Genesis 40
40
The cupbearer and the baker
1Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.
After they had been in custody for some time, 5each of the two men – the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison – had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
6When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, ‘Why do you look so sad today?’
8‘We both had dreams,’ they answered, ‘but there is no-one to interpret them.’
Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.’
9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, ‘In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.’
12‘This is what it means,’ Joseph said to him. ‘The three branches are three days. 13Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.’
16When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favourable interpretation, he said to Joseph, ‘I too had a dream: on my head were three baskets of bread.#40:16 Or three wicker baskets 17In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.’
18‘This is what it means,’ Joseph said. ‘The three baskets are three days. 19Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.’
20Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21he restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand – 22but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
23The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
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Genesis 40
40
1And it came to pass after these things, that the cup-bearer of the king of Egypt and the baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was wroth with his two chamberlains — with the chief of the cup-bearers and with the chief of the bakers; 3and he put them in custody into the house of the captain of the life-guard, into the tower-house, into the place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4And the captain of the life-guard appointed Joseph to them, that he should attend on them. And they were several days in custody.
5And they dreamed a dream, both of them in one night, each his dream, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup-bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the tower-house. 6And Joseph came in to them in the morning, and looked on them, and behold, they were sad. 7And he asked Pharaoh's chamberlains that were with him in custody in his lord's house, saying, Why are your faces so sad to-day? 8And they said to him, We have dreamt a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God#GodHebrew: Elohim tell me your dreams, I pray you. 9Then the chief of the cup-bearers told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 10and in the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded: its blossoms shot forth, its clusters ripened into grapes. 11And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 12And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days. 13In yet three days will 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 cup-bearer. 14Only bear a remembrance with thee of me when it goes well with thee, and deal kindly, I pray thee, with me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house; 15for indeed I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. 16And when the chief of the bakers saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head. 17And in the uppermost basket there were all manner of victuals for Pharaoh that the baker makes, and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head. 18And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets are three days. 19In yet three days will Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and hang thee on a tree; and the birds will eat thy flesh from off thee.
20And it came to pass the third day — Pharaoh's birthday — that he made a feast to all his bondmen. And he lifted up the head of the chief of the cup-bearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his bondmen. 21And he restored the chief of the cup-bearers to his office of cup-bearer again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 22And he hanged the chief of the bakers, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23But the chief of the cup-bearers did not remember Joseph, and forgot him.
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.