Targum Jonathan - Genesis 41 - Mikeetz (Hierna)

It was at the end of two years, that the remembrance of Joseph came before the Word of the Lord. And Pharoh dreamed, and, behold, he stood by the river, and, behold, from the river came up seven oxen good-looking and fat-fleshed; and they grazed in the midst of the sedges.
And, behold, seven other oxen came up from the river, evil-looking and lean in their flesh, and stood by the side of tile oxen on the bank of the river.
And the evil-looking and lean-fleshed oxen devoured the seven good-looking and fat. And Pharoh awoke from his sleep.
And he slept, and saw a second dream; and, behold, seven ears arose on one stalk, full and good; and, behold, seven ears, thin and blighted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
And the seven thin ears devoured the seven fat and full. And Pharoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
And in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all the magicians of Mizraim and all the wise men; and Pharoh told them the dreams; but no man was able to interpret it; for it was occasioned by the Lord, because the time had come that Joseph should come forth from the house of the bound.
And the chief of the cup-bearers spake before Pharoh, saying, My faults do I remember this day.
It was occasioned from the Lord that Pharoh was angry with his servants, and he put me in ward in the house of the chief executioner, me and the chief baker.
And we dreamed a dream in one night I and he; each man his (own) dream, and the interpretation of his companion's dream we dreamed.
And there was with us a Hebrew youth, a servant of the chief executioner; and we recounted to him, and he explained the dream to us, to each man be explained the interpretation of his dream.
And even as he interpreted to us so it was; me he restored in his sentence to the order of my service, and him he hanged.
And Pharoh sent and called Joseph, and hastened him from the prison; and he dressed his hair, and changed his garments, and went unto Pharoh.
And Pharoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it; and I have heard of thee, saying, that if thou hear a dream thou canst explain it.
And Joseph answered Pharoh, saying, (It is) without me; it is not man who interprets dreams: but from before the Lord shall be an answer of peace unto Pharoh.
And Pharoh spake with Joseph, saying, I saw in my dream, and, behold, I stood on the bank of the river.
And, behold, from the river came up seven oxen, fat-fleshed and goodjlooking, and they grazed in the midst of the sedges.
And behold seven other oxen came up after them, wasted, and very eviljlooking, and lean in their flesh. I have not seen the like of them in all the land of Mizraim for badness.
And the wasted and evil oxen devoured the first seven fat oxen.
And they entered into their stomach, but it could not be known that they had entered into their stomach, for their appearance was evil as before; and I awoke.
And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears arose on one stalk, full and good;
and, behold, seven ears withered, thin,* blighted with the east wind, sprang up after them.
And the seven thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told the magicians, but there is no one who can teach me.
And Joseph said to Pharoh, The dream of Pharoh is one. That which the Lord is about to do He showeth to Pharoh.
The seven good oxen announce seven years; and the seven good ears announce also those seven years: the dream is one.
And the seven wasted and evil oxen which arose after them announce seven other years; and the seven ears thin and blighted with the east wind likewise make known that there will be seven years of famine.
This is the word that I speak to Pharoh: what the Lord is about to do He showeth Pharoh.
Behold, there come seven years of great plenty in all the land of Mizraim.
And after them will arise seven years of famine, which will make all the plenty that was in the land of Mizraim to be forgotten; and the famine will consu1e the inhabitants of the land; neither will the plenty which had been in the land be known, for the famine that will be afterward, because it will be exceeding strong.
And forasmuch as the dream was repeated to Pharoh twice, therefore is the thing confirmed before the Lord, and the Lord hasteneth to do it.
But now let Pharoh look out a man prudent and wise, and appoint him over the land of Mizraim.
Let Pharoh make superintendents over the land, and let them take out one part in five of all the produce of the land of Mizraim in the seven years of plenty.
And let them collect all the produce of those good years that are coming, and gather together the produce under the hand of Pharoh's superintendents, and set the produce in the cities to be kept;
and there will be provision laid up (as) in a cavern in the earth, that therefrom they may take in the years of famine which come upon the land of Mizraim, that the people of the land perish not through the famine.
And the word was good before Pharoh, and before all his servants.
And Pharoh said to his servants, Can we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of prophecy from the Lord?
And Pharoh said to Joseph, Since the Lord Hath made known all this to thee, there is no one so prudent and wise as thou art.
Thou shalt be superintendent over my house, and by the decree of thy mouth shall all my people be armed only in the throne of the kingdom will I be greater than thou.
And Pharoh said to Joseph, See, I have appointed thee prince over the land of Mizraim.
And Pharoh took off his ring from his hand, and set it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in vestments of fine linen, and set a collar of gold upon his neck,
and made him ride in the second chariot of Pharoh; and they chanted before him, This is the Father of the king; Great in wisdom, few in years. And he appointed him prince over all the land of Mizraim.
And Pharoh said to Joseph, I am Pharoh the king, and thou art viceregent, and without thy word a man shall not lift up his hand to gird on arms, or his foot to mount a horse in all the land of Mizraim.
And Pharoh called the name of Joseph, The man who revealeth mysteries. And he gave him Asenath, whom Dinah had borne to Shekem, and the wife of Potiphera prince (Rabba) of Tanis had brought up, to be his wife. And Joseph went forth ruler over the land of Mizraim.
And Joseph was a son of thirty years when he stood before Pharoh, king of Mizraim. And Joseph went out from Pharoh, and passed, a prince and a ruler, through all ,the land of Mizraim.
And the earth (so) brought forth, that every blade made two handsfull in the seven years of plenty, until all the granaries were full.
And they gathered all the produce of the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Mizraim, and he laid up the produce in the cities; the produce of the fields which were round about a city he laid up therein.
And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine arose, which Asenath who had been brought up in the house of Potipliera prince of Tanis bare to him.
And Joseph called the name of his firstjborn Menasheh; because, the Lord hath made me forget all my weariness and all the house of my father.
And the name of the second he called Ephraim; for he said, The Lord hath made me mighty in the land of my affliction, as he will make the house of my father mighty here in their afflictions.
And the seven years of plenty were completed which were to come in the land of Mizraim;
and the seven years of famine began to be, as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Mizraim there was bread.
And all the land of Mizraim had dearth; because the seed wheat bare no fruit, and the people cried before Pharoh for bread. And Pharoh said to all the Mizraee, Go to Joseph, and what he shall tell you do.
And the famine was upon all the face of the land; and Joseph opened all the treasures and sold to the Mizraee. And the famine waxed mighty in the land of Mizraim; and all the inhabitants of the earth came into Mizraim to buy provision of Joseph; for the famine was mighty in all the earth.