1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile,
2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows sleek and fat, and they fed in the reed grass.
3 And behold, seven other cows, gaunt and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.
4 And the gaunt and thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. And Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk.
6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind.
7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
8 So in the morning his Spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was none who could interpret it to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief butler said to Pharaoh, "I remember my faults today.
10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,
11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own meaning.
12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard; and when we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.
13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came to pass; I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged."
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."
16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; Gods will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile;
18 and seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass;
19 and seven other cows came up after them, poor and very gaunt and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt.
20 And the thin and gaunt cows ate up the first seven fat cows,
21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as gaunt as at the beginning. Then I awoke.
22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good;
23 and seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them,
24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dream of Pharaoh is one; the Gods have revealed to Pharaoh what they are about to do.
26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one.
27 The seven lean and gaunt cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine.
28 It is as I told Pharaoh, the Gods have shown to Pharaoh what they are about to do.
29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt,
30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will consume the land,
31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of that famine which will follow, for it will be very grievous.
32 And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by the Gods, and the Gods will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take the fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine which are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine."
Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh that later came to pass. The name Pharaoh means "the sun," "the king"; he is the king of the subconscious realm whose throne is located in the solar plexus. This brain of the body, plays an important role in directing the circulation, the digestion and assimilation of food, and so forth. Students of mind have discovered that the solar plexus is but the organ through which the ruling Ego, Pharaoh, acts.
37 This proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a man as this, in whom is the Spirit of Gods?"
39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since Gods have shown you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are;
40 you shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only as regards the throne will I be greater than you."