Genesis 40

1 Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt.

While these things were going on, it happened that two eunuchs, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and the miller of grain, offended their lord.

2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,

And Pharaoh, being angry with them, (now the one was in charge of the cupbearers, the other of the millers of grain)

3 and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined.

sent them to the prison of the leader of the military, in which Joseph also was a prisoner.

4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time,

But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, who ministered to them also. Some little time passed by, while they were held in custody.

5 both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.

And they both saw a similar dream on one night, whose interpretations should be related to one another.

6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught.

And when Joseph had entered to them in the morning, and had seen them sad,

7 So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?”

he consulted them, saying, “Why is your expression sadder today than usual?”

8 “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

They responded, “We have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it for us.” And Joseph said to them, “Doesn’t interpretation belong to God? Recount for me what you have seen.”

9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me,

The chief cupbearer explained his dream first. “I saw before me a vine,

10 and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes.

on which were three shoots, which grew little by little into buds, and, after the flowers, it matured into grapes.

11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.”

And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand. Therefore, I took the grapes, and I pressed them into the cup that I held, and I handed the cup to Pharaoh.”

12 Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.

Joseph responded: “This is the interpretation of the dream. The three shoots are the next three days,

13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer.

after which Pharaoh will remember your service, and he will restore you to your former position. And you will give him the cup according to your office, as you were accustomed to do before.

14 But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison.

Only remember me, when it will be well with you, and do me this mercy, to suggest to Pharaoh to lead me out of this prison.

15 For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”

For I have been stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here, innocently, I was cast into the pit.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head.

The chief miller of grain, seeing that he had wisely unraveled the dream, said: “I also saw a dream: that I had three baskets of meal above my head,

17 In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

and in one basket, which was the highest, I carried all foods that are made by the art of baking, and the birds ate from it.”

18 Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.

Joseph responded: “This is the interpretation of the dream. The three baskets are the next three days,

19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”

after which Pharaoh will carry away your head, and also suspend you from a cross, and the birds will tear your flesh.”

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.

The third day thereafter was the birthday of Pharaoh. And making a great feast for his servants, he remembered, during the banquet, the chief cupbearer and the chief miller of grain.

21 Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.

And he restored the one to his place, to present him the cup;

22 But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.

the other he hanged on a gallows, and thus the truth of the interpreter of dreams was proven.

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.

And although he advanced with so much prosperity, the chief cupbearer forgot his interpreter of dreams.