Genesis 40

1 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.

Some time later, two of the king of Egypt’s officials did things that displeased him. One was his chief (drink-server/man who prepared the wine and served it to the king), and the other was his chief (baker/man who baked bread for the king).

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

The king became angry with both of them.

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

So he had them put in prison, in the house of the captain of the palace guards. That was the place where Joseph was being kept.

4 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.

The two men were in prison for a long time. And during that time the captain of the palace guards appointed Joseph to be their servant, to take care of their needs.

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

One night while the king’s drink-server and his baker were there in the prison, each of them had a dream. Each dream had a different meaning.

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

The next morning, when Joseph came to them, he saw that both of them were dejected/worried.

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

So he asked them, “Why do you look so sad today?”

8 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.”

One of them answered, “We both had dreams last night, but there is no one who can tell us the meaning of the dreams.” Joseph said to them, “God is the only one who can [RHQ] tell the meaning of dreams. So tell me what you dreamed, and God will tell me the meaning.”

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

So the king’s chief drink-server told his dream to Joseph. He said, “In my dream I saw a grapevine in front of me.

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

On the vine there were three branches. After the branches budded, they blossomed, and then they produced clusters of grapes.

11 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.”

I was holding the king’s cup, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave the cup to the king to drink the juice.”

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

[God immediately told Joseph what the dream meant]. So Joseph said to him, “This is the meaning of your dream: The three branches of the vine represent three days.

13 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.

Within three days the king will release you from prison. He will let you do the work that you did before. You will take cups of wine to the king as you did before, when you were his drink-server.

14 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.

But when you are out of prison and everything goes well for you, please do not forget me.

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

People took me away forcefully from the land where my fellow Hebrews live. [I did nothing wrong there], and also while I have been here in Egypt, I have done nothing for which I deserved to be put in prison. So be kind to me and tell the king about me, so that he will release me from this prison!”

16 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,

When the chief baker heard that the meaning of the dream of the king’s drink-server was very favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. In the dream I was surprised to see three baskets of bread stacked on my head.

17 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.”

In the top basket there were many kinds of baked goods for the king, but birds were eating them from the top basket that was on my head!”

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

God again told Joseph what the dream meant, so he said, “The three baskets also represent three days.

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

Within three days the king will command that your head be cut off. Then your body will be hung on a tree, and vultures will come and eat your flesh.”

20 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.

The third day after that was the (king’s birthday/day they celebrated when the king became one year older). On that day the king invited all his officials to celebrate his birthday. During the celebration, while they were all gathered there, the king summoned his chief drink-server and chief baker from the prison.

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

He said that his chief drink-server could have his previous job again, so that again he took cups of wine to the king.

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

But he commanded that the chief baker should be killed by being hanged, just as Joseph had said would happen when he told the two men the meaning of their dreams.

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

But the chief drink-server did not think about Joseph. He forgot to do what Joseph asked him to do.