1 And it came to pass after these
things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had
offended their lord the king of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against
the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the
guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and
he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream
in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his
dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which
were bound in the prison.
6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon
them, and, behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the
ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly
to day?
8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there
is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations
belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
9 And 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 it was as though
it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof
brought forth ripe grapes:
11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes,
and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into
Pharaoh's hand.
12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it:
The three branches are three days:
13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and
restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's
cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his
butler.
14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew
kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto
Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews:
and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into
the dungeon.
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good,
he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I
had three white baskets on my head:
17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats
for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon
my head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation
thereof: The three baskets are three days:
19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from
off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall
eat thy flesh from off thee.
20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday,
that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up
the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his
servants.
21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again;
and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted
to them.
23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat
him.
Chapter 41
1 And it came to pass at the
end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he
stood by the river.
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured
kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the
river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other
kine upon the brink of the river.
4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven
well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven
ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind
sprung up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears.
And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled;
and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all
the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there
was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember
my faults this day:
10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in
the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed
each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant
to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted
to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did
interpret.
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was;
me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him
hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed
his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and
there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of
thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God
shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood
upon the bank of the river:
18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed
and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and
very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all
the land of Egypt for badness:
20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first
seven fat kine:
21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that
they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at
the beginning. So I awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in
one stalk, full and good:
23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with
the east wind, sprung up after them:
24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told
this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare
it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one:
God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears
are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after
them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with
the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What
God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout
all the land of Egypt:
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and
all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and
the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of
that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it
is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly
bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise,
and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the
land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the
seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that
come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them
keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the
seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt;
that the land perish not through the famine.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the
eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one
as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed
thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word
shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater
than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee 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 vestures of fine linen, and
put a gold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had;
and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler
over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee
shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he
gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of
On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh
king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh,
and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth
by handfuls.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which
were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities:
the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid
he up in the same.
49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much,
until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine
came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On
bare unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For
God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's
house.
52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath
caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land
of Egypt, were ended.
54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as
Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all
the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried
to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians,
Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph
opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and
the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn;
because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
Chapter 42
1 Now when Jacob saw that there
was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look
one upon another?
2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt:
get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may
live, and not die.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren;
for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came:
for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that
sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came,
and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the
earth.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself
strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said
unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan
to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them,
and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the
land ye are come.
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are
thy servants come.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants
are no spies.
12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the
land ye are come.
13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons
of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest
is this day with our father, and one is not.
14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you,
saying, Ye are spies:
15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall
not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall
be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there
be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye
are spies.
17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live;
for I fear God:
19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the
house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your
houses:
20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words
be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning
our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he
besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress
come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying,
Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore,
behold, also his blood is required.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake
unto them by an interpreter.
24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned
to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon,
and bound him before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and
to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them
provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender
in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his
sack's mouth.
28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and,
lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and
they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God
hath done unto us?
29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan,
and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us,
and took us for spies of the country.
31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and
the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby
shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren
here with me, and take food for the famine of your households,
and be gone:
34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know
that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver
you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold,
every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they
and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved
of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will
take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons,
if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I
will bring him to thee again.
38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother
is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the
way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs
with sorrow to the grave. |