Genesis 40-42
Revised Geneva Translation
40 And after these things, the butler of the King of Egypt and his baker offended their Lord, the King of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was angry against his two officers: against the chief butler and against the chief baker.
3 Therefore, he put them in ward in his chief steward’s house, in the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
4 And the chief steward gave Joseph charge over them; and he served them. And they continued in ward for a season.
5 And they both dreamed a dream, each of them dreaming in one night, each dream having its own interpretation, both the butler and the baker of the King of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
6 And when Joseph came in to them in the morning, and looked upon them, behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in his master’s ward, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 Who answered him, “We have each dreamed a dream; and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Are not interpretations from God? Tell them to me now.”
9 So the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was before me.
10 “And in the vine were three branches. And as it budded, her flower came forth; and the clusters of grapes grew ripe.
11 “And I had Pharaoh’s cup in my hand; and I took the grapes and wrung them into Pharaoh’s cup. And I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it. The three branches are three days.
13 “Within three days, Pharaoh shall lift up your head and restore you to your office. And you shall put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, as you used to do when you were his butler.
14 “But, remember me when you are restored; and please show mercy to me and mention me to Pharaoh, so that you may bring me out of this house.”
15 “For I was stolen away, by theft, out of the land of the Hebrews; and here, also, I have done nothing that should cause them to put me in the dungeon.”
16 And when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “Also, I thought in my dream that I had three white baskets on my head.
17 “And in the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh. And the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.”
18 Then Joseph answered, and said, “This is the interpretation of it. The three baskets are three days.
19 “Within three days, Pharaoh shall take your head from you, and shall hang you on a tree; and the birds shall eat your flesh from off you.”
20 And so, the third day (Pharaoh’s birthday), he made a feast for all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief butler, and the chief baker, among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief butler to his butlership, who placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 Yet, the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
41 And two years later, Pharaoh also dreamed. And behold, he stood by a river.
2 And lo, seven cows came up out of the river, good-looking and fat-fleshed. And they fed in a meadow.
3 And lo, seven other cows came up out of the river after them, sickly and lean-fleshed, and stood by the cows upon the edge of the river.
4 And the sickly and lean-fleshed cows ate up the seven good-looking and fat cows. So, Pharaoh awoke.
5 Again he slept and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of corn grew upon one stalk, plump and good.
6 And lo, seven thin ears, blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
7 And the thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke; and lo, it was a dream.
8 Now, when the morning came, his spirit was troubled. Therefore, he sent and called all the soothsayers of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof. And Pharaoh told them his dreams. But no one could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then, the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I call to mind my faults this day.
10 “Pharaoh, being angry with his servants, put me in ward in the chief steward’s house (me and the chief baker).
11 “Then, one night, we both dreamed a dream. We each dreamed a dream with its own interpretation.
12 “And there was a young man with us, a Hebrew, servant to the chief steward; whom, when we told them, he interpreted our dreams for us. He interpreted both of our dreams.
13 “And as he interpreted, so it happened; for he restored me to my office and hanged him.
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. And they quickly brought him out of prison; and he shaved him and changed his clothing and came to Pharaoh.
15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream; and no man can interpret it. And I have heard tell of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “God shall answer for the wealth of Pharaoh without me.”
17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood by the bank of the river.
18 “And lo, there came up out of the river seven fat-fleshed, and good-looking cows. And they fed in the meadow.
19 “Also, lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very sickly cows, and lean-fleshed. I never saw such sickliness in all the land of Egypt.
20 “And the lean and the sickly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
21 “And after they had eaten them up, one could not tell that they had eaten them, because they were still as sickly as they were at the beginning. So, I awoke.
22 “Moreover, I saw in my dream; and behold, seven ears sprang out of one stalk, full and fair.
23 “And lo, seven withered ears, thin, blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
24 “And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. Now, I have told the soothsayers and none of them can interpret it for me.”
25 Then, Joseph answered Pharaoh, “Both Pharaoh’s dreams are one. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 “The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years. This is one dream.
27 “Likewise, the seven thin and sickly cows that came out after them, are seven years. And the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind are seven years of famine.
28 “This is the thing which I have said to Pharaoh: that God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29 “Behold, there comes seven years of great plenty in all the land of Egypt.
30 “Then, there shall arise after them seven years of famine, so that all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land.
31 “Nor shall the plenty be remembered in the land, because of this famine that shall come after; for it shall be exceedingly great.
32 “And therefore, the dream was doubled to Pharaoh a second time, because the thing is established by God; and God hurries to perform it.
33 “Now, therefore, let Pharaoh provide for a man of understanding and wisdom, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 “Let Pharaoh make and appoint officers over the land, and collect a fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 “Also, let them gather all the food of these good years that come and store corn for food in the cities, under the hand of Pharaoh; and let them keep it.
36 “So, the food shall be for the provision of the land, against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish by famine.”
37 And the saying pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.
38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a man as this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all this, there is no man of understanding or wisdom like you.
40 “You shall be over my house. And at your word shall all my people be ruled. Only in the king’s throne will I be above you.”
41 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a golden chain around his neck.
43 So, he sat him upon the best chariot that he had, except one. And they cried before him, “Abrech,” and placed him over all the land of Egypt.
44 Again, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. And no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in the land of Egypt without you.”
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name “Zaphnath-Paaneah”. And he gave him Asenath as wife, the daughter of Poti-Pherah, Prince of On. Then Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, King of Egypt. And Joseph, leaving the presence of Pharaoh, went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years, the earth brought forth abundantly.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven plenteous years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities. The food of the field, which was outside the cities, he laid up in the same.
49 So Joseph gathered wheat like the sand of the sea in multitude, out of measure, until he stopped counting (for it was without number).
50 Now, two sons were born to Joseph before the year of famine came. Which Asenath (the daughter of Poti-Pherah, prince of On) bore to him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn “Manasseh”. “For God,” said he, “has made me forget all my labor and all my father’s household.”
52 Also, he called the name of the second, “Ephraim”. “For God,” said he, “has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 So, the seven years of the plenty that was in the land of Egypt were ended.
54 Then, the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. And the famine was in all lands. But bread was in all the land of Egypt.
55 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! And do whatever he says!”
56 When the famine was upon all the land, Joseph opened all the storage places and sold to the Egyptians; for the famine grew severe in the land of Egypt.
57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy corn from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all lands.
42 Then Jacob saw that there was food in Egypt; and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you stare at each other?”
2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is food in Egypt. Go down there and buy us food, so that we may live and not die.”3 So, Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy corn from the Egyptians.
4 But Jacob would not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers. For he said, “Lest death should befall him.”
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy food among those who came. For there was famine in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor of the land, who sold to all the people of the land. Then Joseph’s brothers came and bowed their faces to the ground before him.
7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he knew them. But he acted as a stranger toward them, and spoke to them roughly, and said to them, “From where have you come?” Who answered, “Out of the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 Now Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them; and he said to them, “You are spies, come to see the weakness of the land!”
10 But they said to him, “No, my lord! But your servants have come to buy food.
11 “We are all one man’s sons. We are honest! And your servants are not spies.”
12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the weakness of the land!”
13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. And behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”
14 Again Joseph said to them, “This is that which I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies.’
15 “By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from here unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 “Send one of you to fetch your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested (whether there is truth in you). Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are but spies!”
17 So, he put them in prison for three days.
18 Then Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live. For I fear God.
19 “If you are true men, let one of your brothers be bound in your prison house; and you go and carry food for the famine of your houses.
20 “But, bring your younger brother to me, so that your words may be tested and that you do not die.” And they did so.
21 And they said to one another, “Truly, we have sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us and we would not hear him. Therefore, this trouble has come upon us.”
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not warn you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the child,’ and you would not hear? And lo, his blood is now required.”
23 And they were not aware that Joseph understood them. For he spoke to them through an interpreter.
24 Then, he turned from them and wept, and turned to them again and communed with them, and took Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes.
25 So, Joseph commanded that they should fill their sacks with wheat and put every man’s money back in his sack and give them food for the journey. And he did this to them.
26 And they laid their food upon their donkeys and left there.
27 And, as one of them opened his sack to feed his donkey at the inn, he saw his money (for lo, it was in his sack’s mouth).
28 Then he said to his brothers, “My money is restored! For lo, it is here in my sack!” And their hearts failed them; and they were astonished and said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 And they came to Jacob, their father (to the land of Canaan) and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us and put us in prison as spies of the country.
31 “And we said to him, ‘We are honest men, and are not spies.
32 ‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 “Then the lord of the country said to us, ‘By this I shall know if you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me and take food for the famine of your houses and depart;
34 ‘and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. Then I will release your brother and you shall occupy the land.’”
35 And as they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw the bundles of their money, they were afraid.
36 Then Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have robbed me of my children! Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more! And you would take Benjamin! All these things are against me!”
37 Then Reuben answered his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands and I will bring him back to you.”
38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you. For his brother is dead; and he is left alone. If death comes to him by the way which you go, then you shall bring my gray head to the grave with sorrow.”
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.