¶ And it fortuned at two years' end, that Pharao dreamed, and thought that he stood by a river's side,
and that there came out of the river seven goodly kine and fat fleshed, and fed in a meadow.
And him thought that seven other kine came up after them out of the river evil favored and lean fleshed and stood by the other upon the brink of the river.
And the evil favored and lean fleshed kine: ate up the seven well favored and fat kine: and he awoke therewith.
And he slept again and dreamed the second time, that seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk rank and goodly.
And that seven thin ears blasted with the wind, sprang up after them:
and that the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And then Pharao awaked: and see, here is his dream.
When the morning came, his spirit was troubled; And he sent and called for all the soothsayers of Egypt and all the wise men thereof, and told them his dream: but there was none of them that could interpret it unto Pharao.
¶ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharao saying. I do remember my fault this day.
Pharao was angry with his servants, and put in ward in the chief marshal's house both me and the chief baker.
And we dreamed both of us in one night and each man's dream of a sundry interpretation.
And there was with us a young man, an Hebrew born, servant unto the chief marshal. And we told him, and he declared our dreams to us according to either of our dreams.
And as he declared them unto us, even so it came to pass. I was restored to mine office again, and he was hanged.
Then Pharao sent and called Ioseph. And they made him haste out of prison. And he shaved himself and changed his raiment, and went in to Pharao.
And Pharao said unto Ioseph: I have dreamed a dream and no man can interpretate it, but I have heard say of thee that as soon as thou hearest a dream, thou dost interpretate it.
And Ioseph answered Pharao saying: God shall give Pharao an answer of peace without me.
¶ Pharao said unto Ioseph: in my dream me thought I stood by a river's side,
and there came out of the river seven fat fleshed and well favored kine, and fed in the meadow.
And then seven other kine came up after them, poor and very evil favored and lean fleshed: so that I never saw their like in all the land of Egypt in evil favoredness.
And the seven lean and evil favored kine ate up the first seven fat kine.
And when they had eaten them up, a man could not perceive that they had eaten them: for they were still as evil favored as they were at the beginning. And I awoke.
And I saw again in my dream seven ears spring out of one stalk full and good,
and seven other ears withered, thin and blasted with wind, spring up after them.
And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I have told it unto the soothsayers, but no man can tell me what it meaneth.
Then Ioseph said unto Pharao: both Pharao's dreams are one. And God doth shew Pharao what he is about to do.
The seven good kine are seven years: and the seven good ears are seven years also, and is but one dream.
Likewise, the seven thin and evil favored kine that came out after them, are seven years: and the seven empty and blasted ears shall be seven years of hunger.
This is that which I said unto Pharao, that God doth shew Pharao what he is about to do.
Behold there shall come seven year of great plenteousness throughout all the land of Egypt.
And there shall arise after them seven years of hunger. So that all the plenteousness shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt. And the hunger shall consume the land:
so that the plenteousness shall not be once a seen in the land by reason of that hunger that shall come after, for it shall be exceeding great.
And as concerning that the dream was doubled unto Pharao the second time, it betokeneth that the thing is certainly prepared of God, and that God will shortly bring it to pass.
¶ Now therefore let Pharao provide for a man of understanding and wisdom, and set him over the land of Egypt.
And let Pharao make officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years
and let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the power of Pharao: that there may be food in the cities,
and there let them keep it: that there may be food in store in the land, against the seven years of hunger which shall come in the land of Egypt, and that the land perish not thorow hunger.
And the saying pleased Pharao and all his servants.
Then said Pharao unto his servants: where shall we find such a man as this is, that hath the spirit of God in him?
wherefore Pharao said unto Ioseph: forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is no man of understanding nor of wisdom like unto thee.
Thou therefore shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people obey: only in the king's seat will I be above thee.
And he said unto Ioseph: behold, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
And he took off his ring from his finger, and put it upon Ioseph's finger, and arrayed him in raiment of byss, and put a golden chain about his neck
and set him upon the best chariot that he had save one. And they cried before him Abrech, and that Pharao had made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
And Pharao said unto Ioseph: I am Pharao, without thy will, shall no man lift up either his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
And he called Ioseph's name Zaphnath Paenea. And he gave him to wife Asnath the daughter of Potiphar priest of On. Then went Ioseph abroad in the land of Egypt.
¶ And he was thirty years old when he stood before Pharao king of Egypt. And then Ioseph departed from Pharao, and went thorow out all the land of Egypt.
And in the seven plenteous years they made sheaves
and gathered up all the food of the seven plenteous years which were in the land of Egypt and put it into the cities. And he put the food of the fields that grew round about every city: even in the same.
And Ioseph laid up corn in store, like unto the sand of the sea in multitude out of measure, until he left numbering: For it was without number.
And unto Ioseph were born two sons before the years of hunger came, which Asnath the daughter of Potiphar priest of On, bare unto him.
And he called the name of the first son Manasse, for God (said he) hath made me forget all my labour and all my father's household.
The second called he Ephraim, for God (said he) hath caused me to grow in the land of my trouble.
And when the seven years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt were ended,
then came the seven years of dearth, according as Ioseph had said. And the dearth was in all lands: but in the land of Egypt was there yet food.
When now all the land of Egypt began to hunger, then cried the people to Pharao for bread. And Pharao said unto all Egypt: go unto Ioseph, and what he saith to you that do.
And when the dearth was thorow out all the land, Ioseph opened all that was in the cities, and sold unto the Egyptians. And hunger waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
And all countries came to Egypt to Ioseph for to buy corn: because that the hunger was so sore in all lands.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.