Page 94 - Bible History

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT 67
About two years later, Pharao had a dream. He Ph 's dreamed that he stood by the river, out of which seven dream cows came, very beautiful and fat. Seven other cows followed them, very lean and sickly looking. The fat
cows fed in places where there was not much grass. The lean cows fed where the grass was plentiful. After a time the lean cows ate the fat cows.
Pharao had a second dream. He thought he saw seven ears of wheat come up from one stalk, full and fair. Seven others then sprang up on the same stalk, thin and blasted. The seven thin ears ate all the sap of the stalk, and the fat and full ears died away.
Pharao could nd no one in his kingdom who could explain these dreams to him. It was then that the butler -remembered Joseph in prison. He told Pharao how Joseph had explained his own dream and that of the baker.
Pharao at once commanded that oseph be brought J h
before him to explain the dreams which no one else d ams
could explain. Before Joseph began to interpret Pharao 's dreams, however, he told him that the power to interpret dreams comes from God. Then he said, ''The two dreams mean the. same thing. The seven beautiful cows and the seven full ears represent years of plenty. The seven lean cows and the seven thin ears stand for seven years of famine. So great will be the famine that it will consume all the food stored up in
the time of plenty.''
Joseph advised Pharao to appoint a wise man to pre­
pare for the famine. His duty should be to store away
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