Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,

1Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

2when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds.

2And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass.

3After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile.

3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

4The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

4The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk.

5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good.

6After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up.

6Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.

7The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

8When morning came, he was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

8Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I remember my faults.

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I would make mention today of my own offenses.

10Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards.

10"Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker.

11He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning.

11"We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.

12Now a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, he interpreted our dreams for us, and each had its own interpretation.

12"Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream.

13It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged."

13"And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him."

14Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.

14Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it."

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

16"I am not able to," Joseph answered Pharaoh. "It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

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

17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;

18when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds.

18and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

19After them, seven other cows--weak, very sickly, and thin--came up. I've never seen such sickly ones as these in all the land of Egypt.

19"Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt;

20Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows.

20and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.

21When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up.

21"Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.

22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk.

22"I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk;

23After them, seven heads of grain--withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind--sprouted up.

23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them;

24The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means."

24and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing.

26"The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same.

27The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless, scorched heads of grain are seven years of famine.

27"The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.

28"It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

28"It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt.

29"Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt;

30After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land.

30and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land.

31The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe.

31"So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe.

32Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.

32"Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

33"So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.

33"Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

34Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

34"Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.

35Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh's authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food.

35"Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard it.

36The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine."

36"Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine."

37The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants,

37Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.

38and he said to them, "Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God's spirit in him?"

38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?"

39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are.

39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.

40You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only I, as king, will be greater than you."

40"You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you."

41Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt."

41Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

42Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck.

42Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck.

43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, "Make way!" So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

43He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt.

44Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission."

44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him a wife, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

45Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.

47During the seven years of abundance the land produced outstanding harvests.

47During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly.

48Joseph gathered all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and put it in the cities. He put the food in every city from the fields around it.

48So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields.

49So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance--like the sand of the sea--that he stopped measuring it because it was beyond measure.

49Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.

50Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore them to him.

50Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh and said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and my whole family."

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."

52And the second son he named Ephraim and said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

52He named the second Ephraim, "For," he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

53Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,

53When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end,

54and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

54and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

55When the whole land of Egypt was stricken with famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all Egypt, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you."

55So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do."

56Now the famine had spread across the whole region, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

56When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

57Every land came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, for the famine was severe in every land.

57The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org