Chapter 49
his ears and his heart and heard all the words of Joseph. And Joseph said unto the king: Do not imagine that they are two dreams, for it is only one dream, for that which God has chosen to do through out the land he has shown to the king in his dream, and this is the proper interpretation of thy dream.
54. The seven good kine and ears of corn are seven years, and the seven bad kine and ears of corn are also seven years; it is one dream.
55. Behold the seven years that are coming there will be a great plenty throughout the land, and after that the seven years of famine will follow them, a very grievous famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten from the land, and the famine will consume all the inhabitants of the land.
56. The king dreamed one dream, and the dream was therefore repeated unto Pharaoh because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
57. Now therefore I will give thee counsel and deliver thy soul and the souls of the inhabitants of the land from the evil of the famine, that thou seek throughout thy kingdom for a man very discreet and wise, who knoweth all the affairs of government, and appoint him to superintend over the land of Egypt.
58. And let the man whom thou placest over Egypt appoint officers under him, that they gather in all the food of the good years that are coming, and let them lay up corn and deposit it in appointed stores.
59. And let them keep that food for the seven years of famine, that it maybe found for thee and thy people and thy whole land, and that thou and thy land be not cut off by the famine.
60. Let all the inhabitants of the land be ordered that they gather in, every man the produce of his field, of all sorts of food, during the seven good years, and that they place it in their stores, that it may be found for them in the days of the famine and that they may live upon it.
61. This is the proper interpretation of thy dream, and this is the counsel given to save thy soul and the souls of all thy subjects.
62. And the king answered and said unto Joseph, who sayeth and who knoweth that thy words are correct? And he said unto the king: This shall be a sign for thee respecting all my words, that they are true and that my advice is good for thee.
63. Behold thy wife sitteth this day upon the stool of delivery, and she will bear thee a son and thou wilt rejoice with him; when thy child shall have gone forth from his mother's womb, thy firstborn son, that has been born two years back, shall die, and thou wilt be comforted in the child that will be born unto thee this day.
64. When Joseph finished speaking these words to the king, he bowed down to the king and went out. And when Joseph had gone out from the king's presence those signs, which Joseph had spoken unto the king, came to pass on that very day.
65. And the queen bare a son on that day and the king heard the glad tidings about his son, and he rejoiced, and when the reporter had gone forth from the king's presence, the king's servants found the firstborn son of the king fallen dead upon the ground.
66. And there was great lamentation and noise in the king's house, and the king heard it, and he said, what is the noise and lamentation that I have heard in the house? And they told the king that his firstborn son had died. Then the king knew that all Joseph's words, that he had spoken, were correct, and the king was consoled for his son by the child that was born to him on the day that Joseph had spoken.
1. AFTER these things the king sent and assembled all his officers and servants, and all the princes and nobles belonging to the king, and they all came before the king.
2. And the king said unto them, behold you have seen and heard all the words of this Hebrew man, and all the signs which he declared would come to pass, and not any of his words have fallen to the ground.
3. You know that he has given a proper interpretation of the dream, and it will surely come to pass. Now therefore take counsel and know what to do in order that the land will be delivered from the famine.
4. Seek now and see whether the like can be found in whose heart there is such wisdom and knowledge, and I will appoint him over the land.
5. For you have heard what the Hebrew man advised concerning this, to save the land therewith from the famine. I know that the land will not be delivered from the famine, but delivered through the advice of the Hebrew man, the one that advised me.
6. And they all answered the king and said, the counsel which the Hebrew has given concerning this is good; now therefore, our lord and king, behold the whole land is in thy hand, do which seemeth good in thy sight.
7. Him whom thou choosest and whom thou in thy wisdom knowest to be wise and capable of delivering the land with his wisdom, him shall the 116 . king appoint to be under him over the land.
8. And the king said to all the officers, I have thought that since God has made known to the Hebrew man all that he has spoken, there is none so discreet and wise in the whole land as he is; if it seems good in your sight, I will place him over the land, for he will save the land with his wisdom.
9. And all the officers answered the king and said, but surely it is written in the Laws of Egypt, and it should not be violated, that no man shall reign over Egypt, nor be the second to the king, but one who has knowledge in all the languages of the sons of men.
10. Now therefore our lord and king, behold this Hebrew man can only speak the Hebrew language. How then can he be over us the second under government, a man who not even knoweth our language?
11. Now we pray thee send for him, and let him come before thee, and prove him in all things, and do as thou seest.
12. And the king said, it shall be done so tomorrow, and what you have spoken is good; and all the officers came on that day before the king.
13. And on that night the Lord sent one of his ministering angels, and he came unto the land of Egypt unto Joseph, and the angel of the Lord stood over Joseph, and behold Joseph was lying in the bed at night in his master's house in the dungeon, for his master had put him back into the dungeon on account of his wife.
14. And the angel roused him from his sleep, and Joseph rose up and stood upon his legs, and behold the angel of the Lord was standing opposite to him. And the angel of the Lord spoke with Joseph and taught him all the languages of man in that night, and he called his name Jehoseph.
15. And the angel of the Lord went from him, and Joseph returned and layed upon his bed, and Joseph was astonished at the vision which he saw.
16. And it came to pass in the morning that the king sent for all his officers and servants, and they all came and sat before the king, and the king ordered Joseph to be brought, and the king's servants went and brought Joseph before Pharaoh.
17. And the king came forth and ascended the steps of the throne, and Joseph spoke unto the king in all languages, and Joseph went up to him and spoke unto the king until he arrived before the king in the seventieth step, and he sat before the king.
18. And the king greatly rejoiced on account of Joseph, and all the king's officers rejoiced greatly with the king when they heard all the words of Joseph. 19a. And the thing seemed good in the sight of the king and the officers to appoint Joseph to be second to the king over the whole land of Egypt. 19b. And the king spoke to Joseph, saying:
20. Now, thou didst give me counsel to appoint a wise man over the land of Egypt, in order to save the land from the famine with his wisdom. Now then, since God has made all this known to thee, and all the words thou hast spoken, there does not exist throughout the land a discreet and wise man like unto thee.
21. And thy name no more shall be called Joseph, but Zaphnath Paaneah shall be thy name; thou shalt be second to me, and according to thy word shall be all the affairs of my government, and at thy word shall my people go out and come in.
22. Also from under thy hand shall my servants and officers receive their salary which is given to them monthly, and to thee shall all the people of the land bow down; only in my throne will I be greater than thou.
23. And the king took off his ring from his hand and put it upon the hand of Joseph, and the king dressed Joseph in a princely garment, and he put a golden crown upon his head, and he put a golden chain upon his neck.
24. And the king commanded his servants, and they made him ride in the second chariot belonging to the king, that went opposite to the king's chariot, and he caused him to ride upon a great and strong horse from the king's horses, and to be conducted through the streets of the land of Egypt.
25. And the king commanded that all those that played upon timbrels, harps and other musical instruments should go forth with Joseph; one thousand timbrels, one thousand Mecholoth, and one thousand Nebalim went after him.
26. And five thousand men, with drawn swords glittering in their hands, and they went marching and playing before Joseph, and twenty thousand of the great men of the king girt with girdles of skin covered with gold, marched at the right hand of Joseph, and twenty thousand at his left, and all the women and damsels went upon the roofs or stood in the streets playing and rejoicing at Joseph, and gazed at the appearance of Joseph and at his beauty.
27. And the king's people went before him and behind him, perfuming the road with frankincense and with cassia, and with all sorts of fine perfume, and scattered myrrh and aloes along the road, and twenty men proclaimed these words before him throughout the land in a loud voice:
28. Do you see this man whom the king has chosen to be his second? All the affairs of government shall be regulated by him, and he that transgresses his orders or does not bow down before him to the ground shall die, for he rebels against the king and his second.
29. And when the heralds had ceased proclaiming, all the people of Egypt bowed down to the ground before Joseph and said, may the king live, also may his second live; and all the inhabitants of Egypt bowed down along the road, and when the heralds approached them, they bowed down, and they rejoiced with all sorts of timbrels, mechol and nebal