Genesis 40

1 After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, 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 Pharao being angry with them (now the one was chief butler, the other chief baker)

The king became angry with both of them.

3 He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which Joseph also was 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, and he served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept 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 dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves:

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 was come in to them in the morning, and saw them sad,

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

7 He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual?

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

8 They answered: We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to interpret it to us. And Joseph said to them: Doth not interpretation belong to God? Tell me what you have dreamed.

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 butler first told his dream: 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 branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe 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 Pharao was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao.

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 answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three branches are yet 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 Pharao will remember thy service, and will restore thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according to thy office, as before thou wast wont to do.

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 shall be well with thee, and do me this kindness: to put Pharao in mind to take 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 was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon.

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 baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, said: I also dreamed a dream, That I had three baskets of meal upon 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 that in one basket which was uppermost, I carried all meats that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of 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 answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three baskets are yet three days:

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

19 After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross, and the birds shall tear thy 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 after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker.

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 gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn.

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 But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter.

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