The One Year Chronological Study Bible - Flipbook - Page 59
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JANUARY 15
stalk. 23 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and
withered by the east wind. 24And 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. 32As 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 him in charge of
the entire land of Egypt. 34 Then Pharaoh should
appoint supervisors over the land and let them
collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven
good years. 35 Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and
bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away,
and guard it so there will be food in the cities.
36 That way there will be enough to eat when the
seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt.
Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”
Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt • GENESIS 41:37-57
Joseph’s suggestions were well received by
Pharaoh and his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked his
officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man
so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” 39 Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed
the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one
else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will
be in charge of my court, and all my people will
take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne,
will have a rank higher than yours.”
41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you
in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” 42 Then
Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand
and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed
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scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the
fat cows on the riverbank. 4 Then the scrawny,
thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this
point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.
5 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. 7And 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. 13And everything happened just
as he had predicted. I was restored to my position
as cup-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
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