Genesis 40
1 Whanne these thingis weren doon so, it bifelde that twei geldyngis, the boteler and the baker `of the kyng of Egipt, synneden to her lord.
Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt.
2 And Farao was wrooth ayens hem, for the toon was `souereyn to boteleris, the tother was `souereyn to bakeris.
Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,
3 And he sente hem in to the prisoun of the prince of knyytis, in which also Joseph was boundun.
and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined.
4 And the keper of the prisoun bitook hem to Joseph, which also `mynystride to hem. Sumdel of tyme passide, and thei weren hooldun in kepyng, and bothe sien a dreem in o nyyt,
The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time,
5 bi couenable expownyng to hem.
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.
6 And whanne Joseph hadde entrid to hem eerli, and hadde seyn hem sori,
When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught.
7 he axide hem, and seide, Whi is youre `face soriere to dai than it ys wont?
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?”
8 Whiche answeriden, We seiyen a dreem, and `noon is that expowneth to vs. And Joseph seide to hem, Whether expownyng is not of God? Telle ye to me what ye han seyn.
“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.”
9 The `souereyn of boteleris telde first his dreem; Y seiy that a vyne bifore me,
So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me,
10 in which weren thre siouns, wexide litil and litil in to buriounnyngis, and that aftir flouris grapys wexiden ripe,
and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes.
11 and the cuppe of Farao was in myn hond; therfor Y took the grapis, and presside out in to the cuppe which Y helde, and Y yaf drynk to Farao.
Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.”
12 Joseph answerde, This is the expownyng of the dreem; thre siouns ben yit thre daies,
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.
13 aftir whiche Farao schal haue mynde of thi seruyce, and he schal restore thee in to the firste degree, and thou schal yyue to hym the cuppe, bi thin office, as thou were wont to do bifore.
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.
14 Oneli haue thou mynde on me, whanne it is wel to thee, and thou schalt do merci with me, that thou make suggestioun to Farao, that he lede me out of this prisoun;
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.
15 for theefli Y am takun awei fro the lond of Ebrews, and here Y am sent innocent in to prisoun.
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.”
16 The `maister of bakeris seiye that Joseph hadde expowned prudentli the dreem, and he seide, And Y seiy a dreem, that Y hadde thre panyeris of mele on myn heed,
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.
17 and Y gesside that Y bar in o panyere, that was heiyere, alle metis that ben maad bi craft of bakers, and that briddis eeten therof.
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.”
18 Joseph answerde, This is the expownyng of the dreem; thre panyeris ben yit thre daies,
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.
19 aftir whiche Farao schal take awei thin heed, and he schal hange thee in a cros, and briddis schulen todrawe thi fleischis.
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.”
20 Fro thennus the thridde dai was the dai of birthe of Farao, which made a greet feeste to hise children, and hadde mynde among metis on the maistir `of boteleris, and on the prince of bakeris;
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.
21 and he restoride the oon in to his place, that he schulde dresse cuppe to `the kyng,
Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
22 and he hangide `the tothir in a gebat, that the treuthe of `the expownere schulde be preued.
But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.
23 And netheles whanne prosperitees bifelden, the `souereyn of boteleris foryat `his expownere.
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.
