New American Standard Bible 1995

NET Bible

1Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

1At the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream. As he was standing by the Nile,

2And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass.

2seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds.

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.

3Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river.

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

4The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good.

5Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, healthy and good.

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

6Then seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them.

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

7The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream.

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.

8In the morning he was troubled, so he called for all the diviner-priests of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

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

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I recall my failures.

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.

10Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards--me and the chief baker.

11"We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.

11We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning.

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.

12Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us.

13"And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him."

13It happened just as he had said to us--Pharaoh restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker."

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.

14Then Pharaoh summoned Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before 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."

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard about you, that you can interpret dreams."

16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

16Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh."

17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile.

18and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

18Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds.

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;

19Then seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows as these in all the land of Egypt!

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

20The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven fat cows.

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.

21When they had eaten them, no one would have known that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up.

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

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

23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them;

23Then seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them.

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."

24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning."

25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

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

26The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning.

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.

27The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent seven years of famine.

28"It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

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

29"Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt;

29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole 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.

30But seven years of famine will occur after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate the land.

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

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

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.

32The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon.

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

33"So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt.

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.

34Pharaoh should do this--he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

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.

35They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh's authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it.

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."

36This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine."

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

37This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials.

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

38So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?"

39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.

39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are!

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."

40You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. Only I, the king, will be greater than you.

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

41"See here," Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt."

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.

42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph's. He clothed him with fine linen clothes and put a gold chain around his neck.

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.

43Pharaoh had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, and they cried out before him, "Kneel down!" So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

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."

44Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in 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.

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of all 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.

46Now Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by Pharaoh and was in charge of all the land of Egypt.

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

47During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests.

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.

48Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it.

49Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.

49Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

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.

50Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother.

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, "Certainly God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's house."

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

52He named the second child Ephraim, saying, "Certainly God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

53When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end,

53The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end.

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.

54Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.

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."

55When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you."

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.

56While the famine was over all the earth, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt.

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

57People from every country came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

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