For these past two years there has been famine in ¹  the land and for five more years there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. ¹  Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. ² 

People from every country ¹  came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

By the ninth day of the fourth month ¹  the famine in the city was so severe the residents ²  had no food.

“These people have denied what the Lord says. ¹  They have said, ‘That is not so! ²  No harm will come to us. We will not experience war and famine. ³ 

By the ninth day of the fourth month ¹  the famine in the city was so severe the residents ²  had no food.

So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, ¹  for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

These double disasters confronted you. But who feels sorry for you? Destruction and devastation, famine and sword. But who consoles you? ¹ 

I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and multiply it; I will not bring a famine on you.

I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the produce of the fields, so that you will never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

Then a famine occurred throughout ¹  Egypt and Canaan, causing ²  great suffering, and our ³  ancestors ⁴  could not find food.

I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, ‘No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the Lord, say this about ¹  them: ‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ ² 

I will bring war, starvation, and disease ¹  on them until they are completely destroyed from the land I gave them and their ancestors.’” ² 

There is no reason why you and your people should die in war ¹  or from starvation or disease! ²  That’s what the Lord says will happen to any nation ³  that will not be subject to the king of Babylon.

The Lord who rules over all ¹  says, ‘I will bring war, ²  starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rotten ³  they cannot be eaten.

So now be very sure of this: You will die from war, starvation, or disease in the place where you want to go and live.”

I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt with war, starvation, and disease just as I punished Jerusalem.

There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.”

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ¹ 

The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ¹  seven years of famine.