New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.

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

2Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.

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

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

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

4And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.

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

5He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good.

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

6Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.

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

7And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.

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

8Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and 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 for Pharaoh.

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.

9Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.

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

10When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker,

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

11we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.

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

12Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to 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.

13And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”

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

14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.

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

15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”

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."

16So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

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

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river.

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

18Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.

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

19Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt.

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.

20And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows.

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

21When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke.

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.

22Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good.

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

23Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.

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

24And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

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."

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do:

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed 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 are one.

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

27And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine.

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.

28This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

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

29Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt;

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

30but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.

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.

31So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.

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

32And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

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.

33“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.

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

34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.

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.

35And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

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.

36Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”

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."

37So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

37The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants,

38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

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

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

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.

40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

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

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

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

42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

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.

43And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.

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.

44Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in 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."

45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over 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.

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

47Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly.

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

48So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them.

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.

49Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.

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

50And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him.

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

51Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.”

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

52And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

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

53Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended,

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

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

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.

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

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."

56The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.

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.

57So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.

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

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

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