Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream. 

Genesis 41:1-32

Bible Stories

Genesis 41:1 After two years, Pharaoh saw a dream. He thought himself to be standing above a river,

Genesis 41:2 from which ascended seven cows, exceedingly beautiful and stout. And they pastured in marshy places.

Genesis 41:3 Likewise, another seven emerged from the river, filthy and thoroughly emaciated. And they pastured on the same bank of the river, in green places.

Genesis 41:4 And they devoured those whose appearance and condition of body was so wonderful. Pharaoh, having been awakened,

Genesis 41:5 slept again, and he saw another dream. Seven ears of grain sprung up on one stalk, full and well-formed.

Genesis 41:6 Likewise, other ears of grain, of the same number, rose up, thin and struck with blight,

Genesis 41:7 devouring all the beauty of the first. Pharaoh, when he awakened after his rest,

Genesis 41:8 and when morning arrived, being terrified with fear, sent to all the interpreters of Egypt and to all of the wise men. And when they were summoned, he explained to them his dream; but there was no one who could interpret it.

Genesis 41:9 Then at last the chief cupbearer, remembering, said, “I confess my sin.

Genesis 41:10 The king, being angry with his servants, ordered me and the chief miller of grain to be forced into the prison of the leader of the military.

Genesis 41:11 There, in one night, both of us saw a dream presaging the future.

Genesis 41:12 In that place, there was a Hebrew, a servant of the same commander of the military, to whom we explained our dreams.

Genesis 41:13 Whatever we heard was proven afterwards by the event of the matter. For I was restored to my office, and he was suspended on a cross.”

Genesis 41:14 Immediately, by the king’s authority, Joseph was led out of prison, and they shaved him. And changing his apparel, they presented him to him.

Genesis 41:15 And he said to him, “I have seen dreams, and there is no one who can unfold them. I have heard that you are very wise at interpreting these.”

Genesis 41:16 Joseph responded, “Apart from me, God will respond favorably to Pharaoh.”

Genesis 41:17 Therefore, Pharaoh explained what he had seen: “I thought myself to be standing on the bank of a river,

Genesis 41:18 and seven cows climbed up from the river, exceedingly beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed in a pasture of a marshy greenery.

Genesis 41:19 And behold, there followed after these, another seven cows, with such deformity and emaciation as I had never seen in the land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:20 These devoured and consumed the first,

Genesis 41:21 giving no indication of being full. But they remained in the same state of emaciation and squalor. Awakening, but being weighed down into sleep again,

Genesis 41:22 I saw a dream. Seven ears of grain sprang up on one stalk, full and very beautiful.

Genesis 41:23 Likewise, another seven, thin and struck with blight, rose up from the stalk.

Genesis 41:24 And they devoured the beauty of the first. I explained this dream to the interpreters, and there is no one who can unfold it.”

Genesis 41:25 Joseph responded: “The dream of the king is one. What God will do, he has revealed to Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:26 The seven beautiful cows, and the seven full ears of grain, are seven years of abundance. And so the force of the dreams is understood to be the same.

Genesis 41:27 Likewise, the seven thin and emaciated cows, which ascended after them, and the seven thin ears of grain, which were struck with the burning wind, are seven approaching years of famine.

Genesis 41:28 These will be fulfilled in this order.

Genesis 41:29 Behold, there will arrive seven years of great fertility throughout the entire land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:30 After this, there will follow another seven years, of such great barrenness that all the former abundance will be delivered into oblivion. For the famine will consume all the land,

Genesis 41:31 and the greatness of this destitution will cause the greatness of the abundance to be lost.

Genesis 41:32 Now, as to what you saw the second time, it is a dream pertaining to the same thing. It is an indication of its firmness, because the word of God shall be done, and it shall be completed swiftly.