Genesis 41:3-36
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 41
3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4Then the ugly and thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5But he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, 'I would make mention today of my own offenses.
10Pharaoh 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.
11Then we had a dream one night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.
12Now a Hebrew youth was there with us, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we told him the dreams, and he interpreted our dreams for us. For each man he interpreted according to his own dream.
13And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me in my office, but he hanged the chief baker.'
14Then Pharaoh sent word 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, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.'
16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It has nothing to do with me; God will give Pharaoh an answer for his own good.'
17So Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile;
18and behold, seven cows, fat and fine-looking came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.
19Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt;
20and the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows.
21Yet 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.
22I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears of grain, full and good, came up on a single stalk;
23and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind sprouted up after them;
24and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me.'
25And 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 ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same.
27The seven thin 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.
28It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt;
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.
31So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe.
32Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about.
33So now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt.
34Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt as a tax in the seven years of abundance.
35Then have them collect 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 have them guard it.
36Let the food be used 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.'
King James Version
Chapter 41
3And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. 5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 8And 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 the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12And there was there with us a young man, an 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.
13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
20And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 41
3After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. 4The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk. 6After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.
9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I remember my faults.
10Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards.
11He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning.
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.
13It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged."
16"I am not able to," Joseph answered Pharaoh. "It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
17So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream 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.
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.
20Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed 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.
22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk.
23After them, seven heads of grain--withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind--sprouted up.
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, "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 mean the same thing.
27The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.
28"It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout 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.
31The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine 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.
33"So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man 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.
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.
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."
New Living Translation
Chapter 41
3Then 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. 4Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.
5But 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.
6Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind.
7And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.
9Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. 'Today I have been reminded of my failure,' he told Pharaoh.
10Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.
11One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning.
12There 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.
13And 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.'
14Pharaoh 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.
15Then 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.'
17So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. 'In my dream,' he said, 'I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,
18and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.
19But 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.
20These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows.
21But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up.
22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.
23Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind.
24And the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean.'
25Joseph responded, 'Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.
26The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity.
27The 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.
28This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.
29The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt.
30But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land.
31This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased.
32As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.
33Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt.
34Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years.
35Have 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.
36That 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.'
English Standard Version
Chapter 41
3And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today.
10When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,
11we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation.
12A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.
13And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.
15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had 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.”
16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile.
18Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass.
19Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt.
20And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows,
21but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke.
22I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good.
23Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them,
24and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one.
27The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine.
28It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
29There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt,
30but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,
31and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe.
32And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.
33Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years.
35And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
36That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
New International Version
Chapter 41
3After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 4And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk.
6After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted--thin and scorched by the east wind.
7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, 'Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.
10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.
11Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
12Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
13And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.'
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
18when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.
19After them, seven other cows came up--scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.
20The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first.
21But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.
23After them, seven other heads sprouted--withered and thin and scorched by the east wind.
24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.'
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream.
27The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward 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: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.
31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.
32The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
33And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.
34Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
35They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.
36This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.'
New King James Version
Chapter 41
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. 4And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 5He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was 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.
9Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.
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,
11we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.
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.
13And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”
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.
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.”
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river.
18Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.
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.
20And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat 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.
22Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good.
23Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.
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.”
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown 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.
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.
28This is the thing which I have spoken to 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;
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.
31So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it 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.
33“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select 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.
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.
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.”
