Genesis 41 · Parashat Miketz

And it came to pass at the end of two years, that Par῾o dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the River.

And, behold, there came up out of the River seven cows, well favoured, and fat of flesh; and they fed in the reed grass.

And, behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the River, ill favoured and lean of flesh; and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the River.

And the ill favoured and leanfleshed cows ate up the seven well favoured and fat cows. So Par῾o awoke.

And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up on one stalk, plump and good.

And, behold, seven ears thin, and blasted by the east wind sprang up after them.

And the seven thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. And Par῾o awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Miżrayim, and all her wise men: and Par῾o told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them to Par῾o.

Then spoke the chief butler to Par῾o, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

Par῾o was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the officer of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:

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

And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the officer 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 it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; I was restored to my office, and he was hanged.

Then Par῾o sent and called Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his garments, and came in to Par῾o.

And Par῾o said to Yosef, 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.

And Yosef answered Par῾o, saying, it is not me: God shall give Par῾o a favourable answer.

And Par῾o said to Yosef, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the River:

and, behold, there came up out of the River seven cows, fat of flesh and well favoured; and they fed in the reed grass:

and, behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and lean of flesh, such as I never saw in all the land of Miżrayim for badness:

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

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

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

and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them:

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

And Yosef said to Par῾o, The dream of Par῾o is one: God has declared to Par῾o what he is about to do.

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

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

This is the thing which I have spoken to Par῾o: What God is about to do He has shown to Par῾o.

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Miżrayim.

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

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

And as for the repetition of the dream to Par῾o twice; it is because the thing is fast determined by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Now therefore let Par῾o look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Miżrayim.

Let Par῾o do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Miżrayim in the seven years of plenty.

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

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

And the thing was good in the eyes of Par῾o, and in the eyes of all his servants.

And Par῾o said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom is the spirit of God?

And Par῾o said to Yosef, since God has shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

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

And Par῾o said to Yosef, See, I have set thee over all the land of Miżrayim.

And Par῾o took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Yosef’s hand, and arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Avrekh (Bow the knee): and made him ruler over all the land of Miżrayim.

And Par῾o said to Yosef, I am Par῾o, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Miżrayim.

And Par῾o called Yosef’s name, Żafenat-pa῾neaĥ; and he gave him to wife Asenat the daughter of Poti-fera priest of On. And Yosef went out over all the land of Miżrayim.

And Yosef was thirty years old when he stood before Par῾o, king of Miżrayim. And Yosef went out from the presence of Par῾o, and went through all the land of Miżrayim.

And in the seven years of plenty the earth brought forth by heaps.

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

And Yosef gathered corn like the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped numbering; for it was without number.

And to Yosef were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenat the daughter of Poti-fera priest of On bore to him.

And Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashshe: For God, said he, has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.

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

And the seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Miżrayim, were ended.

And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Yosef had said: and the famine was in all the lands; but in all the land of Miżrayim there was bread.

And when all the land of Miżrayim was famished, the people cried to Par῾o for bread: and Par῾o said to all Miżrayim, Go to Yosef; what he says to you, do.

And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Yosef opened all the storehouses, and sold to Miżrayim; and the famine grew severe in the land of Miżrayim.

And all countries came to Miżrayim to Yosef to buy corn; because the famine was so severe in all the earth.