do whatever he tells you⁺.”

56When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph (YHWH has added) opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians (land of bondage); for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57And every nation came to Joseph (YHWH has added) in Egypt (land of bondage) to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.