Genesis 41
Joseph Interprets the Dreams of Pharaoh
1 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.
2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine-looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.
3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.
4 But the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine-looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven ears of corn came up on one stalk, plump and good.
6 Then behold, seven ears of corn, thin and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.
7 But the seven thin ears of corn devoured the seven plump and full ears. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.
8 Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the interpreters of Egypt and all its wise men. Thus Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then the cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my sin this day.
10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the chief bodyguard, both myself and the chief baker,
11 we each had a dream in one night, both he and I. Each had a dream regarding himself.
12 Now there was with us a young Hebrew servant of the chief bodyguard, and we related our dreams to him; and he interpreted them for us.
13 And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, but he hanged him.Ӡ
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.
15 Thus Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”
16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river.
18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine-looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.
19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt.
20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows.
21 When they had eaten them, no one would have known they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke and fell asleep again.
22 Again, I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven ears of corn came up on one stalk, full and good.
23 Then behold, seven ears of corn, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.
24 But the thin ears of corn devoured the seven good ears. So I told all this to the interpreters, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh 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 of corn are seven years; the dreams are one.
27 But the seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29 Indeed, seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt;
30 but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.
31 So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.
32 Now the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a sensible and intelligent man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint governors over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.
35 So let them gather all the food of the seven good years that are coming, and store up grain under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 That food shall then be as a reserve in the land for the seven coming years of famine in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”
Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt
37 Now this advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.†
38 Thus Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a man as this, who has the Spirit of God in him?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as sensible and intelligent as you.
40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 Then Pharaoh took the signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
43 Then he had him ride in the second of his chariots; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.
44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”
45 Then Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On.
46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Then Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly.
48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years of prosperity in the land of Egypt, and stored the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields that surrounded them.
49 Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.
50 Now two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, bore to him.
51 Joseph called the name of his firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my troubles and all my father’s house.”
52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my humiliation.”†
53 Then the seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt ended,
54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.”
56 The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians.
57 Then all countries also came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
Psalms 37
1 A psalm by David; for remembrance concerning the Sabbath. †
2 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your anger.
3 For Your arrows are fixed in me, And Your hand rests on me;
4 There is no healing in my flesh because of Your wrath; There is no peace in my bones because of my sins.
5 For my transgressions rise up over my head; Like a heavy burden they are heavy on me.
6 My wounds grow foul and fester Because of my folly.
7 I suffer misery, and I am utterly bowed down; I go all the day long with a sad face.
8 For my loins are filled with mockeries, And there is no healing in my flesh.
9 I am afflicted and greatly humbled; I roar because of the groaning of my heart.
10 O Lord, all my desire is before You, And my groaning is not hidden from You.
11 My heart is troubled; my strength fails me, And the light of my eyes, even this is not with me.
Proverbs of Solomon 8
Divine Wisdom for Mankind
1 You shall proclaim wisdom That discernment may obey you;
2 For she is on the lofty summit And stands in the midst of the paths.†
3 For she sits beside the gates of princes And sings at the entrances,
4 “You, O men, I exhort, And I utter my voice to the sons of men;†
5 Understand astuteness, O simple ones, And put it in your heart, O uninstructed ones.
Matthew 25
The Judgment of Works
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.†
32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.†
33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:†
35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’†
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:†
42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”