Pharaoh Has Two Dreams
1When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. In his dream, he was standing by the Nile River. 2Seven cows came up out of the river. They looked healthy and fat. They were eating some of the tall grass growing along the river. 3After them, seven other cows came up out of the Nile. They looked ugly and skinny. They were standing beside the other cows on the riverbank. 4The ugly, skinny cows ate up the seven cows that looked healthy and fat. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5He fell asleep again and had a second dream. In that dream, seven heads of grain were growing on one stem. They were healthy and good. 6After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and dried up by the east wind. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. It had been a dream.
8In the morning he was worried. So he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams. But no one could tell him what they meant.
9Then the chief wine taster spoke up. He said to Pharaoh, “Now I remember that I’ve done something wrong. 10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants. He put me and the chief baker in prison. We were in the house of the captain of the palace guard. 11Each of us had a dream the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. 12A young Hebrew servant was there with us. He was a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams. And he explained them to us. He told each of us the meaning of our dreams. 13Things turned out exactly as he said they would. I was given back my job. The other man had a pole stuck through his body.”
14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. He was quickly brought out of the prison. Joseph shaved and changed his clothes. Then he came to Pharaoh.
15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream. No one can tell me what it means. But I’ve heard that when you hear a dream you can explain it.”
16“I can’t do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh. “But God will give Pharaoh the answer he wants.”
17Then Pharaoh told Joseph what he had dreamed. He said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 18Seven cows came up out of the river. They were fat and looked healthy. They were eating the tall grass growing along the river. 19After them, seven other cows came up. They were bony and very ugly and thin. I had never seen such ugly cows in the whole land of Egypt. 20The thin, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21But no one could tell that the thin cows had eaten the fat cows. That’s because the thin cows looked just as ugly as they had before. Then I woke up.
22“In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain. They were full and good. They were all growing on one stem. 23After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were weak and thin and dried up by the east wind. 24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told my dream to the magicians. But none of them could explain it to me.”
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams have the same meaning. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years. And the seven good heads of grain are seven years. Both dreams mean the same thing. 27The seven thin, ugly cows that came up later are seven years. So are the seven worthless heads of grain dried up by the east wind. They are seven years when there won’t be enough food.
28“It’s just as I said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he’s about to do. 29Seven years with plenty of food are coming to the whole land of Egypt. 30But seven years when there won’t be enough food will follow them. Then everyone will forget about all the food Egypt had. Terrible hunger will destroy the land. 31There won’t be anything left to remind people of the years when there was plenty of food in the land. That’s how bad the hunger that follows will be. 32God gave the dream to Pharaoh in two forms. That’s because the matter has been firmly decided by God. And it’s because God will do it soon.
33“So Pharaoh should look for a wise and understanding man. He should put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34Pharaoh should appoint officials to be in charge of the land. They should take a fifth of the harvest in Egypt during the seven years when there’s plenty of food. 35They should collect all the extra food of the good years that are coming. Pharaoh should give them authority to store up the grain. They should keep it in the cities for food. 36The grain should be stored up for the country to use later. It will be needed during the seven years when there isn’t enough food in Egypt. Then the country won’t be destroyed just because it doesn’t have enough food.”
37The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and all his officials. 38So Pharaoh said to them, “The spirit of God is in this man. We can’t find anyone else like him, can we?”
39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “God has made all this known to you. No one is as wise and understanding as you are. 40You will be in charge of my palace. All my people must obey your orders. I will be greater than you only because I’m the one who sits on the throne.”
Joseph Is Put in Charge of Egypt
41So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I’m putting you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh took from his finger the ring he used to give his official stamp. He put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes made out of fine linen. He put a gold chain around Joseph’s neck. 43He also had him ride in a chariot. Joseph was now next in command after Pharaoh. People went in front of Joseph and shouted, “Get down on your knees!” By doing all these things, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. But unless you give an order, no one will do anything in the whole land of Egypt.” 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave Joseph a wife. She was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On. Joseph traveled all over the land of Egypt.
46Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left Pharaoh’s palace and traveled all over Egypt. 47During the seven years there was plenty of food. The land produced more than the people needed. 48Joseph collected all the extra food produced in those seven years in Egypt. He stored it in the cities. In each city he stored up the food grown in the fields around it. 49Joseph stored up huge amounts of grain. There was as much of it as sand by the sea. There was so much grain it couldn’t be measured. So Joseph stopped keeping records of it.
50Before the years when there wasn’t enough food, two sons were born to Joseph. He had them by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On. 51Joseph named his first son Manasseh. That’s because he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and my father’s whole family.” 52He named the second son Ephraim. That’s because he said, “God has given me children in the land where I’ve suffered so much.”
53The seven years when there was plenty of food in Egypt came to an end. 54Then the seven years when there wasn’t enough food began. It happened just as Joseph had said it would. There wasn’t enough food in any of the other lands. But in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55When all the people of Egypt began to get hungry, they cried out to Pharaoh for food. He told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you.”
56There wasn’t enough food anywhere in the country. So Joseph opened the storerooms. He sold grain to the Egyptians because people were very hungry all over Egypt. 57People from all over the world came to Egypt. They came to buy grain from Joseph. That’s because people were very hungry everywhere.
约瑟为法老解梦
1两年后，法老做了个梦，梦见自己站在尼罗河边， 2有七头肥美、健壮的母牛从河里上来，在芦苇丛中吃草。 3随后又有七头丑陋、瘦弱的母牛从河里上来，与那七头母牛一同站在河边。 4后来，七头丑陋、瘦弱的母牛吃掉了七头肥美、健壮的母牛。这时，法老醒了过来。
5之后，他又睡着了，又做了个梦。他梦见一株麦子上长了七个饱满的穗子。 6后来这株麦子上面又长了七个干瘪的穗子，它们被东风吹干了。 7七个干瘪的穗子吞食了七个饱满的穗子。法老醒过来，原来是一场梦。
8早上法老心中不安，就派人召来埃及所有的术士和博学之士，把梦告诉他们，可是没有一个人能为他解梦。
9后来，侍酒总管对法老说：“我今天才想起我的罪过。 10我从前和膳食总管惹王生气，被王囚禁在护卫长府内的牢里。 11一天晚上，我俩都做了梦。 12当时有一个希伯来青年跟我们一起被囚在牢里，他是护卫长的仆人。我们把梦告诉他，他就分别为我们解梦。 13后来，他为我们解的梦都应验了，我恢复了原职，膳食总管被挂在木头上处死了。”
14于是，法老派人去召约瑟，他们急忙释放约瑟。约瑟剃头刮脸，更换衣服，去见法老。 15法老对约瑟说：“我做了一个梦，没有人能为我解梦。我听说你能解梦。” 16约瑟回答说：“我自己不会解梦，但上帝却能给王圆满的解释。”
17法老对约瑟说：“我梦见自己站在尼罗河边， 18有七头肥美、健壮的母牛从河里上来，在芦苇丛中吃草。 19随后又有七头丑陋、瘦弱的母牛从河里上来，我在埃及从来没有见过有这么丑陋的牛。 20这些丑陋、瘦弱的母牛吃掉先前的七头肥母牛。 21可是，它们吃了以后却仍然像以前那么丑陋。这时，我就醒了。 22后来我又梦见一株麦子，上面长了七个饱满的穗子， 23接着又长出七个干瘪的穗子， 24这些干瘪的穗子吞了那七个饱满的穗子。我把梦告诉了术士，却没有人能为我解梦。”
25约瑟对法老说：“王的梦都是同一个意思，上帝已经借着梦把祂将要做的事指示王了。 26七头肥美的母牛和七个饱满的穗子都代表七年，是同样的意思。 27七头瘦弱、丑陋的母牛和七个干瘪、被东风吹干的穗子也代表七年，是七年饥荒。 28正如我刚才说的，上帝已经把祂将要做的事向王显明了。 29埃及全境很快会有七年大丰收， 30随后是七年饥荒肆虐全国，之前的丰收将被忘记。 31饥荒将非常严重，之前的丰收将荡然无存。 32王的梦出现了两次，表示上帝的心意已定，上帝必很快成就这事。 33王应该选一个精明的人，派他治理埃及。 34王也应该在各地委派官员，在七年丰收期内征收全国出产的五分之一， 35把在丰年收集的粮食储存在各城，归王管理。 36这些粮食要留到七年饥荒时用，免得这片土地被饥荒毁灭。”
约瑟做埃及宰相
37法老和他所有的臣仆都赞同约瑟的建议。 38法老对臣仆说：“我们哪里找像这样有上帝的灵同在的人呢？” 39法老对约瑟说：“上帝既然把梦的意思指示给你，可见没人有你这样的见识和智慧。 40我要派你管理我家，我的人民都要遵从你的命令，只有我权力比你大。” 41法老又说：“我现在派你治理埃及全国。” 42于是，法老摘下手上用来盖印的戒指，戴在约瑟的手上，给他穿上细麻袍，把金链戴在他颈上， 43让他坐在自己的第二辆御车上，并有人在御车前高呼：“跪下！”这样，法老派约瑟治理整个埃及。 44法老对约瑟说：“我是法老，但没有你的命令，埃及的任何人都不得擅自行事。” 45法老赐给约瑟一个名字叫撒发那忒·巴内亚，又把安城祭司波提非拉的女儿亚西纳赐给他为妻。约瑟巡视了整个埃及。
46约瑟三十岁开始为法老效劳，他离开法老去巡视埃及各地。 47七个丰年之内，埃及粮食大丰收， 48约瑟收集七个丰年出产的所有粮食，储藏进各城，每一座城附近出产的粮食都存放在本城。 49约瑟积存了大量五谷，多如海沙，不可胜数。
50荒年到来前，安城祭司波提非拉的女儿亚西纳给约瑟生了两个儿子。 51约瑟给长子取名叫玛拿西，因为他说：“上帝使我忘记一切的困苦和我父亲家。” 52约瑟给次子取名叫以法莲，因为他说：“上帝使我在受苦之地昌盛。”
53七个丰年结束后， 54七个荒年接踵而至，正如约瑟所言。各地都有饥荒，只有埃及全国有粮食。 55后来，埃及全国也闹饥荒，百姓就向法老求粮，法老对他们说：“你们去找约瑟吧，要照他的吩咐做。”
56饥荒蔓延到整个埃及时，约瑟便开仓卖粮给埃及人。那时，埃及的饥荒非常严重。 57各国的人都到埃及来向约瑟买粮，因为天下到处都是大饥荒。
