DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible - Flipbook - Page 75
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G enesis 41
But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven
heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 6 Then seven
more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by
the east wind. 7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-
formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.
8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he
called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them
his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.
9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh. 10 “Some time ago, you were angry
with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the
captain of the guard. 11 One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and
each dream had its own meaning. 12 There was a young Hebrew man with us
in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our
dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. 13 And everything
happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as c up-
bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.”
14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the
prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before
Pharaoh. 15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no
one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear
about a dream you can interpret it.”
16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you
what it means and set you at ease.”
17 So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, 18 and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up
out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 19 But then I saw seven
sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I’ve never seen
such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt. 20 These thin, scrawny
cows ate the seven fat cows. 21 But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for
they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up.
22 “In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing
on a single stalk. 23 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were
blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind. 24 And the shriveled heads
swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but
no one could tell me what they mean.”
25 Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God
is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 26 The seven healthy cows
and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. 27 The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin
heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine.
28 “This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to
Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 29 The next seven years will be
a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. 30 But afterward
there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be
forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. 31 This famine will be so
severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. 32 As for having
two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God,
and he will soon make them happen.
33 “Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put
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