Study Desk

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

And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

And behold, from the Nile seven cows came up, fine-looking and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass.

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

Then the ugly and thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

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

And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

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

And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

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

And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.

And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

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

Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

"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.

Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:

"Then we had a dream one night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.

And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

"Now a Hebrew youth was there with us, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we told him the dreams, and he interpreted our dreams for us. For each man he interpreted according to his own dream.

And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

"And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me in my office, but he hanged the chief baker."

And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

Then Pharaoh sent word 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.

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

Pharaoh 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."

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It has nothing to do with me; God will give Pharaoh an answer for his own good."

And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile;

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

and behold, seven cows, fat and fine-looking came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

"Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt;

And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

and the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows.

And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

"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.

And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

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

And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

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

And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me."

And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

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

And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

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

The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

"The seven thin 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.

And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

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

This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

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

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

and 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.

And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

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

And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

"Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

"So now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt.

Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

"Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt as a tax in the seven years of abundance.

Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

"Then have them collect 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 have them guard it.

And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

"Let the food be used 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."

And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.