Joseph Interprets the King's Dreams
1 After two years had passed, the king of Egypt dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River, 2 when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began to feed on the grass. 3 Then seven other cows came up; they were thin and bony. They came and stood by the other cows on the riverbank, 4 and the thin cows ate up the fat cows. Then the king woke up. 5 He fell asleep again and had another dream. Seven heads of grain, full and ripe, were growing on one stalk. 6 Then seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the desert wind, 7 and the thin heads of grain swallowed the full ones. The king woke up and realized that he had been dreaming. 8 In the morning he was worried, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. He told them his dreams, but no one could explain them to him.
9 Then the wine steward said to the king, “I must confess today that I have done wrong. 10 You were angry with the chief baker and me, and you put us in prison in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 One night each of us had a dream, and the dreams had different meanings. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us. 13 Things turned out just as he said: you restored me to my position, but you executed the baker.”
14 The king sent for Joseph, and he was immediately brought from the prison. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came into the king's presence. 15 The king said to him, “I have had a dream, and no one can explain it. I have been told that you can interpret dreams.”
16 Joseph answered, “I cannot, Your Majesty, but God will give a favorable interpretation.”
17 The king said, “I dreamed that I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began feeding on the grass. 19 Then seven other cows came up which were thin and bony. They were the poorest cows I have ever seen anywhere in Egypt. 20 The thin cows ate up the fat ones, 21 but no one would have known it, because they looked just as bad as before. Then I woke up. 22 I also dreamed that I saw seven heads of grain which were full and ripe, growing on one stalk. 23 Then seven heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the desert wind, 24 and the thin heads of grain swallowed the full ones. I told the dreams to the magicians, but none of them could explain them to me.”
25 Joseph said to the king, “The two dreams mean the same thing; God has told you what he is going to do. 26 The seven fat cows are seven years, and the seven full heads of grain are also seven years; they have the same meaning. 27 The seven thin cows which came up later and the seven thin heads of grain scorched by the desert wind are seven years of famine. 28 It is just as I told you—God has shown you what he is going to do. 29 There will be seven years of great plenty in all the land of Egypt. 30 After that, there will be seven years of famine, and all the good years will be forgotten, because the famine will ruin the country. 31 The time of plenty will be entirely forgotten, because the famine which follows will be so terrible. 32 The repetition of your dream means that the matter is fixed by God and that he will make it happen in the near future.
33 “Now you should choose some man with wisdom and insight and put him in charge of the country. 34 You must also appoint other officials and take a fifth of the crops during the seven years of plenty. 35 Order them to collect all the food during the good years that are coming, and give them authority to store up grain in the cities and guard it. 36 The food will be a reserve supply for the country during the seven years of famine which are going to come on Egypt. In this way the people will not starve.”
Joseph Is Made Governor over Egypt
37 The king and his officials approved this plan, 38 and he said to them, “We will never find a better man than Joseph, a man who has God's spirit in him.” 39 The king said to Joseph, “God has shown you all this, so it is obvious that you have greater wisdom and insight than anyone else. 40 I will put you in charge of my country, and all my people will obey your orders. Your authority will be second only to mine. 41 I now appoint you governor over all Egypt.” 42 The king removed from his finger the ring engraved with the royal seal and put it on Joseph's finger. He put a fine linen robe on him, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 He gave him the second royal chariot to ride in, and his guard of honor went ahead of him and cried out, “Make way! Make way!” And so Joseph was appointed governor over all Egypt. 44 The king said to him, “I am the king—and no one in all Egypt shall so much as lift a hand or a foot without your permission.” 45-46 He gave Joseph the Egyptian name Zaphenath Paneah, and he gave him a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest in the city of Heliopolis.
Joseph was thirty years old when he began to serve the king of Egypt. He left the king's court and traveled all over the land. 47 During the seven years of plenty the land produced abundant crops, 48 all of which Joseph collected and stored in the cities. In each city he stored the food from the fields around it. 49 There was so much grain that Joseph stopped measuring it—it was like the sand of the sea.
50 Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons by Asenath. 51 He said, “God has made me forget all my sufferings and all my father's family”; so he named his first son Manasseh. 52 He also said, “God has given me children in the land of my trouble”; so he named his second son Ephraim.
53 The seven years of plenty that the land of Egypt had enjoyed came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every other country, but there was food throughout Egypt. 55 When the Egyptians began to be hungry, they cried out to the king for food. So he ordered them to go to Joseph and do what he told them. 56 The famine grew worse and spread over the whole country, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. 57 People came to Egypt from all over the world to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.
Josefa unotjenesa mawoloto a Mambo
1 Kwakati kwapinda makole ali mabili Faro kawolota. Wakawolota ali mile pa gwizi gwe Naili, 2 ngono kabona ng'ombe hadzi dzili kutendeka mbuya dzakakola, dzithathuha mu gwizi dzifula pakati kwe shanga dze gwizi. 3 Ngono shule kwadzo kukathatuha dzimwe ng'ombe hadzi dzili kutendeka dzakabipa dzakawonda dzikama pana idzedzije dzimwe pa phili ye gwizi. 4 Ngono ng'ombe dzakabe dzakabipa dzakawonda dzikaja idzedzija dzimwe dzili kutendeka dzakanaka dzakakola. Ipapo Faro kamuka. 5 Ngono kabhakhwa nge hwope kakale kawolota gwe bubili ebona misholo ye mathunde ili kutendeka ina shanga dzakapunda mbuya yakamela mu tshinde lili ling'ompela. 6 Shule kwayo kabona mimwe misholo ye mathunde yakaswaba yakapisiwa nge phepo inopisa se ye tjilambanyika. 7 Misholo ye mathunde yakaswaba ikamidza misholo ili kutendeka yakapunda. Ipapo Faro kamuka ngono kawana ili kuti wabe ewolota. 8 Tjimuka mangwanana Faro kadziyidzika mu meya, ndizo kanodana ng'anga dzose ne batjenjendu be Egipiti. Kababudza mawoloto awe koga kukasibe ne watubula kuatjenesa.
9 Ipapo mbhati we bhepe nkulu le nkumbi la mambo, kati kuna Faro, “Nasi ndakumbula jinyo langu. 10 Makati mmwe nsi imwi Faro magwadzila moyo balanda benyu, imi ne nkulu we babhiki mukatilonga mu ng'umba ye busungwa imu nzi we nkulu we batjengeti. 11 Kwakati busiku gumwe, mmwe ne mmwe wedu kawolota hwope dzina tjeneso yakasiyana. 12 Takabe tina nzhuzha mmwe we Nhebheru ali nlanda we nkulu we batjengeti. Tikambudza mawoloto edu ngono kati tjenesela iwo epa mmwe ne mmwe wedu tjeneso ye hwope dzidze. 13 Ngono kukashingikala koga sekwa akatitjenesela idzo. Imi ndakati ha bgwiliziwa mu nshingo wangu koga mbhiki kalembedziwa kafa.”
14 Ipapo Faro katuma nthu kunodana Josefa, ngono kadusiwa mu ng'umba ye busungwa tjinyolotjo. Kati akera ndedu dzidze aambala zwiambalo zwipoga kayenda kuna Faro. 15 Faro kati kuna Josefa, “Ndakawolota ngono akuna nthu ungatjenesa hwope idzedzi. Koga ndakahwa nge kuko kuyi awabudziwa hwope iwe ungadzitjenesa.”
16 Josefa kashandula Faro eti, “Imi andingatubule, koga Ndzimu unowomupa tjeneso yamunoshaka.” 17 Ipapo Faro kabe eti kuna Josefa, “Mu mawoloto angu ndakabe ndili mile mu phili dze Naili, 18 ha ndibona ng'ombe hadzi dzili kutendeka dzithatuha mu gwizi dzakakola mbuyanana dzibe dzifula mu shanga dze gwizi. 19 Shule kwadzo kukabhuda dzimwe ng'ombe hadzi dzili kutendeka dzakawunduluka, dzakawonda dzakabipa. Andithu abona ng'ombe dzakabipa sa idzedzi mu shango yose ye Egipiti. 20 Ng'ombe hadzi dzakawonda, dzikaja idzedzije dzakakola dzili kutendeka dzathatuha kutanga. 21 Koga ne dzaja kwakabe kusina ungati ndidzo dzaja, dzakabe dzilingika dzakabipa koga se kutanga. Ngono ipapo amuka mu hwope. 22 Abhakhwa nge hwope kakale ngono awolota kakale ndibona misholo ili kutendeka ye mathude ina shanga dzakapunda mibuya yakamela mu tshinde ling'ompela. 23 Shule kwayo kukamela mimwe misholo ye mathunde ili kutendeka yakaswaba isina shanga yakapisiwa nge phepo inopisa se ye tjilambanyika. 24 Misholo ye mathunde yakaswaba ikamidza misholo ili kutendeka mibuya. Ndakabudza ikoku ng'anga, koga akuna yakatubula kutjenesa.”
25 Ipapo Josefa kati kuna Faro, “Mawoloto enyu mang'ompela, anodwa tjithu tjing'ompela. Ndzimu wamuzumbunulila tjawabe pejo nge kutjishinga. 26 Ng'ombe hadzi dzili kutendeka makole ali kutendeka ne misholo ye mathunde ili kutendeka makole ali kutendeka, mawoloto ali mang'ompela. 27 Ng'ombe hadzi dzili kutendeka idzedzi dzakathatuha shule dzakawonda, dzakabipa makole ali kutendeka ne misholo ye mathunde yakaswaba yakapisiwa nge phepo inopisa se ye tjilambanyika makole ali kutendekabo. Amilile makole ali kutendeka e bhamba. 28 Nditjo tjandakabudza Faro nditi Ndzimu wazumbunulila Faro tjawabe pejo nge kutjishinga. 29 Kwaswika makole ali kutendeka e bhokonyogwa mu shango yose ye Egipiti. 30 Shule kwawo kowozha makole ali kutendeka e bhamba. Ipapo bhokonyogwa lowokanganika mu Egipiti, zhala inowothukudza shango. 31 Bhokonyogwa lowokanganika ngoti bhamba lowobe lakabipisisa. 32 Kubgwilulugwa kwe mawoloto a Faro kodwa kuti ikoku kwathang'wa nge Ndzimu ndizo Ndzimu unowokuthama tjinyolotjo.
33 “Ndizo ngwenu Faro ngaashalule nthu una hwisiso, wakatjenjela anthame ntjengeti we Egipiti. 34 Faro ngaabige bamwe balingi mu shango banowobe betola gaswa le bushanu mu zwivuno zwe Egipiti mu makole ali kutendeka e bhokonyogwa mu Egipiti. 35 Dusani ndaulo kuti bakubunganye zojiwa zose zwe makole iyawa akanaka anozha. Zwibiganyiwe mu mizi bazwitjengete. 36 Zojiwa izwezwi zwakafanila zwibiganyigwe shango, kuti zwishingisiwe mu makole ali kutendeka e bhamba iyawa anowozha mu Egipiti kuyita kuti shango isilobesiwe ne bhamba.”
Josefa unobigwa mbusi we Egipiti
37 Nkumbulo iwoyu ukashathisa Faro ne makulukota awe. 38 Faro kalebeleka ne makulukota awe eti, “Apa tingawana mmwe kumwe kene unonga iwoyu una meya ye Ndzimu kene?” 39 Ndizo Faro kabe eti kuna Josefa, “Ndzimu se wakulakidza ikoku, akuna mmwe wakatjenjela unohwisisa sawe. 40 Ndiwe unowotjengeta zwaka nzinda, bathu bangu bose banowohwilila ndayo dzidzo. Imi ndowobe nkulu pakuli nge bushe.” 41 Ndizo Faro kadwa Josefa kati, “Bona, ndakuthama ntungamili we shango yose ye Egipiti.” 42 Ndizo Faro kadusa ring'i mu tjinyala tjitje kaambadza Josefa mu tjinyala. Kammbadza hazu dze jila lakanaka ne ndalama dze golide mu ntshibha uwe. 43 Kantathisa koloyi ye ngwa inotobela ya mambo nge mamo. Mbeli kukwe kukayenda bathu bakabe bepululudza beti, “Munthigamile!” Saikoko kanthama ntungamili we shango yose ye Egipiti. 44 Faro kati kuna Josefa, “Ndimi Faro, kuzhe kwe dama laungabe waleba akuna nthu ungathama tjithu kene tjipi zwatjo mu Egipiti.” 45 Faro katumila Josefa kati Zafenati Paneya ngono kampa Asenati nkololokadzi wa Potifera mpirisiti wa Oni kube nkadzi uwe. Josefa katendeleka mu shango ye Egipiti. 46 Josefa wakabe ana makole ali makumi matatu (30) tjibaka tjaakatangisa kushingila Faro mambo we Egipiti. Josefa kamilika pana Faro katendeleka mu shango yose ye Egipiti. 47 Mu makole iyawa ali kutendeka e bhokonyogwa kwakabe ne zojiwa zwinjinji kwazo. 48 Josefa kakubunganya zojiwa zose zwakawanika mu makole ali kutendeka e bhokonyogwa mu Egipiti kazwibiganya mu mizi. Mu nzi mmwe ne mmwe wakabe ebiganya zojiwa zwadwa mu minda yakaupoteleka. 49 Josefa kabiganya mathunde manjinji se nsetje we gungwa. Akabe ali manjinji kwaakadzina kaletja kuyela ngoti akabe epinda ndizanyo.
50 Josefa ne nkadzi uwe Asenati nkololokadzi wa Potifera mpirisiti wa Oni bakazwala bakololo babili makole e bhamba asathu kaswika. 51 Josefa katumila mwana uwe we mbano eti Manase eti, “Ndzimu wakandithama kuti ndikangang'we kudziyila kwangu, ndikangang'we ne nsha wa tate bangu.” 52 Nkololo we bubili kantumila zina kati Ifureimi ngoti eti, “Ndzimu wandiwatsha mu shango ye kudziyila kwangu.”
53 Makole ali kutendeka e bhokonyogwa mu Egipiti kapela, 54 ngono makole ali kutendeka e bhamba katangisa sekwakaleba Josefa. Bhamba likabepo mu shango dzimwe dzose, koga mu shango yose ye Egipiti kwakabe kuna zojiwa. 55 Kukati shango yose ye Egipiti yabe ne bhamba, bathu bakalilila Faro beshaka zojiwa. Faro kabadwa kati, “Yendani kuna Josefa, ngono tjaanomudwa mu tjishinge.” 56 Kukati bhamba labe mu shango yose Josefa kazhula matula katengesela Baegipiti mathunde ngoti bhamba lakabe lakabipa mu shango yose ye Egipiti. 57 Shango yose ikazha ku Egipiti kutenga mathunde muna Josefa ngoti bhamba lakabe lakabipa mu shango yose.