| NET Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1At the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream. As he was standing by the Nile, | 1At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, |
| 2seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. | 2when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. |
| 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. | 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 bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. | 4The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. |
| 5Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, healthy and good. | 5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk. |
| 6Then seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. | 6After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. |
| 7The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. | 7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream. |
| 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. | 8When morning came, he was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. |
| 9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I recall my failures. | 9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I remember my faults. |
| 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. | 10Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards. |
| 11We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. | 11He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning. |
| 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. | 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 happened just as he had said to us--Pharaoh restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker." | 13It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged." |
| 14Then Pharaoh summoned Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. | 14Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh. |
| 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." | 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it." |
| 16Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh." | 16"I am not able to," Joseph answered Pharaoh. "It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." |
| 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile. | 17So Pharaoh said to Joseph: "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, |
| 18Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. | 18when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. |
| 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! | 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. |
| 20The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven fat cows. | 20Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 22I also saw in my dream seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. | 22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk. |
| 23Then seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. | 23After them, seven heads of grain--withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind--sprouted up. |
| 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." | 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, "Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. | 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 represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. | 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. |
| 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. | 27The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless, scorched heads of grain are seven years of famine. |
| 28This is just what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. | 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 whole land of Egypt. | 29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. |
| 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. | 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 previous abundance of the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. | 31The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. |
| 32The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon. | 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 Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt. | 33"So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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." | 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." |
| 37This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. | 37The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants, |
| 38So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?" | 38and he said to them, "Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God's spirit in him?" |
| 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! | 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. |
| 40You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. Only I, the king, will be greater than you. | 40You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only I, as king, will be greater than you." |
| 41"See here," Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt." | 41Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt." |
| 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. | 42Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. |
| 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. | 43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, "Make way!" So he placed him over 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." | 44Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission." |
| 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. | 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him a wife, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On. And Joseph went throughout 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. | 46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt. |
| 47During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. | 47During the seven years of abundance the land produced outstanding harvests. |
| 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. | 48Joseph gathered all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and put it in the cities. He put the food in every city from the fields around it. |
| 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. | 49So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance--like the sand of the sea--that he stopped measuring it because it was beyond measure. |
| 50Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. | 50Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore them to him. |
| 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, "Certainly God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's house." | 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh and said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and my whole family." |
| 52He named the second child Ephraim, saying, "Certainly God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." | 52And the second son he named Ephraim and said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." |
| 53The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. | 53Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, |
| 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. | 54and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. |
| 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." | 55When the whole land of Egypt was stricken with famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all Egypt, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you." |
| 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. | 56Now the famine had spread across the whole region, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. |
| 57People from every country came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth. | 57Every land came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, for the famine was severe in every land. |
|
