Genesis 40

1 Later on the cupbearer and the baker committed some offense against their master, the king of Egypt.

Now after these things the chief servant who had the care of the wine, and the chief bread-maker in Pharaoh's house, did something against Pharaoh's orders;

2 Pharaoh was angry with these two royal officials—the chief cupbearer and chief baker—

And Pharaoh was angry with his two servants, with the chief wine-servant and the chief bread-maker;

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

And he put them in prison under the care of the captain of the army, in the same prison where Joseph himself was shut up.

4 The commander of the guard assigned Joseph to them as their personal attendant. They were kept in prison for some time.

And the captain put them in Joseph's care, and he did what was needed for them; and they were kept in prison for some time.

5 One night while they were in prison the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt each had a dream. They were different dreams, each with its own meaning.

And these two had a dream on the same night; the chief wine-servant and the chief bread-maker of the king of Egypt, who were in prison, the two of them had dreams with a special sense.

6 When Joseph arrived the next morning he noticed they both looked depressed.

And in the morning when Joseph came to them he saw that they were looking sad.

7 So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were imprisoned with him in his master's house, “Why are you looking so depressed?”

And he said to the servants of Pharaoh who were in prison with him, Why are you looking so sad?

8 “We've both had dreams but can't find anyone to explain what they mean,” they said. So Joseph told them, “Isn't God the one who can interpret the meaning of dreams? Tell me your dreams.”

Then they said to him, We have had a dream, and no one is able to give us the sense. And Joseph said, Does not the sense of dreams come from God? what was your dream?

9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. “In my dream there was a vine right in front of me,” he explained.

Then the chief wine-servant gave Joseph an account of his dream, and said, In my dream I saw a vine before me;

10 “The vine had three branches. As soon as it budded, it flowered, and produced clusters of ripe grapes.

And on the vine were three branches; and it seemed as if it put out buds and flowers, and from them came grapes ready for cutting.

11 I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup, so I picked the grapes and squeezed them into the cup and gave it to Pharaoh.”

And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and crushing them into Pharaoh's cup, gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

12 “This is the meaning,” Joseph told him. “The three branches represent three days.

Then Joseph said, This is the sense of your dream: the three branches are three days;

13 In three days' time Pharaoh will take you out of prison and give you back your job, and you will hand Pharaoh his cup as you used to.

After three days Pharaoh will give you honour, and put you back into your place, and you will give him his cup as you did before, when you were his wine-servant.

14 But when things go well for you, please remember me with kindness and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf, and please get me out of this prison.

But keep me in mind when things go well for you, and be good to me and say a good word for me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison:

15 I was cruelly kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in this pit even though I've done nothing wrong.”

For truly I was taken by force from the land of the Hebrews; and I have done nothing for which I might be put in prison.

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was positive, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. I had three baskets of cakes on my head.

Now when the chief bread-maker saw that the first dream had a good sense, he said to Joseph, I had a dream; and in my dream there were three baskets of white bread on my head;

17 In the top basket were all the cakes and pastries for Pharaoh to eat, and the birds were eating them from the basket on my head.”

And in the top basket were all sorts of cooked meats for Pharaoh; and the birds were taking them out of the baskets on my head.

18 “This is the meaning,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets represent three days.

Then Joseph said, This is the sense of your dream: the three baskets are three days;

19 In three days' time Pharaoh will take you out of prison and hang you on a pole, and birds will eat your flesh.”

After three days Pharaoh will take you out of prison, hanging you on a tree, so that your flesh will be food for birds.

20 Three days later it happened to be Pharaoh's birthday, and he arranged a banquet for all his officials. He had the chief cupbearer and the chief baker released from prison and brought there before his officials.

Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his servants; and he gave honour to the chief wine-servant and the chief bread-maker among the others.

21 He gave the chief cupbearer his job back, and he returned to his duties of handing Pharaoh his cup.

And he put the chief wine-servant back in his old place; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

22 But he hanged the chief baker just as Joseph had said when he interpreted their dreams.

But the chief bread-maker was put to death by hanging, as Joseph had said.

23 But the chief cupbearer didn't remember to say anything about Joseph—in fact he forgot all about him.

But the wine-servant did not keep Joseph in mind or give a thought to him.