Page:The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.djvu/43

40 can know future events. Joseph told Pharaoh that God had shewed the king what He was about to do. The seven good kine and the seven good ears were seven years of great plenty, and the seven lean kine and seven thin ears were seven years of famine, that God was about to cause in all the land of Egypt; and the famine was to be so grievous that the previous plenty would not be known. Such was the interpretation given by Joseph. And here, indeed, God was with him, for human wisdom could not have revealed it.

But Joseph not only explained the dream, and thus gave from God premonition that was of the greatest value, not for the benefit of Egypt only, but of all surrounding countries, but he advised Pharaoh to turn the dream to good account, by saving during the seven plenteous years, to meet the necessities of the seven years of scarcity. He counselled him to look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt, and appoint officers under him, to gather the fifth part of the food of the plenteous years, and