came up after
them out of the Nile, poorly fed and thin, and they stood by the other
cows on the bank of the Nile. The poorly fed, lean cows ate up the seven
well-fed, fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

Afterward he slept and had a second dream and saw seven ears, plump and
good, growing up on one stalk. Also seven ears, thin and withered by the
east wind, grew up after them. The thin ears swallowed up the seven
plump, full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and knew that it was only a dream.

In the morning Pharaoh was worried. So he sent for all the magicians and
wise men of Egypt and told them his dreams; but no one could tell him
what they meant.

Then the chief butler said to Pharaoh, "I now remember my sins: Pharaoh
was very angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in
prison in the house of the captain of the guard. We both had dreams the
same night, each with a different meaning. There was also with us a
young Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our
dreams and he told each of us what our dreams meant. And our dreams came
true just as he said they would: I was restored to my office, but the
chief baker was hanged."

Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the
dungeon; and he shaved his face, changed his clothes, and came to
Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no
one who can tell what it means. Now I have heard that when you hear a
dream, you can tell what it means." Joseph answered Pharaoh, "Not I; God
alone can give Pharaoh a true answer."

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream as I stood on the bank of the
Nile, I saw seven cows, fat and well fed, which had been feeding in the
river grass. There came up after them seven more cows, poorly fed and
thin, worse than I ever saw in all the land of Egypt; and the lean and
poorly fed cows ate up the first seven fat cows. When they had eaten
them up, one could not tell that they had eaten them, for they were
still as thin as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

"Again I dreamed and saw seven ears, plump and good, grow up on one
stalk; then seven thin ears, withered with the east wind, sprang up
after them; and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. I have
told the dream to the magicians, but there is no one who can tell me
what it means."

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's two dreams mean the same thing;
God has made known to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven g