and all of a sudden seven healthy, plump, beautiful cows emerged from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds that line the bank.

And then seven other cows came up after them, poor and very evil favored and lean fleshed: so that I never saw their like, in all the land of Egypt, in evil favoredness.

And the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.

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.

Later, I also dreamed about seven plump, fruit-filled ears of grain that grew up out of a single stalk.

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.

And Joseph saith unto Pharaoh, 'The dream of Pharaoh is one: that which God is doing he hath declared to Pharaoh;

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.

That is the thing which I spake unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do he hath showed unto Pharaoh.

Be advised that seven years of phenomenal abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt,

but afterward seven years of famine and hunger will come, and [there will be such desperate need that] all the great abundance [of the previous years] will be forgotten in the land of Egypt [as if it never happened], and famine and destitution will ravage and destroy the land.

And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

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.

Let Pharaoh do this, that he may appoint overseers over the land, - so shall he take up a fifth of the land of Egypt, during the seven years of plenty.

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.

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.

Then said Pharaoh unto his servants, "Where shall we find such a man as this is, that hath the spirit of God in him?"

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Seeing that God has made all this clear to you, there is no other man of such wisdom and good sense as you:

And he caused him to ride in the second chariot that he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee! and he set him over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh also changed Joseph's name to Zaphenath-paneah and gave Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, to him as his wife. And that's how Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.

And he gathered up all the food of the seven years that was in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities; the food of the fields of the city, which were round about it, he laid up in it.

and Joseph gathereth corn as sand of the sea, multiplying exceedingly, until that he hath ceased to number, for there is no number.

And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

and the seven years of famine began to come in, according as Joseph had said, - and it came to pass that there was a famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt, there was bread.

And all the land of Egypt suffered from the dearth. And the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph: what he says to you, that do.

And when the dearth was throughout all the land, Joseph opened all that was in the cities, and sold unto the Egyptians. And hunger waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

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.

But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with them, for fear, as he said, that some evil might come to him.

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

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.

Now though Joseph saw that these were his brothers, they had no idea who he was.

And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamt of them; and he said to them, Ye are spies: to see the exposed places of the land ye are come.

And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

So here's how we'll test you. You can bet the life of Pharaoh that you're not leaving here until your youngest brother comes here!

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.

And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, that ye may live: I fear God.

If you're honest men, leave one of your brothers here in custody, then the rest of you can leave and take some grain with you to alleviate the famine that's affecting your households.

and bring your youngest brother to me, in order that your words be verified, and that ye may not die. And they did so.

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.

Reuben answered them, saying, "Said I not unto you that ye should not sin against the lad? But ye would not hear; And now verily see, his blood is required."

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

Then Joseph gave orders [privately] that their bags be filled with grain, and that every man’s money [used to pay for the grain] be put back in his sack, and that provisions be given to them for the journey. And so this was done for them.

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?

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

The man who is the ruler of the country was rough with us and put us in prison, saying that we had come with a secret evil purpose.

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:

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.

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.

But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone remains. [If] harm meets him on the journey that you would take, you would bring down my gray head in sorrow to Sheol."

And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again, buy us a little food.

Then said Judah unto him, "The man did testify unto us saying, 'Look that ye see not my face except your brother be with you.'

But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go: for the man said unto us, 'Look that ye see not my face, except your brother be with you.'"

And Israel saith, 'Why did ye evil to me, by declaring to the man that ye had yet a brother?'

And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

I'll even offer myself to guarantee that I'll be responsible for him. If I don't bring him back and present him to you, I'll personally bear the consequences forever.

"If that's the way it has to be," their father Israel replied, "then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your containers and take them to the man as a gift some resin ointment, some honey, fragrant resins, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds.

And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

And Joseph saw - with them - Benjamin, so he said to him that was over his house Bring the men into the house, - and slay meat and make ready, for with me, shall the men eat at noon.

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

And they came up to the man that was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

And he said, "Be of good cheer, fear not: Your God and the God of your fathers hath put you that treasure in your sacks, for I had your money." And he brought Simeon out to them,

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift that was in their hand, into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

He asked if they were well, and he said, “How is your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive?”

When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Now Joseph’s brothers were seated [by the steward] before him [in the order of their birth]—the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in astonishment [because so much was known about them].

Joseph himself brought portions to them from his own table, except that he provided to Benjamin five times as much as he did for each of the others. So they feasted together and drank freely with Joseph.

And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

So he went after them and made that accusation.

And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

Behold, the money that we found in our sacks' mouths we have brought again to thee from the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

With whomever of your servants your master’s cup is found, let him die, and the rest of us will be my lord’s slaves.”

And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

And we answered my lord, 'We have a father that is old, and a young lad which he begat in his age: and the brother of the said lad is dead, and he is all that is left of that mother. And his father loveth him.'

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

And we answered my lord, that the lad could not go from his father, 'For if he should leave his father, he were but a dead man.'

Then saidest thou unto thy servants, 'Except your youngest brother come with you, look that ye see my face no more.'

'And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

we said that we could not go. 'Nevertheless, if our youngest brother go with us then will we go, for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.'

And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

One left—I said that he must have been torn to pieces—and I have never seen him again.

Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

And {he wept loudly}, so that the Egyptians heard [it] and the household of Pharaoh heard [it].

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless, for they were stunned and dismayed by [the fact that they were in] Joseph’s presence.

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

That's because this famine has been going on for two years now in this region, and there are still five years left, during which there won't be any plowing or harvesting.

God sent me before you to keep you and yours living on earth so that you might become a great nation.

So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.