Bible in Basic English
And after them came up seven other heads, thin and wasted by the east wind.
And the seven thin heads made a meal of the good heads. And when Pharaoh was awake he saw it was a dream.
And in the morning his spirit was troubled; and he sent for all the wise men of Egypt and all the holy men, and put his dream before them, but no one was able to give him the sense of it.
Then the chief wine-servant said to Pharaoh, The memory of my sin comes back to me now;
Pharaoh had been angry with his servants, and had put me in prison in the house of the captain of the army, together with the chief bread-maker;
And we had a dream on the same night, the two of us, and the dreams had a special sense.
And there was with us a young Hebrew, the captain's servant, and when we put our dreams before him, he gave us the sense of them.
And it came about as he said: I was put back in my place, and the bread-maker was put to death by hanging.
Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they took him quickly out of prison; and when his hair had been cut and his dress changed, he came before Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream, and no one is able to give me the sense of it; now it has come to my ears that you are able to give the sense of a dream when it is put before you.
Then Joseph said, Without God there will be no answer of peace for Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh said, In my dream I was by the side of the Nile:
And out of the Nile came seven cows, fat and good-looking, and their food was the river-grass;
Then after them came seven other cows, very thin and poor-looking, worse than any I ever saw in the land of Egypt;
And the thin cows made a meal of the seven fat cows who came up first;
And even with the fat cows inside them they seemed as bad as before. And so I came out of my sleep.
And again in a dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stem:
And then I saw seven other heads, dry, thin, and wasted by the east wind, coming up after them:
And the seven thin heads made a meal of the seven good heads; and I put this dream before the wise men, but not one of them was able to give me the sense of it.
Then Joseph said, These two dreams have the same sense: God has made clear to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
The seven fat cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years: the two have the same sense.
The seven thin and poor-looking cows who came up after them are seven years; and the seven heads of grain, dry and wasted by the east wind, are seven years when there will be no food.
As I said to Pharaoh before, God has made clear to him what he is about to do.
Seven years are coming in which there will be great wealth of grain in Egypt;
And after that will come seven years when there will not be enough food; and the memory of the good years will go from men's minds; and the land will be made waste by the bad years;
And men will have no memory of the good time because of the need which will come after, for it will be very bitter.
And this dream came to Pharaoh twice, because this thing is certain, and God will quickly make it come about.
And now let Pharaoh make search for a man of wisdom and good sense, and put him in authority over the land of Egypt.
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him put overseers over the land of Egypt to put in store a fifth part of the produce of the land in the good years.
And let them get together all the food in those good years and make a store of grain under Pharaoh's control for the use of the towns, and let them keep it.
And let that food be kept in store for the land till the seven bad years which are to come in Egypt; so that the land may not come to destruction through need of food.
And this seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.
Then Pharaoh said to his servants, Where may we get such a man as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?
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:
You, then, are to be over my house, and all my people will be ruled by your word: only as king will I be greater than you.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have put you over all the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and he had him clothed with the best linen, and put a chain of gold round his neck;
And he made him take his seat in the second of his carriages; and they went before him crying, Make way! So he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh; and without your order no man may do anything in all the land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh gave Joseph the name of Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, the priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph went through all the land of Egypt.
Now Joseph was thirty years old when he came before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from before the face of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.
Now in the seven good years the earth gave fruit in masses.
And Joseph got together all the food of those seven years, and made a store of food in the towns: the produce of the fields round every town was stored up in the town.
So he got together a store of grain like the sand of the sea; so great a store that after a time he gave up measuring it, for it might not be measured.
And before the time of need, Joseph had two sons, to whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On, gave birth.
And to the first he gave the name Manasseh, for he said, God has taken away from me all memory of my hard life and of my father's house.
And to the second he gave the name Ephraim, for he said, God has given me fruit in the land of my sorrow.
And so the seven good years in Egypt came to an end.
Then came the first of the seven years of need as Joseph had said: and in every other land they were short of food; but in the land of Egypt there was bread.
And when all the land of Egypt was in need of food, the people came crying to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to the people, Go to Joseph, and whatever he says to you, do it.
And everywhere on the earth they were short of food; then Joseph, opening all his store-houses, gave the people of Egypt grain for money; so great was the need of food in the land of Egypt.
And all lands sent to Egypt, to Joseph, to get grain, for the need was great over all the earth.
— Genesis 41:6-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Then seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. In the morning he was troubled, so he called for all the diviner-priests of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh,“Today I recall my failures. Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards– me and the chief baker. We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. It happened just as he had said to us– Pharaoh restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” Then Pharaoh summoned Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph,“I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard about you, that you can interpret dreams.” Joseph replied to Pharaoh,“It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,“In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile. Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. Then seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows as these in all the land of Egypt! The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven fat cows. When they had eaten them, no one would have known that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. I also saw in my dream seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. Then seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” Then Joseph said to Pharaoh,“Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent seven years of famine. This is just what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. But seven years of famine will occur after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate the land. The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon. “So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh should do this– he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it. This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. So Pharaoh asked his officials,“Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph,“Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are! You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. Only I, the king, will be greater than you. “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph,“I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. Pharaoh had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, and they cried out before him,“Kneel down!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph,“I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt. Now Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by Pharaoh and was in charge of all the land of Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure. Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying,“Certainly God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” He named the second child Ephraim, saying,“Certainly God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt,“Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.” While the famine was over all the earth, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. People from every country came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.”
And after them seven other cows came out of the Nile, poor-looking and thin; and they were by the side of the other cows.
And the seven thin cows made a meal of the seven fat cows. Then Pharaoh came out of his sleep.
But he went to sleep again and had a second dream, in which he saw seven heads of grain, full and good, all on one stem.
And after them came up seven other heads, thin and wasted by the east wind.
And the seven thin heads made a meal of the good heads. And when Pharaoh was awake he saw it was a dream.
And in the morning his spirit was troubled; and he sent for all the wise men of Egypt and all the holy men, and put his dream before them, but no one was able to give him the sense of it.
Then the chief wine-servant said to Pharaoh, The memory of my sin comes back to me now;
Pharaoh had been angry with his servants, and had put me in prison in the house of the captain of the army, together with the chief bread-maker;
And we had a dream on the same night, the two of us, and the dreams had a special sense.
And there was with us a young Hebrew, the captain's servant, and when we put our dreams before him, he gave us the sense of them.
And it came about as he said: I was put back in my place, and the bread-maker was put to death by hanging.
Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they took him quickly out of prison; and when his hair had been cut and his dress changed, he came before Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream, and no one is able to give me the sense of it; now it has come to my ears that you are able to give the sense of a dream when it is put before you.
Then Joseph said, Without God there will be no answer of peace for Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh said, In my dream I was by the side of the Nile:
And out of the Nile came seven cows, fat and good-looking, and their food was the river-grass;
Then after them came seven other cows, very thin and poor-looking, worse than any I ever saw in the land of Egypt;
And the thin cows made a meal of the seven fat cows who came up first;
And even with the fat cows inside them they seemed as bad as before. And so I came out of my sleep.
And again in a dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stem:
And then I saw seven other heads, dry, thin, and wasted by the east wind, coming up after them:
And the seven thin heads made a meal of the seven good heads; and I put this dream before the wise men, but not one of them was able to give me the sense of it.
Then Joseph said, These two dreams have the same sense: God has made clear to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
The seven fat cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years: the two have the same sense.
The seven thin and poor-looking cows who came up after them are seven years; and the seven heads of grain, dry and wasted by the east wind, are seven years when there will be no food.
As I said to Pharaoh before, God has made clear to him what he is about to do.
Seven years are coming in which there will be great wealth of grain in Egypt;
And after that will come seven years when there will not be enough food; and the memory of the good years will go from men's minds; and the land will be made waste by the bad years;
And men will have no memory of the good time because of the need which will come after, for it will be very bitter.
And this dream came to Pharaoh twice, because this thing is certain, and God will quickly make it come about.
And now let Pharaoh make search for a man of wisdom and good sense, and put him in authority over the land of Egypt.
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him put overseers over the land of Egypt to put in store a fifth part of the produce of the land in the good years.
And let them get together all the food in those good years and make a store of grain under Pharaoh's control for the use of the towns, and let them keep it.
And let that food be kept in store for the land till the seven bad years which are to come in Egypt; so that the land may not come to destruction through need of food.
And this seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.
Then Pharaoh said to his servants, Where may we get such a man as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?
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:
You, then, are to be over my house, and all my people will be ruled by your word: only as king will I be greater than you.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have put you over all the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and he had him clothed with the best linen, and put a chain of gold round his neck;
And he made him take his seat in the second of his carriages; and they went before him crying, Make way! So he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh; and without your order no man may do anything in all the land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh gave Joseph the name of Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, the priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph went through all the land of Egypt.
Now Joseph was thirty years old when he came before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from before the face of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.
Now in the seven good years the earth gave fruit in masses.
And Joseph got together all the food of those seven years, and made a store of food in the towns: the produce of the fields round every town was stored up in the town.
So he got together a store of grain like the sand of the sea; so great a store that after a time he gave up measuring it, for it might not be measured.
And before the time of need, Joseph had two sons, to whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On, gave birth.
And to the first he gave the name Manasseh, for he said, God has taken away from me all memory of my hard life and of my father's house.
And to the second he gave the name Ephraim, for he said, God has given me fruit in the land of my sorrow.
And so the seven good years in Egypt came to an end.
Then came the first of the seven years of need as Joseph had said: and in every other land they were short of food; but in the land of Egypt there was bread.
And when all the land of Egypt was in need of food, the people came crying to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to the people, Go to Joseph, and whatever he says to you, do it.
And everywhere on the earth they were short of food; then Joseph, opening all his store-houses, gave the people of Egypt grain for money; so great was the need of food in the land of Egypt.
And all lands sent to Egypt, to Joseph, to get grain, for the need was great over all the earth.