Genesis 40

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

And it came to pass after these things, [that] the butler of the king of Egypt and [his] baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

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

And Pharaoh was wroth with two [of] his officers, with the chief of the butlers, and with the chief of the bakers.

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

And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph [was] bound.

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 of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; and they continued a season in custody.

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 they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream; the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who [were] bound in the prison.

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

And Joseph came to them in the morning, and looked upon them, and behold, they [were] 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 asked Pharaoh's officers that [were] with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Why look ye [so] sad to-day?

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.”

And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and [there is] no interpreter of it. And Joseph said to them, [Do] not interpretations [belong] to God? tell me [them], I pray you.

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

And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine [was] 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 [was] as though it budded, [and] its blossoms shot forth; and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes:

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 pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

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

And Joseph said to him, This [is] the interpretation of it: 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.

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee to thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

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 think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness to me, I pray thee, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

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 indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

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.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, I also [was] in my dream, and behold, [I had] three white baskets 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 uppermost basket [there was] of all manner of bake-meats for Pharaoh; and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.

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

And Joseph answered, and said, This [is] the interpretation of it: 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.”

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

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.

And it came to pass the third day, [which was] Pharaoh's birth-day, that he made a feast to all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

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

And he restored the chief butler to his butlership again; 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 he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

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

Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.