Genesis 41:1–57

¹ After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, ² when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. ³ After 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. ⁴ And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up, ⁵ but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. ⁶ After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. ⁷ And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream. ⁸ In 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. ⁹ Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ¹⁰ Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. ¹¹ One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning. ¹² Now 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. ¹³ And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” ¹⁴ So 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. ¹⁵ Pharaoh 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.” ¹⁶ “I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.” ¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, ¹⁸ when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. ¹⁹ After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt! ²⁰ Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. ²¹ When 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. ²² In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk. ²³ After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. ²⁴ And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one… ²⁵ …