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 ta fatulula oondjodhi dhomukwaniilwa
1 Sho pwa piti omimvo mbali, omukwaniilwa gwaEgipiti okwa lala ondjodhi a thikama pomulonga Niili. 2 Oonzinzi heyali dho ondoka odha anduka momulonga nodha napa omwiidhi. 3 Nena omwa anduka ishewe oonzinzi oonkwawo heyali oonshona nodha nanga. Odhe ya e tadhi thikama poonzinzi oonkwawo pomunkulo gwomulonga, 4 noonzinzi dha nanga odha li po ndhoka dho ondoka. Nena omukwaniilwa okwa papudhuka. 5 Okwa kothulula ishewe e ta lala ondjodhi onkwawo. Oonyapi heyali dha mena moshihenguti shimwe dha vala nawa. 6 Mudho omwa tsapuka oonyapi oonkwawo heyali. Odha li oonshona nodha thetekwa kombepo yokuuzilo. 7 Oonyapi dha theta odha nina po ndhoka dha vala nawa. Omukwaniilwa okwa papudhuka e ta dhimbulula kutya nani okwa lala oondjodhi. 8 Ongula sho kwa shi, okwa li u uvite nayi. Okwi ithana oompulile noonkulungu dhomuEgipiti. Okwe dhi hokololele oondjodhi dhe, ihe inadhi vula oku dhi mu fatululila.
9 Omupindi gwomaviinu okwa lombwele omukwaniilwa a ti: “Ngashingeyi otandi dhimbulukwa kutya onda yona. 10 Owa li wa geela ndje tse nomuteleki omukuluntu gwiikwiila e to tu tula mondjedhililo megumbo lyomulangeli omukuluntu. 11 Uusiku umwe otwa lala oondjodhi dhi ili nodhi ili. 12 Omumati Omuhebeli okwa li putse, omupika gwomulangeli gwondjedhililo. Otwe mu hokololele oondjodhi dhetu, e te dhi tu fatululile. 13 Iinima oya ningwa, ngaashi a tile; owa shuna ndje muulenga wandje, ihe owa dhipaga omuteleki gwiikwiila.”
14 Omukwaniilwa okwa tumu Josef e ki ithanwe. Oye mu pititha mo mbala mondjedhililo. Okwi ikululitha e ta zala nawa e te ya komukwaniilwa. 15 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuye: “Onda lala ondjodhi, nokape na ngoka ta vulu oku yi fatulula. Onda hokololelwa kutya ngoye oho fatulula oondjodhi.”
16 Josef okwa yamukula a ti: “Ngame itandi vulu, Nkeyama, ihe Kalunga ota pe omukwaniilwa eyamukulo lyo opala.”
17 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Onda lala ondjodhi nda li nda thikama pomunkulo gwomulonga Niili, 18 oonzinzi heyali dho ondoka nodho opala dha anduka momulonga e tadhi napa omwiidhi. 19 Nena momulonga omwa anduka oonzinzi oonkwawo heyali oombwinayi dha nanga nodha nama. Inandi mona nale muEgipiti alihe oongombe oombwinayi dha fa ndhoka. 20 Ndhika odha li po oongombe ndhoka dhotango dho opala, 21 ihe kapwa li ngoka e shi ndhindhilike, oshoka odha li natango oombwinayi dha fa shito. Opo mpoka onda papudhuka. 22 Onda lala ondjodhi ishewe. Ondi wete oonyapi heyali dho opala nodha vala nawa dha tsapuka moshihenguti shimwe. 23 Konima opwa tsapuka oonyapi heyali dha theta noonshona. 24 Ndhoka dha theta odha nina po ndhoka dha vala nawa. Oondjodhi onde dhi hokololele oompulile, ihe kape na nando oyimwe ya vulu oku dhi fatululila ndje.”
25 Josef okwa ti komukwaniilwa: “Oondjodhi adhihe mbali otadhi popi oshinima shimwe; Kalunga ote ku lombwele shoka ta ka ninga. 26 Oonzinzi heyali dho ondoka odho oomvula heyali, oonyapi heyali dha vala odho oomvula heyali. Otadhi popi oshinima shimwe. 27 Oonzinzi heyali dha anduka mo konima yaandhoka dho ondoka noonyapi heyali dha theta odho oomvula heyali dhondjala yekomba. 28 Oshi li naanaa; ngaashi te ti — Kalunga okwe ku ulukile shoka ta ka ninga. 29 Otaku ya omimvo heyali dheloolo muEgipiti alihe. 30 Konima yaandhika otaku ya omimvo heyali dhondjala yekomba. Omimvo dheloolo otadhi ka dhimbiwa, oshoka ondjala otayi ka shundula oshilongo. 31 Omimvo dheloolo otadhi ka dhimbiwa thiluthilu, oshoka ondjala ndjoka ya landula ko, oyo ondhigundhigu. 32 Sho wa yaguma lwaali, otashi ti kutya Kalunga okwa tokola shili shoka ta ka longa.
33 “Hogolola ano omulumentu omunandunge e na owino, u mu langeke melelo lyaEgipiti alihe. 34 Langeka wo aambala yalwe, ya taambe oshititano shomateyo momimvo ndhoka heyali dheloolo. 35 Ya lombwela, ya gongele iilya momimvo dheloolo ndhoka tadhi ya, e to ya pe uuthemba wokupungula iilya miilando noku yi tonatela. 36 Iilya otayi ka hepulutha oshilongo pethimbo lyomimvo heyali dhondjala ndjoka tayi ya muEgipiti. Pamukalo nguka aantu itaa ka sa po kondjala.”
Josef ta ningwa omupangeli gwaEgipiti
37 Oohapu ndhika odho opalele omukwaniilwa nomalenga ge. 38 Oye nokwa ti kugo: “Itatu ka moneni omuntu omwaanawa e vule Josef, ngoka e na ombepo yaKalunga.” 39 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuJosef: “Oshoka Kalunga okwe ku ulukile ayihe mbika, kape na ngoka e ku vule muunongo nomowino. 40 Otandi ku lenge moshilongo shandje, naantu yandje ayehe otaa vulika kiipango yoye. Ongame awike tandi kala ndi ku vule. 41 Otandi ku langeke omupangeli gwaEgipiti alihe.” 42 Omukwaniilwa okwa hukula ko okalinga ke koshihako komunwe gwe e te ka zaleke komunwe gwaJosef. Okwe mu zaleke onguwo yoliina nelyenge lyoshingoli mothingo ye. 43 Okwe mu pe etemba lye etiyali meopalo, a londe mo, naalangeli mboka ye mu tetekelele, oyi igidha taa ti: “Isizimikeni! Isizimikeni!” Osho ngaaka Josef a langekwa omupangeli gwaEgipiti. 44 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuJosef: “Ngame omukwaniilwa, ihe muEgipiti inamu kala omuntu ta yelutha okwooko nenge ompadhi kee na ezimino lyoye!” 45-46 Okwe mu luku edhina lyOshiegipiti Zafenat Paneak e te mu pe omukiintu Asenat, omuna gwomuyambi Potifera gwokuOn.
Josef okwa li e na omimvo omilongo ndatu, sho a holoka koshipala shaFarao, omukwaniilwa gwaEgipiti. Okwa zi muuwa e te endaenda naEgipiti alihe. 47 Momimvo ndhoka heyali dheloolo oshilongo osha teya iilya oyindji. 48 Josef okwe yi gongele e te yi pungula miigandhi yomiilando. Moshilando kehe okwa pungula mo iilya ya zi momapya gopuushiinda. 49 Okwa li ku na iilya oyindjiyindji, noye etha oku yi yeleka — oya li ya fa ehekevi lyomooha dhefuta.
50 Ondjala manga inaayi ya, Josef okwa valelwa aamati yaali kuAsenat. 51 Okwa ti: “Kalunga okwa dhimbitha ndje okuhepekwa kwandje negumbo lyatate.” Okwa luku osheeli she Manasse. 52 Okwa ti ishewe: “Kalunga okwa pe ndje aanona mevi lyuudhigu wandje.” Okwe mu luku Efraim.
53 Omimvo heyali dheloolo ndhoka dha nyanyudha Egipiti, odha hulu po, 54 nomimvo heyali dhondjala odha tameke, ngaashi naanaa Josef a tile. Okwa li ku na ondjala miilongo ayihe, ihe muEgipiti omwa li mu na iilya. 55 Aayegipiti sho ya tameke okusa ondjala, noya pula omukwaniilwa iilya, okwe ya lombwele, ya ye kuJosef, e taa ningi shoka te ya lombwele. 56 Ondjala oya geye e tayi taandele noshilongo ashihe. Nena Josef okwa matula iigandhi ayihe e ta landitha po iilya kAayegipiti. 57 Aantu yomuuyuni auhe oye ya kuEgipiti, ya lande iilya kuJosef, oshoka ondjala oya li ya geya muuyuni auhe.
