Genesis

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

1Two whole years went by. Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had a dream. In it he was standing beside the Nile River.

2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

2Seven cows came up out of the river. They looked healthy and fat. They ate grass by the water.

NoteThe King James Bible calls cows "kine." "Well favoured" means good-looking or healthy.

3And, 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.

3Then seven more cows came up out of the river. These were skinny and ugly. They stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank.

4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

4The skinny, ugly cows ate up the seven fat, healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

5He fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain grew on one stalk. They were full and good.

Note"Corn" in the King James Bible means grain of any kind, like wheat. It does not mean the yellow corn we eat on the cob.

6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

6Then seven more heads of grain grew up after them. These were thin and dried out by the hot east wind.

7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

7The seven thin heads swallowed up the seven full ones. Pharaoh woke up. It had all been a dream.

8And 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.

8In the morning Pharaoh felt worried. He called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. He told them his dreams. But not one of them could tell him what they meant.

9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh. A cupbearer was the servant who brought the king his drink. He said, "Today I remember something I did wrong."

10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:

10"Once you were angry with your servants. You put me and the chief baker in prison, in the guard captain's house."

11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

11"One night we each had a dream. Each dream had its own meaning."

12And 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.

12"A young Hebrew man was there with us. He was a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams. He told each of us what his dream meant."

13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

13"Everything happened just the way he said. I got my old job back. The baker was hanged."

14Then 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.

14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. They hurried him out of the prison. Joseph shaved and put on clean clothes. Then he went in to see Pharaoh.

15And 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.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can explain it. I have heard that you can hear a dream and tell what it means."

16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

16Joseph answered, "I cannot do this by myself. But God will give Pharaoh a good answer."

17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

17Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile River."

18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

18"Seven fat, healthy cows came up out of the river. They ate grass by the water."

19And, 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:

19"Then seven more cows came up after them. They were weak and skinny and ugly. I have never seen such bad cows in all Egypt."

20And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

20"The skinny, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came first."

21And 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.

21"But after they ate them, no one could tell. They still looked as skinny as before. Then I woke up."

22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

22"In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain on one stalk. They were full and good."

23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

23"Then seven more heads grew up after them. They were dried out, thin, and burned by the east wind."

24And 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.

24"The thin heads swallowed the seven good heads. I told all this to the magicians. But no one could explain it to me."

25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

25Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both of your dreams mean the same thing. God has shown you what he is about to do."

26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

26"The seven good cows are seven years. The seven good heads of grain are seven years too. The two dreams mean one thing."

27And 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.

27"The seven skinny, ugly cows are seven more years. So are the seven empty heads burned by the east wind. They are seven years when food will not grow."

28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

28"This is what I am telling Pharaoh. God has shown you what he is about to do."

29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

29"Seven years are coming when all Egypt will have lots of food."

30And 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;

30"After them will come seven years with almost no food. People will forget how full the good years were. The land will suffer badly."

31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

31"No one will remember the good years. The hunger that comes after will be that bad."

32And 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.

32"You had the dream two times. That means God has already decided it. He will make it happen soon."

33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

33"So Pharaoh should find a wise man who thinks carefully. Put him in charge of all Egypt."

34Let 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.

34"Pharaoh should also choose officers for the land. In the seven good years they should collect one basket out of every five."

35And 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.

35"Let them gather all the extra food from the good years. Let them store the grain under Pharaoh's care. They should keep the food safe in the cities."

36And 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.

36"That food will be saved for the seven hungry years in Egypt. Then the land will not die of hunger."

37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

37Pharaoh thought this was a good plan. All his helpers thought so too.

38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

38Pharaoh said to them, "Can we find anyone else like this man? The Spirit of God is in him."

39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

39Pharaoh said to Joseph, "God has shown all this to you. No one is as careful and wise as you are."

40Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

40"You will be in charge of my house. All my people will do what you say. I will be greater than you only because I am king."

41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

41Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Look, I am putting you over all the land of Egypt."

42And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

42Pharaoh took the ring off his own finger and put it on Joseph's. He dressed Joseph in fine linen clothes. He put a gold chain around his neck.

NoteA king's ring had his special mark on it. Wearing it meant Joseph could give orders for the king.

43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

43He let Joseph ride in his second chariot. Men walked ahead calling out, "Bow down!" So Pharaoh made Joseph ruler over all Egypt.

44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

44Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh. But no one in Egypt will lift a hand or a foot without your word."

45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

45Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name, Zaphnathpaaneah. He also gave him a wife named Asenath. She was the daughter of Potipherah, a priest in the city of On. Then Joseph traveled out through Egypt.

46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

46Joseph was thirty years old when he began serving Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left Pharaoh and went all through the land of Egypt.

47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

47In the seven good years the ground grew huge amounts of food.

48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

48Joseph gathered all the extra food from those seven years in Egypt. He stored it in the cities. In each city he stored the food from the nearby fields.

49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

49Joseph stored up so much grain it was like sand at the sea. At last he stopped counting it. There was too much to count.

50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

50Before the hungry years came, Joseph had two sons. Their mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, the priest of On.

51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.

51Joseph named his first son Manasseh. He said, "God has helped me forget all my hard times and my father's family."

52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

52He named his second son Ephraim. He said, "God has made good things grow for me in the land where I suffered."

53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

53The seven good years in Egypt came to an end.

54And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

54The seven hungry years began, just as Joseph had said. Every country ran out of food. But all through Egypt there was bread.

55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

55When the people of Egypt grew very hungry, they cried to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told them all, "Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you."

56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

56The hunger spread over the whole land. Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The hunger in Egypt kept getting worse.

57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

57People from every country came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph. The hunger was very bad everywhere.