41Two years later Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,H7093H3117H8141H6547H2492H5975H29752when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds.H5927H2975H7651H3303H4758H6510H1277H1320H7462H2603After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile.H7651H312H6510H5927H310H2975H7451H4758H1851H1320H5975H681H6510H8193H29754The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.H7451H4758H1851H1320H6510H398H7651H3303H4758H1277H6510H6547H33645He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, full and good, came up on one stalk.H3462H2492H8145H7651H7641H5927H259H7070H1277H28966After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up.H7651H1851H7641H7710H6921H6779H3107The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven full, good ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.H1851H7641H1104H7651H1277H4392H7641H6547H3364H24728When 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.H1242H7307H6470H7971H7121H2748H4714H2450H6547H5608H2472H6622H65479Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I remember my faults.H1696H8269H8248H6547H559H2142H2399H311710Pharaoh had been angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard.H6547H7107H5650H5414H4929H8269H2876H1004H8269H64411He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning.H2492H2472H259H3915H2492H376H6623H247212Now 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.H5288H5680H5650H8269H2876H5608H6622H2472H376H2472H662213It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged."H6622H7725H3653H851814Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.H6547H7971H7121H3130H7323H953H1548H2498H8071H935H654715Pharaoh 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."H6547H559H3130H2492H2472H6622H8085H559H8085H2472H662216"I am not able to," Joseph answered Pharaoh. "It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."H3130H6030H6547H559H1107H430H6030H6547H6030H796517So Pharaoh said to Joseph: "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,H6547H1696H3130H2472H5975H8193H297518when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds.H5927H2975H7651H6510H1277H1320H3303H8389H7462H26019After them, seven other cows— ugly, very sickly, and thin— came up. I've never seen such ugly ones as these in all the land of Egypt.H7651H312H6510H5927H310H1803H3966H7451H8389H7534H1320H2007H3808H7200H776H4714H745520Then the thin, ugly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows.H7534H7451H6510H398H7223H7651H1277H651021When 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.H935H7130H3045H935H7130H4758H7451H8462H336422In my dream I had also seen seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk.H7200H2472H7651H7641H5927H259H7070H4392H289623After them, seven heads of grain— withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind— sprouted up.H7651H7641H6798H1851H7710H6921H6779H31024The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means."H1851H7641H1104H7651H2896H7641H559H2748H504625Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.H3130H559H6547H2472H6547H259H430H5046H6547H621326The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing.H7651H2896H6510H7651H8141H7651H2896H7641H7651H8141H2472H25927The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless, scorched heads of grain are seven years of famine.H7651H7534H7451H6510H5927H310H7651H8141H7651H7386H7641H7710H6921H7651H8141H745828"It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.H1697H1696H6547H430H6213H7200H654729Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt.H935H7651H8141H1419H7647H776H471430After 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.H6965H310H7651H8141H7458H7647H7911H776H4714H7458H3615H77631The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe.H7647H3045H776H6440H7458H310H3651H3966H351532Because the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and He will soon carry it out.H2472H8138H6547H6471H1697H3559H5973H430H430H4116H621333"So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.H6547H7200H376H995H2450H7896H776H471434Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth [of the harvest] of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.H6547H6213H6485H6496H776H2567H776H4714H7651H7647H814135Let them gather all the [excess] food during these good years that are coming, store the grain under Pharaoh's authority as food in the cities, and preserve [it].H6908H400H2896H8141H935H6651H1250H3027H6547H8104H400H589236The 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."H400H6487H776H7651H8141H7458H776H4714H776H3772H745837The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.H1697H3190H5869H6547H5869H565038Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find anyone like this, a man who has the spirit of God in him?"H6547H559H5650H4672H2088H376H834H7307H43039So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as intelligent and wise as you.H6547H559H3130H310H430H3045H995H245040You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you."H1961H1004H6310H5971H5401H3678H143141Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt."H6547H559H3130H7200H5414H776H471442Pharaoh 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.H6547H5493H2885H3027H5414H3130H3027H3847H899H8336H7760H2091H7242H667743He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and [servants] called out before him, "Abrek!" So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.H7392H4932H4818H7121H6440H86H5414H776H471444Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."H6547H559H3130H6547H1107H376H7311H3027H7272H776H471445Pharaoh 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.H6547H7121H3130H8034H6847H5414H802H621H1323H6319H3548H204H3130H3318H776H471446Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.H3130H7970H8141H1121H5975H6440H6547H4428H4714H3130H3318H6440H6547H5674H776H471447During the seven years of abundance the land produced outstanding harvests.H7651H7647H8141H776H6213H706248Joseph gathered all the [excess] food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and placed it in the cities. He placed the food in every city from the fields around it.H6908H400H7651H8141H776H4714H5414H400H5892H400H7704H5439H5892H5414H843249So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance— like the sand of the sea— that he stopped measuring it because it was beyond measure.H3130H6651H1250H2344H3220H3966H7235H2308H5608H369H455750Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore [them] to him.H3130H3205H8147H1121H8141H7458H935H621H1323H6319H3548H204H320551Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, meaning, "God has made me forget all my hardship in my father's house."H3130H7121H8034H1060H4519H430H5382H5999H1H100452And the second son he named Ephraim, meaning, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."H8034H8145H7121H669H430H6509H776H604053Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,H7651H8141H7647H776H4714H361554and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.H7651H8141H7458H2490H935H3130H559H7458H776H776H4714H389955Extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all Egypt, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you."H776H4714H7456H5971H6817H6547H3899H6547H559H4714H3212H3130H559H621356Because the famine had spread across the whole country, Joseph opened up [all the storehouses] and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.H7458H6440H776H3130H6605H7666H4714H7458H2388H776H471457The whole world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, for the famine was severe all over the earth.H776H935H4714H3130H7666H7458H2388H776