Genesis 41 ISV NLT Parallel

◄ Genesis 41 ►

ISV Parallel NLT [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]

International Standard Version

New Living Translation

1Two years later—to the day—Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River,

1Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.

2when all of a sudden seven healthy, plump cows emerged from the Nile to graze in the grass that grew in the reeds that lined the bank.

2In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.

3Right after that, seven more cows came up out of the Nile. Ugly and gaunt, they stood next to the other cows on the bank of the Nile River.

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.

4But all of a sudden they ate up the seven healthy, plump cows! Then Pharaoh woke up.

4Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.

5After he had fallen back to sleep, he had a second dream, in which seven ears of plump, fruit-filled grain grew up on a single stalk.

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.

6Suddenly seven thin ears of grain that had been scorched by an east wind sprouted up right after them

6Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind.

7and ate up the seven plump, fruit-filled ears. Then Pharaoh woke up a second time, and it had been a very vivid dream!

7And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.

8The very next morning, he was frustrated about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.

8The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

9Then Pharaoh's senior security advisor spoke up. "Maybe I should make a confession.

9Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh.

10When Pharaoh was angry with some of his servants, he incarcerated me in custody of the captain of the bodyguard, along with Pharaoh's head chef.

10“Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.

11We each had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.

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

12There was a Hebrew young man incarcerated with us, who was also working as a servant to the captain of the bodyguard. "We each related our dreams, and then he interpreted them for us. He provided specific meanings for each of our dreams.

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 what he interpreted for each of us came true! Pharaoh restored me to my responsibilities, but he executed the other man."

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.”

14Pharoah sent word to summon Joseph quickly from the dungeon, so they shaved his beard, changed his clothes, and then sent him straight to Pharaoh.

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.

15"I've had a dream," Pharaoh told Joseph, "but nobody can interpret it. I've heard that you can interpret dreams."

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.”

16"I can't do that," Joseph replied, "but God is concerned about Pharaoh's well-being."

16“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

17So Pharaoh told Joseph, "In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,

17So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,

18and all of a sudden seven healthy, plump, beautiful cows emerged from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds that line the bank.

18and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.

19Just then, seven other cows emerged after them, poor, ugly, and appearing very gaunt in their flesh. I've never seen anything as ugly as those cows anywhere in the entire land of Egypt!

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.

20But those thin, gaunt cows gobbled up the first seven healthy cows!

20These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows.

21Not only that," Pharaoh continued, "after they had finished devouring the cows, nobody could tell that they had gobbled them up, because they were just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

21But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up.

22Later, I also dreamed about seven plump, fruit-filled ears of grain that grew up out of a single stalk.

22“In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.

23All of a sudden, seven thin, withered ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

23Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind.

24But the thin ears gobbled up the seven good ears. I told all this to my advisors, but nobody was able to explain it to me."

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.”

25"Pharaoh's dreams are identical," Joseph replied. "God has told Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do.

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 represent seven years, as do the seven healthy ears. The dreams are identical.

26The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity.

27The seven gaunt cows that arose after the healthy cows are seven years, as are the seven gaunt ears scorched by the east wind. There will be seven years of famine.

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.

28So the message that I have for Pharaoh is that God is telling Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do.

28“This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.

29Be advised that seven years of phenomenal abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt,

29The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt.

30but after them seven years of famine are ahead, during which all of the abundance will be forgotten throughout the land of Egypt. The famine will ravage the land so severely that

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.

31there will be no surplus in the land due to the coming famine, because it will be very severe.

31This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased.

32"Now since Pharaoh had that dream twice, it means that this event has been scheduled by God, and God will bring it to pass very soon.

32As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.

33Therefore let Pharaoh select a wise, discerning person to place in charge over the land of Egypt.

33“Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt.

34Also, let Pharaoh immediately proceed to appoint supervisors over the land of Egypt, who will collect one fifth of its agricultural production during the coming seven years of abundance.

34Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years.

35Let them collect all the food during the coming fruitful years, store up the grain in cities governed by Pharaoh's authority, and place it under guard.

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.

36Let the food be kept in reserve to feed the land for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout Egypt, so the people don't die during the famine."

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.” Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt

37What Joseph proposed pleased Pharaoh and all of his advisors,

37Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials.

38so Pharaoh asked his servants, "Can we find anyone else like this—someone in whom the Spirit of God lives?

38So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?”

39Since God has revealed all of this to you," Pharaoh told Joseph, "there is no one so wise and discerning as you.

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are.

40So you are to be appointed in charge over my palace, and all of my people are to do whatever you command them to do. Only the throne will have greater authority than you."

40You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

41"Look!" Pharaoh confirmed to Joseph, "I've put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt!"

41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.”

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

42Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck.

43Then he provided him with a chariot as his second-in-command, outfitted with a group of people who shouted out in front of him, "Bow your knees!" And that's how Pharaoh set Joseph over the entire land of Egypt.

43Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt.

44Pharaoh also told Joseph, "I'm still Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody in all of the land of Egypt will so much as lift up their hands or take a step!"

44And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.”

45Pharaoh also changed Joseph's name to Zaphenath-paneah and gave Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, to him as his wife. And that's how Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.

45Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.

46Joseph was 30 years old when he began to serve Pharaoh, king of Egypt, by traveling throughout the land of Egypt, independent from Pharaoh's oversight.

46He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt.

47While bumper crops grew during the seven abundant years,

47As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops.

48Joseph collected the surplus food throughout the land of Egypt, storing food in cities; that is, he gathered the food from fields that surrounded every city and stored it there.

48During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities.

49Joseph stored up so much grain—like sand on the seashore in so much abundance!—that he stopped keeping records because it was proving to be impossible to measure how much they were gathering.

49He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure.

50Before the years of famine arrived, Joseph fathered two sons with Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.

50During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.

51Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh because, he said, "God has made me forget all of my hard life and my father's house."

51Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.”

52He named his second son Ephraim because, he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my troubles."

52Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.”

53As soon as the seven years of abundance throughout the land of Egypt ended,

53At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end.

54the seven years of famine started, just as Joseph had predicted. It was an international famine, but there was food everywhere throughout the land of Egypt.

54Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food.

55Eventually, the land of Egypt began to feel the effects of the famine, so the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. "Go see Joseph," Pharaoh announced to all the Egyptians, "and do whatever he tells you to do."

55Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.”

56Joseph opened all of the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, because the famine was beginning to be severe throughout the land of Egypt.

56So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt.

57In addition, all of the surrounding nations came to Joseph to buy grain from Egypt, because the famine had become severe throughout the world.

57And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.

Bible Hub