Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,

1After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile,

2when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

2and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass.

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.

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 cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,

4And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke.

5but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.

5And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk.

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

6And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind.

7And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.

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

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

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, “Today I recall my failures.

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today.

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

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,

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

11we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation.

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 individually.

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 it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”

13And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.

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.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “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.”

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.”

16“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”

16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

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

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile.

18when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

18Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass.

19After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!

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.

20Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.

20And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows,

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.

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.

22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.

22I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good.

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

23Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them,

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.”

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.”

25At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

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 ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning.

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

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.

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 just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

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

29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,

29There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt,

30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.

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,

31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.

31and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe.

32Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.

32And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.

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

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

34Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

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.

35Under the authority of Pharaoh, 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.

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.

36This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”

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.”

37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.

37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

38So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”

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

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

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.

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.”

40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”

41Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”

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

42Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.

42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck.

43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

43And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

44And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”

44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.

45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

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

46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of 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 brought forth bountifully.

47During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly,

48During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.

48and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it.

49So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.

49And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

50Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

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

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”

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

52And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

52The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

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

53The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end,

54the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.

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

55When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

55When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

56When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

56So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

57And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

57Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.