Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

After them, seven ears, thin and blasted by the east wind, sprang up.

And the thin ears swallowed up the seven ripe ears. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me."

Yosef said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are the same: God has told Pharaoh what he is about to do.

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears of grain are seven years - the dreams are the same.

Likewise the seven lean and miserable-looking cows that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted by the east wind - there will be seven years of famine.

This is what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Here it is: there will be seven years of abundance throughout the whole land of Egypt;

but afterwards, there will come seven years of famine; and Egypt will forget all the abundance. The famine will consume the land,

and the abundance will not be known in the land because of the famine that will follow, because it will be truly terrible.

Why was the dream doubled for Pharaoh? Because the matter has been fixed by God, and God will shortly cause it to happen.

"Therefore, Pharaoh should look for a man both discreet and wise to put in charge of the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh should do this, and he should appoint supervisors over the land to receive a twenty percent tax on the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

They should gather all the food produced during these good years coming up and set aside grain under the supervision of Pharaoh to be used for food in the cities, and they should store it.

This will be the land's food supply for the seven years of famine that will come over the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish as a result of the famine."

The proposal seemed good both to Pharaoh and to all his officials.

Pharaoh said to his officials, "Can we find anyone else like him? The Spirit of God lives in him!"

So Pharaoh said to Yosef, "Since God has shown you all this - there is no one as discerning and wise as you -

you will be in charge of my household; all my people will be ruled by what you say. Only when I rule from my throne will I be greater than you."

Pharaoh said to Yosef, "Here, I place you in charge of the whole land of Egypt."

Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Yosef's hand, had him clothed in fine linen with a gold chain around his neck

and had him ride in his second best chariot; and they cried before him, "Bow down!" Thus he placed him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Yosef, "I, Pharaoh, decree that without your approval no one is to raise his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt."

Pharaoh called Yosef by the name Tzafnat-Pa'neach and gave him as his wife Osnat the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On. Then Yosef went out through all the land of Egypt.

Yosef was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt; then he left Pharaoh's presence and traveled through all the land of Egypt.

During the seven years of abundance, the earth brought forth heaps of produce.