1 After two full years {shenatayim: completed span} had passed, Pharaoh {Paro: Egyptian monarch} dreamed; and look, he was standing beside the river.
2 Then look—seven cows came up from the river, beautiful of appearance {mareh: pleasing look} and healthy of flesh {basar: robust body}, and they grazed in the meadow.
3 After them, look—seven more cows came up from the Nile, ugly in appearance {mar'eh: visibly sickly} and thin in flesh {basar: lacking nourishment}; and they stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile.
4 The cows that were evil in appearance {mareh: outward look} and thin in flesh {basar: body tissue} consumed the seven cows that were beautiful in appearance and healthy, and Pharaoh woke up.
5 He fell asleep again and dreamed a second time; and look, seven ears of grain were coming up on one stalk—healthy {beriot: full of life} and good {tovot: excellent in quality}.
6 Then look—seven heads of grain {shibbolim: grain stalks}, thin and scorched by the east wind {kadim: desert wind}, came up after them.
7 Then the thin ears of grain swallowed up {vativla'na: completely consumed} the seven healthy and full ones. Pharaoh awoke and realized—this was a dream {chalom: visionary message}.
8 In the morning his spirit {ruach: inner self} was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians of Egypt and all her wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, yet no interpreter {poter: dream specialist} could explain them for Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief of the cupbearers {sar hamashqim: high-ranking wine official} said to Pharaoh, “I am bringing to mind my sins {chata’ay: acknowledged offenses} today.”
10 Pharaoh became angry with his servants {avadav: royal attendants}, and he confined me in the house of the chief of the guards {sar hattabbachim: royal security head}—me and the chief of the bakers.
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night {belayla: single shared occasion}, I and he; each man dreamed with the interpretation {kefitron: assigned solution} belonging to his dream.
12 Now there with us was a young Hebrew {ivri: descendant of Eber} man, a servant to the chief of the guards {hatabbakhim: royal executioners}. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us—each man according to his dream.
13 It happened just as he interpreted {patar: explained the meaning} to us: I was restored to my position {al-kanni: official standing}, and the other man was hanged.
14 Pharaoh {paroh: ruler of Egypt} sent for Joseph, and they brought him hastily {yaruts: urgent haste} from the pit. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and no interpreter exists for it; yet I have heard {shamati: reported reputation} that when a dream comes to you, you give its interpretation {liftor: give the explanation}.”
16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God {Elohim, Wise Revealer} will give Pharaoh an answer for well-being {shlom: complete welfare}.”
17 Pharaoh {paroh: Egyptian monarch} said to Joseph, “In my dream {chalom: night vision}, I was standing on the bank of the Nile.”
18 Then look—seven cows rose up from the Nile {ha-yeor: main river of Egypt}, healthy of flesh {briot basar: well-nourished bodies} and beautiful of appearance, and they grazed in the meadow.
19 After them came up seven other cows—thin {dalot: lacking substance}, extremely ugly in appearance, and gaunt of flesh. I had never seen the like of these in all the land of Egypt for their ugliness {ra: severe deformity}.
20 And the lean {rakot: thin, emaciated} and ugly cows ate {vatoakhalnah: fully consumed} the first seven healthy cows.
21 They went into their midst, but it could not be recognized that they had entered their midst; their appearance remained as bad as at the beginning {mareh: visible condition}. Then I awoke {vaiqats: arose from sleep}.
22 I saw in my dream, and look—seven heads of grain were rising on one stalk, full {meleot: completely filled} and good {tovot: sound quality}.
23 Then look—seven ears {shibbolim: grain stalks}, withered and thin, scorched by the east wind, were sprouting {tsomchot: beginning to grow} after them.
24 The thin ears {daqqot: stunted stalks} swallowed the seven good ears, and I told it to the magicians {chartummim: Egyptian wise men}, but no one could explain it to me.
25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dream is one; what God {ha-Elohim, Supreme Revealer} is doing, He has made known to Pharaoh {Par’oh: Egyptian ruler}.”
26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears of grain are seven years; they {henna: feminine plural subjects} both point to the same years—it is one dream {chalom: single vision}.
27 The seven cows {parot: symbolic animals}—the thin and the bad ones that came up after—are seven years; and the seven ears of grain, empty and scorched by the east wind, are seven years of famine {shanim: fixed periods}.
28 This is the very matter {ha-davar: specific revealed message} I told Pharaoh: what God {ha-Elohim, Wise Revealer} is about to do, He has shown Pharaoh.
29 Look—seven years are coming, years of great abundance {sava: extraordinary plenty} throughout all the land of Egypt {mitsrayim: Nile region}.
30 After them, seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance {sava: overflowing plenty} in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will consume {raav: complete devastation} the land.
31 The abundance {hasava: plenty of produce} in the land will not be recognized because of the famine {haraav: total deprivation} that follows, for it will be very severe.
32 As for the dream being repeated to Pharaoh twice, it is because the matter is established from God {Elohim, Supreme Decider} and God is hastening to do it {laasoto: bring it about}.
33 Now let Pharaoh {Paroh: royal Egyptian title} seek out a man discerning {navon: possessing deep insight} and wise, and place him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh {paroh: Supreme Ruler} act and appoint overseers over the land, and let him take a fifth from the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance {hasava: Exceptional Plenty}.
35 Let them gather all the food {ochel: stored provisions} from these coming good years, and store the grain under the hand of Pharaoh as food in the cities, and let them guard {shamar: preserve carefully} it.
36 The food will serve as a deposit {fikadon: secure reserve} for the land during the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be cut off {tikaret: utterly destroyed} by the famine.
37 The matter {davar: royal decision} seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants {avadim: court attendants}.
38 Pharaoh said to his servants, “Could we find another like him—a man in whom the Spirit {ruach: life-giving power} of God {Elohim, Wise Revealer} abides?”
39 After God {Elohim, Revealer of Mysteries} has made all this known to you, there is no one discerning {navon: possessing deep insight} and wise like you.
40 You will be over my house, and by your word {pikha: commanding voice} all my people will submit {yishaq: yield allegiance}. Only as to the throne will I be greater than you.
41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have appointed you {natati: formally installed} over all the land of Egypt {erets Mitsrayim: Egyptian territory}.”
42 Pharaoh {Paroh: royal Egyptian ruler} took his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s hand. He dressed him in fine linen garments {shesh: prized Egyptian flax} and put the gold chain around his neck.
43 He made him ride in his second chariot, and they called out before him, “Abrekh!” {avrekh: homage command}; thus he set him over all the land of Egypt {mitsrayim: Nile empire}.
44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh {paroh: royal authority}; apart from you, no man will lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt {erets mitsrayim: full Egyptian realm}.”
45 Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter {bat: female offspring} of Potiphera, the priest {kohen: temple official} of On, as his wife. Then Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph {yosef: God increases} was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout all the land of Egypt {erets mitsrayim: Egyptian domain}.
47 During the seven years of abundance {hasava: wealthy yields}, the land produced in great yield by handfuls {liqmatsim: piled-up measures}.
48 Joseph gathered all the food {okhel: stored produce} of the seven years in Egypt and stored the food in the cities. The produce of the fields around each city, he placed within it {betokhah: inner storage area}.
49 And Joseph stored up grain {bar: stored food reserves} in immense abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, because there was no number {mispar: fixed total}.
50 Two sons {banim: male offspring} were born to Joseph before the year of the famine arrived; Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest {kohen: temple official} of On, bore them to him.