Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1After two full years had passed, 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 cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river 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 the well-fed cows on the bank of the river.

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.

4And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,

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

5but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, 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 other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.

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

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

7The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then 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.

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 recall my failures.

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

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

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.

11One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and 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 was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually.

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.

13And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: 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."

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 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 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.”

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

16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "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,

17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, 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.

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—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows 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, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.

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

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, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.

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

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

23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up 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 the seven good ears. Then 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.

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

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

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.

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.

28It is just as I said to 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.

29Behold, seven 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;

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.

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, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.

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

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.

33Now, therefore, Pharaoh should 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 take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest 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.

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.

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.

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.”

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."

37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.

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

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

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

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

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 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.”

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

41Pharaoh 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 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, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” 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.

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, "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 he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all 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.

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.

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 brought forth bountifully.

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

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 keeping track of it; for 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.

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

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, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”

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, saying, “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."

53When 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,

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, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the 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.”

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."

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.

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.

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

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

The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.

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