Joseph in Charge of Egypt

Then Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph's finger as a token of his authority, and dressed him in beautiful clothing and placed the royal golden chain about his neck and declared, "See, I have placed you in charge of all the land of Egypt."

Pharaoh also gave Joseph the chariot of his second-in-command, and wherever he went the shout arose, "Kneel down!" and Pharaoh declared to Joseph, "I, the king of Egypt, swear that you shall have complete charge over all the land of Egypt."

Pharaoh gave him a name meaning "He has the god-like power of life and death!" And he gave him a wife, a girl named Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. So Joseph became famous throughout the land of Egypt. He was thirty years old as he entered the service of the king. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and began traveling all across the land.

And sure enough, for the next seven years there were bumper crops everywhere. During those years, Joseph requisitioned for the government a portion of all the crops grown throughout Egypt, storing them in nearby cities. After seven years of this, the granaries were full to overflowing, and there was so much that no one kept track of the amount.

During this time before the arrival of the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of the sun god Re of Heliopolis. Joseph named his oldest son Manasseh (meaning "Made to Forget"--what he meant was that God had made up to him for all the anguish of his youth, and for the loss of his father's home). The second boy was named Ephraim (meaning "Fruitful"--"For God has made me fruitful in this land of my slavery," he said).

So at last the seven years of plenty came to an end. Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There were crop failures in all the surrounding countries too, but in Egypt there was plenty of grain in the storehouses. The people began to starve. They pleaded with Pharaoh for food, and he sent them to Joseph. "Do whatever he tells you to," he instructed them.

So now, with severe famine all over the world, Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians and to those from other lands who came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.

Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt »

TEXT SOURCE: (Genesis 41:41-57) The Children's Living Bible, ©1970 Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187
TITLE SOURCE: The New Student Bible, ©1992 Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan 49530