Joseph Interprets the King's Dreams
1 Two years later the king of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River. 2 Suddenly, seven fat, healthy cows came up from the river and started eating grass along the bank. 3 Then seven ugly, skinny cows came up out of the river and 4 ate the fat, healthy cows. When this happened, the king woke up.
5 The king went back to sleep and had another dream. This time seven full heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. 6 Later, seven other heads of grain appeared, but they were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full heads. Again the king woke up, and it had only been a dream.
8 The next morning the king was upset. So he called in his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.
9 The king's personal servant said:
Now I remember what I was supposed to do. 10 When you were angry with me and your chief cook, you threw us both in jail in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 One night we both had dreams, and each dream had a different meaning. 12 A young Hebrew, who was a servant of the captain of the guard, was there with us at the time. When we told him our dreams, he explained what each of them meant, 13 and everything happened just as he said it would. I got my job back, and the cook was put to death.
14 The king sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of jail. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to the king.
15 The king said to him, “I had a dream, yet no one can explain what it means. I am told that you can interpret dreams.”
16 “Your Majesty,” Joseph answered, “I can't do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams.”
17 The king told Joseph:
I dreamed I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 18 I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river, and they began feeding on the grass. 19 Next, seven skinny, bony cows came up out of the river. I have never seen such terrible looking cows anywhere in Egypt. 20 The skinny cows ate the fat ones. 21 But you couldn't tell it, because these skinny cows were just as skinny as they were before. At once, I woke up.
22 I also dreamed that I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk. The heads were full and ripe. 23 Then seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert. 24 These heads of grain swallowed the full ones. I told my dreams to the magicians, but none of them could tell me the meaning of the dreams.
25 Joseph replied:
Your Majesty, both of your dreams mean the same thing, and in them God has shown what he is going to do. 26 The seven good cows stand for seven years, and so do the seven good heads of grain. 27 The seven skinny, ugly cows that came up later also stand for seven years, as do the seven bad heads of grain that were scorched by the desert wind. The dreams mean there will be seven years when there won't be enough grain.
28 It is just as I said—God has shown what he intends to do. 29 For seven years Egypt will have more than enough grain, 30 but that will be followed by seven years when there won't be enough. The good years of plenty will be forgotten, and everywhere in Egypt people will be starving. 31 The famine will be so bad that no one will remember that once there had been plenty. 32 God has given you two dreams to let you know that he has definitely decided to do this and that he will do it soon.
33 Your Majesty, you should find someone who is wise and will know what to do, so that you can put him in charge of all Egypt. 34 Then appoint some other officials to collect one fifth of every crop harvested in Egypt during the seven years when there is plenty. 35 Give them the power to collect the grain during those good years and to store it in your cities. 36 It can be stored until it is needed during the seven years when there won't be enough grain in Egypt. This will keep the country from being destroyed because of the lack of food.
Joseph Is Made Governor over Egypt
37 The king and his officials liked this plan. 38 So the king said to them, “Who could possibly handle this better than Joseph? After all, the Spirit of God is with him.”
39 The king told Joseph, “God is the one who has shown you these things. No one else is as wise as you are or knows as much as you do. 40 I'm putting you in charge of my palace, and everybody will have to obey you. No one will be over you except me. 41 You are now governor of all Egypt!”
42 Then the king took off his royal ring and put it on Joseph's finger. He gave him fine clothes to wear and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 He also let him ride in the chariot next to his own, and people shouted, “Make way for Joseph!” So Joseph was governor of Egypt.
44 The king told Joseph, “Although I'm king, no one in Egypt is to do anything without your permission.” 45 He gave Joseph the Egyptian name Zaphenath Paneah. And he let him marry Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest in the city of Heliopolis. Joseph traveled all over Egypt.
46 Joseph was 30 when the king made him governor, and he went everywhere for the king. 47 For seven years there were big harvests of grain. 48 Joseph collected and stored up the extra grain in the cities of Egypt near the fields where it was harvested. 49 In fact, there was so much grain that they stopped keeping record, because it was like counting the grains of sand along the beach.
50 Joseph and his wife had two sons before the famine began. 51 Their first son was named Manasseh, which means, “God has let me forget all my troubles and my family back home.” 52 His second son was named Ephraim, which means “God has made me a success in the land where I suffered.”
53 Egypt's seven years of plenty came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was not enough food in other countries, but all over Egypt there was plenty. 55 When the famine finally struck Egypt, the people asked the king for food, but he said, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you to do.”
56 The famine became bad everywhere in Egypt, so Joseph opened the storehouses and sold the grain to the Egyptians. 57 People from all over the world came to Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was so severe in their countries.
Jāzeps izskaidro faraona sapni
1 Kad bija pagājuši divi gadi, faraons redzēja sapnī, un redzi – viņš stāv pie Nīlas. 2 Un redzi – no Nīlas iznāk septiņas govis, skaista izskata un brangas miesās, un tās ganās grīslī. 3 Un redzi – aiz tām no Nīlas iznāk septiņas citas govis, slikta izskata un kārnas miesās, un nostājas Nīlas krastā blakus tām govīm. 4 Un šīs govis, sliktā izskata un kārnās miesās, apēda tās govis, kas skaista izskata un brangas. Un faraons pamodās. 5 Tad viņš atkal aizmiga un sapņoja otrreiz, un redzi – uz viena stiebra aug septiņas vārpas, brangas un labas. 6 Un redzi – pēc tām uzdīgst septiņas kārnas un austrumvējā nomelnējušas vārpas. 7 Un kārnās vārpas aprija septiņas brangās un pilnās vārpas. Tad faraons pamodās. Re, kāds sapnis! 8 Un no rīta viņš bija satrauktu garu un sūtīja sasaukt visus Ēģiptes magus un visus gudros, un faraons stāstīja tiem savu sapni, bet nebija neviena, kas faraonam to izskaidro. 9 Tad galvenais dzērienu devējs uzrunāja faraonu: “Tagad es atceros savu pārkāpumu! 10 Faraons bija sadusmojies uz saviem kalpiem un bija licis mani apsargāt sardzes virsnieka namā – mani un galveno maiznieku! 11 Un vienā naktī mēs sapņojām sapni, es un viņš, mēs sapņojām, un katram sapnim bija savs skaidrojums! 12 Kopā ar mums tur bija ebreju puisis, sardzes virsnieka vergs – viņam mēs stāstījām un viņš mums skaidroja mūsu sapņus, viņš izskaidroja katram savu sapni! 13 Un, kad viņš mums bija izskaidrojis, notika tā – es tiku atjaunots savā amatā, bet maiznieku pakāra.” 14 Tad faraons sūtīja pasaukt Jāzepu, un viņu steigšus atveda no cietuma. Viņš noskuvās, apmainīja drānas un devās pie faraona. 15 Un faraons teica Jāzepam: “Sapni es nosapņoju, bet nav, kas to izskaidro, un par tevi es esmu dzirdējis, ka, uzklausījis sapni, tu vari to izskaidrot!” 16 Jāzeps faraonam atbildēja: “Ne es – Dievs skaidros, vai faraonam ies labi!” 17 Un faraons stāstīja Jāzepam: “Mans sapnis. Redzi, es stāvu Nīlas krastā. 18 Un redzi – no Nīlas nāk laukā septiņas govis, brangas miesās un labi noaugušas, un ganās grīslī. 19 Un redzi – pēc tām nāk laukā citas septiņas govis – izģindušas, tik vājas un kārnas miesās, ka tādas es nebiju redzējis visā Ēģiptes zemē, tik sliktas! 20 Un kārnās un sliktās govis apēda pirmās septiņas brangās govis. 21 Un tās satilpa tajās, ka nevarēja pat manīt, ka tās būtu tām vēderā, un tās izskatījās tikpat slikti kā sākumā. Un es pamodos. 22 Vēl es redzēju sapnī, un redzi – uz viena stiebra paceļas septiņas vārpas, pilnas un labas. 23 Un redzi – pēc tam uzdīga septiņas sausas, kārnas, austrumvējā nomelnējušas vārpas. 24 Un kārnās vārpas aprija septiņas labās vārpas, un es to izstāstīju magiem, bet neviens man nevarēja izskaidrot!” 25 Un Jāzeps teica faraonam: “Faraona sapņi ir viens un tas pats. Ko Dievs darīs – to viņš ir pateicis faraonam! 26 Septiņas labās govis ir septiņi gadi, un septiņas labās vārpas ir septiņi gadi. Šie sapņi ir viens un tas pats. 27 Un septiņas kārnās un sliktās govis, kas nāca pēc tām, ir septiņi gadi, un septiņas tukšās vārpas, austrumvējā nomelnējušās, būs septiņi bada gadi! 28 Tas ir mans sakāmais faraonam – ko Dievs darīs, to viņš faraonam parādījis! 29 Redzi – visai Ēģiptes zemei nāks septiņi sāta gadi. 30 Un pēc tiem būs septiņi bada gadi, un Ēģiptes zemē tiks aizmirsts sāts, un bads aprīs zemi. 31 Bada dēļ, kas nāks pēc tam, zeme nezinās sāta, jo tas būs ļoti smags. 32 Bet tas, ka sapnis faraonam atkārtojies divas reizes, nozīmē, ka Dievs šo lietu ir apstiprinājis, un Dievs steigs tā darīt! 33 Lai nu faraons izvēlas saprātīgu un gudru vīru un liek tam pārvaldīt Ēģiptes zemi! 34 Lai faraons dara tā – ieceļ valstī ierēdņus un septiņos sāta gados lai ņem piekto daļu no Ēģiptes ražas. 35 Lai tie savāc visu ēdamo labajos gados, kas tagad nāk, lai tie faraona uzraudzībā sakrāj labību pilsētās pārtikai un apsargā to. 36 Šis krājums būs ēdamais visai zemei septiņos bada gados, kas nāks Ēģiptes zemē, lai zeme netiktu izpostīta bada dēļ!”
Jāzeps kļūst par Ēģiptes pārvaldnieku
37 Tas patika faraonam un visiem viņa kalpiem. 38 Un faraons teica saviem kalpiem: “Vai mēs atradīsim tādu vīru, kā šis, kurā ir Dieva Gars?” 39 Un faraons teica Jāzepam: “Tā kā Dievs licis tev visu šo zināt, tad nav saprātīgāka un gudrāka par tevi! 40 Tu pārraudzīsi manu namu, un pēc tavas pavēles gatavos krājumus visa mana tauta, pēc troņa tikai es būšu lielāks par tevi!” 41 Un faraons teica Jāzepam: “Redzi, es tevi esmu iecēlis pār visu Ēģiptes zemi!” 42 Faraons noņēma no rokas savu zīmoggredzenu un uzvilka to pirkstā Jāzepam, viņš ieģērba to vieglbalta lina drānās un ap kaklu tam aplika zelta ķēdi. 43 Un viņš ļāva tam braukt savos otros labākajos ratos un lika saukt tā priekšā: “Abrēk!” Un viņš tika iecelts pār visu Ēģiptes zemi. 44 Un faraons teica Jāzepam: “Es esmu faraons, bet bez tavas ziņas neviens necels ne roku, ne kāju visā Ēģiptes zemē!” 45 Faraons nosauca Jāzepu vārdā Cāfnat-Pānēhs un deva viņam par sievu Āsnati, Ona priestera Potī-Peras meitu. Un Jāzeps pārstaigāja visu Ēģiptes zemi. 46 Jāzeps bija trīsdesmit gadu vecs, kad stājās Ēģiptes ķēniņa kalpībā, un Jāzeps devās prom no faraona un pārstaigāja visu Ēģiptes zemi. 47 Septiņos gados zeme deva sātu pilnām riekšavām. 48 Visus septiņus gadus viņš krāja pārtiku, kas bija Ēģiptes zemē, un novietoja to pilsētās. To pārtiku, ko ienesa lauki ap katru pilsētu, viņš novietoja tās vidū. 49 Un Jāzeps sakrāja tik daudz labības kā jūras smilšu, ka viņš mitējās skaitīt, jo tai nebija skaita! 50 Jāzeps kļuva tēvs diviem dēliem, pirms nāca bada gadi, tos viņam dzemdēja Āsnate, Ona priestera Potī-Peras meita. 51 Pirmdzimto Jāzeps nosauca vārdā Manase , jo: “Dievs man licis aizmirst visas manas mokas un mana tēva namu.” 52 Un otro viņš nosauca vārdā Efraims , jo: “Dievs mani darījis auglīgu ciešanu zemē.” 53 Pagāja septiņi sāta gadi, kas bija Ēģiptes zemē. 54 Un sākās septiņi bada gadi, tie nāca, kā Jāzeps teica. Visās zemēs bija bads, bet visā Ēģiptes zemē bija maize. 55 Badojās visa Ēģiptes zeme, un tauta brēca uz faraonu pēc maizes, bet faraons teica ēģiptiešiem: “Ejiet pie Jāzepa, kā viņš jums teiks, tā dariet!” 56 Bads bija pār visu zemi, un Jāzeps atvēra visus labības krājumus, kas tajā bija, un pārdeva ēģiptiešiem. Bads pieņēmās spēkā Ēģiptes zemē. 57 Un visu zemju ļaudis nāca uz Ēģipti, lai pirktu labību, jo visā zemē bija stiprs bads.
