Genesis 41:27-55

English Standard Version

²⁷ The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also ^(A)seven years of famine. ²⁸ It is as I told Pharaoh; ^(B)God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁹ There will come ^(C)seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, ³⁰ but after them there will arise ^(D)seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. ^(E)The famine will consume the land, ³¹ and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. ³² And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the ^(F)thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. ³³ Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land^[a] of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. ³⁵ And ^(G)let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. ³⁶ That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Rises to Power

³⁷ This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. ³⁸ And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, ^(H)in whom is the Spirit of God?”^{[b] 39} Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. ^40 (I)You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command.^[c] Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, ^(J)I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then Pharaoh ^(K)took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and ^(L)clothed him in garments of fine linen ^(M)and put a gold chain about his neck. ⁴³ And he made him ride in his second chariot. ^(N)And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!”^[d] Thus he set him ^(O)over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and ^(P)without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” ⁴⁵ And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he ^(Q)entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, ⁴⁸ and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. ⁴⁹ And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, ^(R)like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

⁵⁰ Before the year of famine came, ^(S)two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. ⁵¹ Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.”^{[e] 52} The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has ^(T)made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”^[f]

⁵³ The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and ^(U)the seven years of famine began to come, ^(V)as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. ⁵⁵ When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”