Chapter 41

  And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and behold, he stood by the river.  

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  And behold, there came up out of the river seven well-favored cows and fat-fleshed; and they fed in a meadow.  

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  And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the river.  

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  And the ill-favored and lean-fleshed cows ate up the seven well-favored and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.  

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  And he slept and dreamed the second time: and behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.  

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  And behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.  

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  And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.  

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

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

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  Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in custody in the captain of the guard's house, both me, and the chief baker:  

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

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  And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he interpreted.  

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  And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored to my office, and him he hanged.  

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  Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came before Pharaoh.  

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  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard it said of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.  

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  And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.  

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  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:  

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  And behold, there came out of the river seven cows, fat-fleshed, and well-favored; and they fed in a meadow:  

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  And behold, seven other cows came out after them, poor, and very ill-favored, and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:  

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  And the lean and the ill-favored cows ate up the first seven fat cows:  

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  And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.  

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

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  And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:  

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  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.  

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  And Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one; God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do.  

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

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  And the seven thin and ill-favored cows that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind will be seven years of famine.  

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  This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh: What God is about to do he showeth to Pharaoh.  

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  Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:  

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

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  And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of the famine following: for it will be very grievous.  

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  And for that the dream was doubled to Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.  

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  Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.  

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  Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.  

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

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

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  And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.  

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

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  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:  

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  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.  

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  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.  

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  And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;  

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  And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had: and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.  

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  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.  

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  And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him for a wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On: and Joseph went over all the land of Egypt.  

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  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt: and Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.  

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  And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfulls.  

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  And he gathered all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field which was around every city, he laid up in the same.  

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  And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.  

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  And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came: which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bore to him.  

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  And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.  

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  And the name of the second called he Ephraim: for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.  

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  And the seven years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.  

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

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  And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph; what he saith to you, do.  

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  And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.  

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  And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; because the famine was distressing in all lands.  

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