CHAP. XL.

JOSEPH'S GREAT SAGACITY.

AFTER this the king of Egypt's chief butler and chief baker offended him. 2. And his wrath was kindled against these two officers, 3. Whom he committed to custody in the captain of the guard's house, in the place of the prison where Joseph had been bound. 4. And the captain committed them to Joseph's charge, who took care of them whilst they continued in custody.

5. And each of them had a dream in the same night, presaging what was to befal them. 6. And when Joseph came in to them in the morning, he saw they were troubled. 7. And he asked them, Why have ye so sad a countenance to-day? 8. They replied, We have dreamed, and there is none to interpret our dreams. But Joseph said, Are not interpretations from God, tell me them I pray you.

9. Then the chief butler said, In my dream I saw a vine before me, 10. Having three branches budded and blossomed, and clusters of ripe grapes: 11. And Pharaoh's cup being in my hand, I took them and pressed them into it, and gave it to him.

12. Then Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. 13. Within three days shall Pharaoh take an account, and restore thee to thy place, to deliver his cup into his hand as before. 14. But shew me kindness when it is well with thee; remember me, I pray thee, and do me the favour to mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: 15. For indeed I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing to cause me be put in this dungeon.

16. The chief baker seeing the interpretation was proper, he said to Joseph, In my dream I had three white baskets on myhead; 17.And in the up

permost there were all kinds of baked meats for Pha raoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.

18. Then Joseph said, This is the interpretation. The three baskets are three days. 19. Within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head by hanging thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat the flesh from off thee.

20. The third day being Pharaoh's birth-day, he made a feast to all his servants, and he decided the fates of the chief butler and the chief baker.

21. He restored the chief butler to his office, to give the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 22. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted. 23. Yet the chief butler remembered not Joseph, but forgat him.

CHAP. XLI.

PHARAOH'S DREAMS.

Two years after this Pharaoh dreamed, that he stood by the river Nile;

2. And saw seven good fat beeves come out of the river, and feed in a meadow. 3. And seven lean, bad ones, came out of the river after them, (worse than any ever seen in Egypt), and stood by them on the river's bank. 4. The seven lean devoured the seven fat ones. Then Pharaoh awaked. 5. He slept again, and dreamed he saw seven ears of corn full and good, grow on one stalk. 6. And after them seven ears, thin, and blasted by eastwind. 7. And the seven thin ears consumed the seven full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and knew he had dreamed.

8. In the morning, being troubled, he sent for all the magicians and sages of Egypt, and told them his dreams: but none of them could interpret them.

9. Then said the chief butler to Pharaoh, I recollect my faults this day. 10. Pharaoh being displeased with his two servants, put me and the chief

baker in the prison of the captain of the guard's house; 11. And each of us dreamed in one night according to what took place. 12. And there was with us in the prison a young Hebrew, servant to the captain, and we told him our dreams; and as he interpreted, it happened to each of us; '18. He restored me to mine office, and him he hanged.

14. Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph; and they brought him speedily out of the dungeon: and hav ing shaved himself, and changed his raiment, he came to Pharaoh; 15. Who said to him, I have dreamed a dream, which none can interpret; and I heard it said, that when thou hearest a dream, thou canst interpret it. 16. But Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not of me, but of God, who will give Pharaoh a satisfactory answer.

17. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Lo, in my dream, I stood on the bank of the river Nile; 18. And saw seven good fat beeves come out of the river, and feed in a meadow; 19. And seven poor, unseemly, lean beeves, came out of the river after them, worse than any ever seen in Egypt: 20. And the bad devoured the better ones; 21. But they seemed not the better for it. Here I awoke. 22. I saw again in my dream, seven ears of corn, full and good, grow on one stalk. 23. And after them seven ears, small, thin, and blasted: 24. And the thin ears consumed the full ones. These I told to the magicians; but none could interpret them.

25. Joseph said to Pharaoh, Both the dreams denote the same thing: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26. The seven good beeves are seven good years; and the seven goods ears of corn, are the same seven years of plenty. 27. The seven poor lean beeves that came after the others, are seven bad years; and the seven empty ears,blasted with the east wind, are the same seven years of famine. 28. God sheweth to Pharaoh what he is about to do, as I have already said.

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29. Behold, there will be seven years of great plenty thro' all Egypt; 30. And after them seven years of famine, which will consume the land, so that it will not be known, that there had ever been plenty in it, 31. The famine will be so grievous. 32. And as the dream was doubled, it is determined by God, to be soon accomplished.

33. Now, therefore, let Pharaoh choose a man discreet and wise, and set him over Egypt; 34. And let him appoint overseers over the land, to lay up the fifth part of its produce, during the seven years of plenty. 35. Let them gather provision, during those good years, and lay up corn in the king's treasuries, to keep food in the cities, 36. For a store in the land, for the seven years of famine, that the inhabitants perish not in it.

37. This scheme appeared good to Pharaoh, and all his servants. 38. Then Pharaoh said to them, Can we find such a man as this? for the spirit of God is in him.

39. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, As God hath shewed thee all these things, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. 40. Thou shalt be over my house; and according to thy word, shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be superior to thee. 41. He said also to him, I have set thee over all Egypt. 42. Then he took the ring from off his finger, and put it on Joseph's, and arrayed him in garments of fine linen; and put a golden chain about his neck: 43. And made him to ride in his second chariot, over all Egypt; and they cried before him, Bend the knee.

44. Pharaoh said also to Joseph, As I am the king, no action, or expedition, (i. e. nothing of importance) shall be done in all Egypt without thee. 45. Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paancah, (i. e. revealer of secrets, and saviour of the world); and gave him for a wife Assenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On,

(Heliopolis). 46. Joseph went out over all Egypt. He was now thirty years old.

47. Now in the seven plenteous years the earth produced fruit in great abundance. 48. And he gathered up all the fifth part of the product of the seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt, and laid it up in cities: the product of the field, that was around every city, he laid up in the same. 49. Thus Joseph gathered very much corn, as the sand of the sea, for it was past numbering (having bought it with the king's money).

50. Soseph had two sons before the years of famine. 51. He called the first Manessah, (i. e. forgetting); for he said, God hath made me forget all my trouble and the injuries of my father's house. 52. And the second he called Ephraim; for he said, God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

53. The seven years of plenty were now ended. 54. And the seven years of famine began, as Joseph foretold: there was dearth in all lands; but there was bread in all Egypt.

55. Now when all the Egyptians were famishing, they cried to Pharaoh for food; and he said, Go to Joseph; and whatever he saith to you, do.

56. Then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to them, for the famine prevailed in the land, and over all lands around. 57. So the people of all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy corn.

CHAP. XLII.

JOSEPH'S BROTHERS COME TO EGYPT.

WHEN Jacob knew there was corn in Egypt, he said to his sons, Why do ye loiter? Go to Egypt, 2. And buy food, to keep us alive.

3. So ten of Joseph's brethren went to Egypt. 4. But Jacob sent not Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the rest, lest some evil should befal him.

5. So Israel's sons came to buy corn among o