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Genesis 41 New American Bible
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Genesis 41 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/genesis/41.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/genesis/41-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</a> > Genesis 41</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../genesis/40.htm" title="Genesis 40">◄</a> Genesis 41 <a href="../genesis/42.htm" title="Genesis 42">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch01041" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn01041" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">Pharaoh’s Dream.</span> <span id="v01041001" class="ver">1</span><a id="rfn01041001-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn01041001-1">*</a> After a lapse of two years, Pharaoh had a dream. He was standing by the Nile, <span id="v01041002" class="ver">2</span>when up out of the Nile came seven cows, fine-looking and fat; they grazed in the reed grass. <span id="v01041003" class="ver">3</span>Behind them seven other cows, poor-looking and gaunt, came up out of the Nile; and standing on the bank of the Nile beside the others, <span id="v01041004" class="ver">4</span>the poor-looking, gaunt cows devoured the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.</p> <p><span id="v01041005" class="ver">5</span>He fell asleep again and had another dream. He saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single stalk. <span id="v01041006" class="ver">6</span>Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind; <span id="v01041007" class="ver">7</span>and the thin ears swallowed up the seven fat, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up—it was a dream!</p> <p><span id="v01041008" class="ver">8</span>Next morning his mind was agitated. So Pharaoh had all the magicians<a id="rfn01041008-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn01041008-1">*</a> and sages of Egypt summoned and recounted his dream to them; but there was no one to interpret it for him. <span id="v01041009" class="ver">9</span>Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh: “Now I remember my negligence! <span id="v01041010" class="ver">10</span>Once, when Pharaoh was angry with his servants, he put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the chief steward. <span id="v01041011" class="ver">11</span>Later, we both had dreams on the same night, and each of our dreams had its own meaning. <span id="v01041012" class="ver">12</span>There was a Hebrew youth with us, a slave of the chief steward; and when we told him our dreams, he interpreted them for us and explained for each of us the meaning of his dream.<a id="ren01041012-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en01041012-a">a</a> <span id="v01041013" class="ver">13</span>Things turned out just as he had told us: I was restored to my post, but the other man was impaled.”</p> <p><span id="v01041014" class="ver">14</span>Pharaoh therefore had Joseph summoned, and they hurriedly brought him from the dungeon. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.<a id="ren01041014-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en01041014-b">b</a> <span id="v01041015" class="ver">15</span>Pharaoh then said to Joseph: “I had a dream but there was no one to interpret it. But I hear it said of you, ‘If he hears a dream he can interpret it.’ ” <span id="v01041016" class="ver">16</span>“It is not I,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God who will respond for the well-being of Pharaoh.”<a id="ren01041016-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en01041016-c">c</a></p> <p><span id="v01041017" class="ver">17</span>Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile, <span id="v01041018" class="ver">18</span>when up from the Nile came seven cows, fat and well-formed; they grazed in the reed grass. <span id="v01041019" class="ver">19</span>Behind them came seven other cows, scrawny, most ill-formed and gaunt. Never have I seen such bad specimens as these in all the land of Egypt! <span id="v01041020" class="ver">20</span>The gaunt, bad cows devoured the first seven fat cows. <span id="v01041021" class="ver">21</span>But when they had consumed them, no one could tell that they had done so, because they looked as bad as before. Then I woke up. <span id="v01041022" class="ver">22</span>In another dream I saw seven ears of grain, full and healthy, growing on a single stalk. <span id="v01041023" class="ver">23</span>Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, shriveled and thin and scorched by the east wind; <span id="v01041024" class="ver">24</span>and the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven healthy ears. I have spoken to the magicians, but there is no one to explain it to me.”</p> <p><span id="v01041025" class="ver">25</span>Joseph said to Pharaoh: “Pharaoh’s dreams have the same meaning. God has made known to Pharaoh what he is about to do. <span id="v01041026" class="ver">26</span>The seven healthy cows are seven years, and the seven healthy ears are seven years—the same in each dream. <span id="v01041027" class="ver">27</span>The seven thin, bad cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind; they are seven years of famine. <span id="v01041028" class="ver">28</span>Things are just as I told Pharaoh: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. <span id="v01041029" class="ver">29</span>Seven years of great abundance are now coming throughout the land of Egypt; <span id="v01041030" class="ver">30</span>but seven years of famine will rise up after them, when all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. When the famine has exhausted the land, <span id="v01041031" class="ver">31</span>no trace of the abundance will be found in the land because of the famine that follows it, for it will be very severe. <span id="v01041032" class="ver">32</span>That Pharaoh had the same dream twice means that the matter has been confirmed by God and that God will soon bring it about.</p> <p><span id="v01041033" class="ver">33</span>“Therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. <span id="v01041034" class="ver">34</span>Let Pharaoh act and appoint overseers for the land to organize it during the seven years of abundance. <span id="v01041035" class="ver">35</span>They should collect all the food of these coming good years, gathering the grain under Pharaoh’s authority, for food in the cities, and they should guard it. <span id="v01041036" class="ver">36</span>This food will serve as a reserve for the country against the seven years of famine that will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine.”</p> <p><span id="v01041037" class="ver">37</span>This advice pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.<a id="ren01041037-d" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en01041037-d">d</a> <span id="v01041038" class="ver">38</span>“Could we find another like him,” Pharaoh asked his servants, “a man so endowed with the spirit of God?” <span id="v01041039" class="ver">39</span>So Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. <span id="v01041040" class="ver">40</span>You shall be in charge of my household, and all my people will obey your command. Only in respect to the throne will I outrank you.”<a id="ren01041040-e" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en01041040-e">e</a> <span id="v01041041" class="ver">41</span>Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Look, I put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” <span id="v01041042" class="ver">42</span>With that, Pharaoh took off his signet ring<a id="rfn01041042-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn01041042-1">*</a> and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. <span id="v01041043" class="ver">43</span>He then had him ride in his second chariot, and they shouted “Abrek!”<a id="rfn01041043-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn01041043-1">*</a> before him.</p> <p>Thus was Joseph installed over the whole land of Egypt. <span id="v01041044" class="ver">44</span>“I am Pharaoh,” he told Joseph, “but without your approval no one shall lift hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” <span id="v01041045" class="ver">45</span>Pharaoh also bestowed the name of Zaphenath-paneah<a id="rfn01041045-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn01041045-1">*</a> on Joseph, and he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. <span id="v01041046" class="ver">46</span>Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.</p> <p>After Joseph left Pharaoh, he went throughout the land of Egypt. <span id="v01041047" class="ver">47</span>During the seven years of plenty, when the land produced abundant crops, <span id="v01041048" class="ver">48</span>he collected all the food of these years of plenty that the land of Egypt was enjoying and stored it in the cities, placing in each city the crops of the fields around it. <span id="v01041049" class="ver">49</span>Joseph collected grain like the sands of the sea, so much that at last he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.</p> <p><span id="v01041050" class="ver">50</span>Before the famine years set in, Joseph became the father of two sons, borne to him by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis.<a id="ren01041050-f" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en01041050-f">f</a> <span id="v01041051" class="ver">51</span>Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh,<a id="rfn01041051-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn01041051-1">*</a> meaning, “God has made me forget entirely my troubles and my father’s house”; <span id="v01041052" class="ver">52</span>and the second he named Ephraim,<a id="rfn01041052-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn01041052-1">*</a> meaning, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”</p> <p><span id="v01041053" class="ver">53</span>When the seven years of abundance enjoyed by the land of Egypt came to an end, <span id="v01041054" class="ver">54</span>the seven years of famine set in, just as Joseph had said. Although there was famine in all the other countries, food was available throughout the land of Egypt.<a id="ren01041054-g" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en01041054-g">g</a> <span id="v01041055" class="ver">55</span>When all the land of Egypt became hungry and the people cried to Pharaoh for food, Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians: “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.” <span id="v01041056" class="ver">56</span>When the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the cities that had grain and rationed it to the Egyptians, since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt. <span id="v01041057" class="ver">57</span>Indeed, the whole world came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, for famine had gripped the whole world.</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. 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