Genesis
Chapter 41: 41-57
Joseph in Charge of Egypt
41 So Pharaoh said to
Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on
Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his
neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his
second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way !" Thus he put
him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44 Then Pharaoh said to
Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all
Egypt." 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah
and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph
went throughout the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty
years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from
Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During
the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48
Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and
stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the
sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
50 Before the years of
famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is
because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is
because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."
53 The seven years of
abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of
famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the
whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to
feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the
Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you."
56 When the famine had
spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the
Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And
all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in
all the world.
