Miketz, Aliyah 2 מקץ, שני

Pharaoh said to Yoseif, I had a dream and there is no one to interpret it. I have heard it said about you that you hear a dream so as to interpret it.

Yoseif answered Pharaoh, saying, Not I. God will respond to the peace of Pharaoh.

Pharaoh spoke to Yoseif, In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the river.

Behold from the river there emerged seven cows, well-fleshed and fine looking, and they were grazing in the reed grass.

And behold seven other cows emerged after them, poor, very bad-looking and thin-fleshed. I never saw in the entire land of Egypt, such bad looking [cows.]

The thin, bad-looking cows, ate the first seven cows, which were the healthy ones.

They came inside them, but it could not be recognized that they had come inside them, [because] their appearance was as bad as it was previously. Then I woke up.

Then I saw in my dream that behold seven ears of grain [corn], wholesome and good, came up on one stalk.

And behold seven ears, shriveled, thin and scorched by the east wind, grew up after them.

The thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. I said this to the wizards, but none of them could tell me [its meaning].

Yoseif said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh’s dream is one. What God is about to do, He has told to Pharaoh.

The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good ears represent seven years; it is one dream.

The seven thin, bad [looking] cows who came up after them, represent seven years, and the seven empty, east wind—scorched ears, represent the coming of seven years of famine.

This is the word that I have spoken to Pharaoh; what God is about to do, He has revealed to Pharaoh.

Behold, seven years are coming during which there will be great abundance in the entire land of Egypt.

Seven years of famine will rise after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate the land.

Nor will be known the [former] abundance of the land because of that famine that will follow, for it will be very severe.

As for the dream being repeated twice to Pharaoh, it is because the thing stands ready before God, and God is hurrying to do it.

Now Pharaoh should seek a man of understanding and wisdom, and place him in charge of the land of Egypt.

This is what Pharaoh should do: appoint officials over the land, and prepare the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

Let them gather in all the food during these good years that are coming, and let them store up grain under the hand [jurisdiction] of Pharaoh. Let the food be [kept] in the cities, and let them safeguard it.

The food will be held in safe-keeping for the land, for the seven years of famine; which will be in the land of Egypt. Let the land not be cut off by the famine.

This thing [plan] was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

Pharaoh said to his servants, Can [another] one like this be found, a man who has God’s spirit in him?