Joseph Interprets the King's Dreams
1 Two years later the king of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River. 2 Suddenly, seven fat, healthy cows came up from the river and started eating grass along the bank. 3 Then seven ugly, skinny cows came up out of the river and 4 ate the fat, healthy cows. When this happened, the king woke up.
5 The king went back to sleep and had another dream. This time seven full heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. 6 Later, seven other heads of grain appeared, but they were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full heads. Again the king woke up, and it had only been a dream.
8 The next morning the king was upset. So he called in his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.
9 The king's personal servant said:
Now I remember what I was supposed to do. 10 When you were angry with me and your chief cook, you threw us both in jail in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 One night we both had dreams, and each dream had a different meaning. 12 A young Hebrew, who was a servant of the captain of the guard, was there with us at the time. When we told him our dreams, he explained what each of them meant, 13 and everything happened just as he said it would. I got my job back, and the cook was put to death.
14 The king sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of jail. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to the king.
15 The king said to him, “I had a dream, yet no one can explain what it means. I am told that you can interpret dreams.”
16 “Your Majesty,” Joseph answered, “I can't do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams.”
17 The king told Joseph:
I dreamed I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 18 I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river, and they began feeding on the grass. 19 Next, seven skinny, bony cows came up out of the river. I have never seen such terrible looking cows anywhere in Egypt. 20 The skinny cows ate the fat ones. 21 But you couldn't tell it, because these skinny cows were just as skinny as they were before. At once, I woke up.
22 I also dreamed that I saw seven heads of grain growing on one stalk. The heads were full and ripe. 23 Then seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert. 24 These heads of grain swallowed the full ones. I told my dreams to the magicians, but none of them could tell me the meaning of the dreams.
25 Joseph replied:
Your Majesty, both of your dreams mean the same thing, and in them God has shown what he is going to do. 26 The seven good cows stand for seven years, and so do the seven good heads of grain. 27 The seven skinny, ugly cows that came up later also stand for seven years, as do the seven bad heads of grain that were scorched by the desert wind. The dreams mean there will be seven years when there won't be enough grain.
28 It is just as I said—God has shown what he intends to do. 29 For seven years Egypt will have more than enough grain, 30 but that will be followed by seven years when there won't be enough. The good years of plenty will be forgotten, and everywhere in Egypt people will be starving. 31 The famine will be so bad that no one will remember that once there had been plenty. 32 God has given you two dreams to let you know that he has definitely decided to do this and that he will do it soon.
33 Your Majesty, you should find someone who is wise and will know what to do, so that you can put him in charge of all Egypt. 34 Then appoint some other officials to collect one fifth of every crop harvested in Egypt during the seven years when there is plenty. 35 Give them the power to collect the grain during those good years and to store it in your cities. 36 It can be stored until it is needed during the seven years when there won't be enough grain in Egypt. This will keep the country from being destroyed because of the lack of food.
Joseph Is Made Governor over Egypt
37 The king and his officials liked this plan. 38 So the king said to them, “Who could possibly handle this better than Joseph? After all, the Spirit of God is with him.”
39 The king told Joseph, “God is the one who has shown you these things. No one else is as wise as you are or knows as much as you do. 40 I'm putting you in charge of my palace, and everybody will have to obey you. No one will be over you except me. 41 You are now governor of all Egypt!”
42 Then the king took off his royal ring and put it on Joseph's finger. He gave him fine clothes to wear and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 He also let him ride in the chariot next to his own, and people shouted, “Make way for Joseph!” So Joseph was governor of Egypt.
44 The king told Joseph, “Although I'm king, no one in Egypt is to do anything without your permission.” 45 He gave Joseph the Egyptian name Zaphenath Paneah. And he let him marry Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest in the city of Heliopolis. Joseph traveled all over Egypt.
46 Joseph was 30 when the king made him governor, and he went everywhere for the king. 47 For seven years there were big harvests of grain. 48 Joseph collected and stored up the extra grain in the cities of Egypt near the fields where it was harvested. 49 In fact, there was so much grain that they stopped keeping record, because it was like counting the grains of sand along the beach.
50 Joseph and his wife had two sons before the famine began. 51 Their first son was named Manasseh, which means, “God has let me forget all my troubles and my family back home.” 52 His second son was named Ephraim, which means “God has made me a success in the land where I suffered.”
53 Egypt's seven years of plenty came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was not enough food in other countries, but all over Egypt there was plenty. 55 When the famine finally struck Egypt, the people asked the king for food, but he said, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you to do.”
56 The famine became bad everywhere in Egypt, so Joseph opened the storehouses and sold the grain to the Egyptians. 57 People from all over the world came to Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was so severe in their countries.
Josef ma handjaura oturoto twa Farao
1 Ozombura mbari tji za kapita, Farao wa rota kutja wa kurama ponḓonḓu Nil. 2 Notji mwa pita ozongombe hambombari ozonḓenḓu ozombwa nḓa ṋuna monḓonḓu naze utu okurya ehozu. 3 Tjazumba ape piti ozongombe zarwe hambombari ozonḓenḓu monḓonḓu; ozo za rambukire nu za ri ozombi tjinene. Nozo ze ya naze kurama pozongwao pomukuro wonḓonḓu. 4 Nu ozongombe nḓa ozombi nozondambi za rya inḓa ozombwa nozonḓune hambombari. Nu Farao arire tja yanḓimuka. 5 Neye wa rara na roto rukwao. Nu tara, pa ri ovihweka hambombari vyovikokotwa mbya hapa komukono umwe; ovyo vya twako, navi horo. 6 Tjazumba pa hapa ovikwao hambombari ovirambi nu mbya nyosiwa i ombepo yokumuhuka. 7 Nu imbi ovihweka ovirambi vya ṋiṋa imbi ovihweka hambombari. Farao wa yanḓimuka na munu kutja aa roto. 8 Nomuhuka mbo oturoto twi twe mu kurungisa. Neye otja kaisana ozondjai nozonongo za Engipte ne ze raere oturoto twe. Nungwari kapa ri umwe, ngwaa sora okumuhandjaurira two.
9 Nu ingwi omutye omunane womavinu wa tja ku Farao: “Ami ndino me ṱokurihepura kutja mba tataiza. 10 Farao wa ṱire omazenge novakarere ve, na twa ami nomunane wovatereke vozomboroto motjovakamburwa mondjuwo yomunene wovatjevere. 11 Ouṱuku umwe twa rota; auhe wa rota oruroto rwe nomaheero warwo oruini. 12 Nu pa ri Omuheberi omutanda puna eṱe, nomukarere omunane wovatjevere; neṱe twe mu raera oturoto twetu, neye we tu handjaurira ama raere auhe omaheero woruroto rwe. 13 Nu pa kara otja indu tje tu handjaurira: Ami mba yarurwa motjinungura tjandje, nu ingwi omutereke wozomboroto wa turikwa.”
14 Farao arire tja hindi ovandu okukaeta Josef; nu tjimanga ve mu pitisa motjovakamburwa nu kombunda tjaza noku rikurura ozondjise, nokuzara ozombanda ozarwe ve mu twara komurungu wa Farao. 15 Farao arire tja tja ku Josef: “Ami mba roto oruroto, nu kape na umwe ngu ma sora okuruhandjaura. Ami mba raerwa kutja ove tji wa zuu oruroto u sora okuhandjaura.”
16 Josef wa zira a tja: “Kawami! Nungwari Ndjambi ongu ma yandja ku Farao eziriro enanyuṋe.”
17 Farao arire tja tja ku Josef: “Ami mba roto kutja mba kurama pomukuro wOnil, 18 notji pe ya ozongombe hambombari ozonḓenḓu ozombwa okuza monḓonḓu naze utu okurya ehozu. 19 Nu tjazumba otji pe ya ozongombe zarwe hambombari ozonḓenḓu ozondambi nozombi tjinene nḓu mbi hi na mba mwine mehi arihe ra Engipte. 20 Nozongombe nḓa ozondambi nozombi za rya inḓa ozondenga ozonḓune hambombari. 21 Nungwari tji za zu nokuzerya, ape ha ningi ngu ma tjiwa kutja za ri ozongwao; orondu aaze munika navi tjimuna rutenga. Tjazumba ami e yanḓimuka. 22 Ami wina mba roto kutja mba munu ovihweka vyovikokotwa hambombari mbya hapa komukono umwe nu mbya hora. 23 Tjazumba e munu ovihweka hambombari mbya kukuta novirambi nu mbya nyosiwa i ombepo yokumuhuka. 24 Ovihweka vyovikokotwa hambombari imbi ovirambi vya ṋiṋa imbi ovihweka hambombari mbya twako nawa. Ami otji mba raera oturoto twandje kozondjai, nungwari kapa ri imwe ndja sora okutuhandjaura.”
25 Josef arire tja tja ku Farao: “Oturoto twi atuyevari matu hee otjiṋa tjimwe. Ndjambi wa raere ku Farao imbi mbi ma tjiti. 26 Ozongombe nḓa ozonḓune hambombari okutja ozombura hambombari, novihweka vyovikokotwa hambombari mbya twako nawa, wina ozombura hambombari; oto matu hee otjiṋa tjimwe. 27 Nozongombe nḓa hambombari ozondambi nozombi nḓe ya kombunda yainḓena, novihweka imbi hambombari vyovikokotwa ovirambi nu mbya nyosiwa i ombepo yokomuhuka, okutja ozombura hambombari zourumbu. 28 Pe ri otja indu tji mba raere ku Farao: Ndjambi wa raisire Farao imbi eye mbi ma tjiti. 29 Maku kara ozombura hambombari zondjoura mOengipte. 30 Kombunda yanai maku kara ozombura hambombari zourumbu, nozombura inḓa ozombwa maze zembwa mOengipte. Nu imbwi ourumbu mau nyono ehi. 31 Oruveze rwondjoura maru zembwa oparukaze; orondu imbwi ourumbu mbu mau kongorere mau rire ouzeu tjinene. 32 Nu indwi oruroto pu rwa zu okuya tuvari ku Farao, mape hee otjiṋa hi kutja tja zikamisiwa i Ndjambi, nokutja eye me tji tjiti tjimanga.
33 “Nambano Farao nga toorore omurumendu omunazondunge nonongo, ne mu twe po okutjevera ehi ra Engipte. 34 Nu Farao wina nga zike ovatjevere vehi kutja ve kambure okarukondwa oketjatano kovihape moure wozombura hambombari nḓa zondjoura. 35 Owo ngave wonge ovikurya ngamwa avihe moure wozombura nḓa ozombwa nḓu maze ya; nu ngave ungure kehi yondyero ya Farao, nu ve pwike ovikokotwa movihuro nokuvitjevera. 36 Ovikurya mbi mavi pwikirwa ourumbu wozombura hambombari mbu mau ya mOegipte kutja ovandu va Engipte ave ha ṱondjara moruveze rwourumbu.”
Josef ma zikwa otja Omunane omunene wokehi yombara mOengipte
37 Farao novandu ve arire tji va yakura ondunge ndji. 38 Neye wa tja ku wo: “Matu munu pi omundu warwe ngwa sana ku ingwi, ngu nOmbepo ya Ndjambi?” 39 Farao arire tja tja ku Josef: “Ndjambi tjinga e ku raisira avihe mbi, kape na warwe ngu nozondunge poo ounongo komurungu woye. 40 Ami otji me ku twa po okurira omutjevere wouini wandje, novandu vandje avehe mave kara nonḓuviro komambo woye. Ami me kara omunene pove motjiṋa tjimwe hi tjokutja owami ombara.” 41 Farao wa tja ku Josef: “Tara, ami mbe ku ziki otja ongooneya mehi arihe ra Engipte.” 42 Farao arire tja isa ko ongoho ye yokomunwe yotjihako tjouhongore ne i twa pomunwe wa Josef; neye we mu zarisa ozombanda norupera oruheze ne mu twa otjingongo tjongoldo mosengo ye. 43 Neye we mu ryangisa metemba re oritjavari rouhona, novatjevere ve va ravaera komurungu we amave tja: “Virukeye!” Komuhingo mbwi Josef otja zikwa otja ongooneya mehi arihe ra Engipte. 44 Farao arire tja tja ku ye: “Ami owami ombara; nungwari nokuhinousemba woye kape na umwe mOengipte arihe ngu ma yere eke poo ombaze ye.” 45 Neye wa ruka Josef ena Safenat-Paneak, okutja Omukoramuinyo, ne mu pe Asenat, omusuko wa Potifar, omupristeri wotjihuro On, a rire omukazendu we. Nu Josef wa ryanga okutuurunga ehi arihe ra Engipte.
46 Josef wa ri nozombura omirongo vitatu tja uta okuungurira Farao, ombara ya Engipte. Nu eye wa zapo pu Farao na tuurunga ehi arihe Engipte. 47 Moure wozombura nḓa hambombari zondjoura ehi ra eta ovihape ovingi. 48 Nu Josef wa wonga ovikurya avihe moure wozombura nḓa hambombari zondjoura, ne vi tutire movihuro; motjihuro atjihe eye wa pwika mo ovikurya vyovikunino mbya kondoroka tjo. 49 Komuhingo mbwi Josef otja pwika ovikokotwa ovingi tjinene tjimuna eheke rokuvare. Mwa ri ovikokotwa ovingi nga eye tja isa okuvisaneka, orondu kaavi sora okusanekwa.
50 Nu ngunda ozombura zourumbu aze hiye ya, Josef wa kwata ovazandu vevari mu Asenat, omusuko wa Potifar, omupristeri wa On. 51 Josef wa tja: “Ndjambi we ndji tjita kutja mbi zembe omihihamo vyandje, nomuhoko wa tate auhe wina”, neye otja ruka omuzandu we everi ena Manasse, okutja “Muzembise”. 52 Nu ingwi omuzandu outjavari we mu ruka Efraim, okutja “Rukwato”, orondu eye tja tja: “Ndjambi we ndji pa ovanatje mehi romauzeu wandje.”
53 Nozombura hambombari nḓa zondjoura mehi ra Engipte tji za kapita, 54 inḓa hambombari zourumbu za uta okuya otja Josef pa heya. Nu mwa ri ondjara momahi aehe warwe, nungwari mOengipte arihe mwa ri ovikurya. 55 Nu ehi arihe ra Engipte ra uta okumuna ondjara, novandu aave utuka ku Farao okuningira ovikurya. Neye wa rakiza kOvaengipte avehe na tja: “Twendeye ku Josef, nu mu tjite otja tji me hee!” 56 Imbwi ourumbu tji wa tandavara kombanda yehi arihe, Josef arire tja paturura ozondjuwo azehe zomapwikiro wovikokotwa na randisa imbi ovikokotwa kOvaengipte, ondjara nambano tjinga aya rira onḓeu mehi ra Engipte. 57 Ovandu ve ya kOengipte okuza komahi aehe okuyekuranda ovikokotwa ku Josef, ondjara tjinga aya ri onḓeu momahi aehe.
