Genesis 40
40
Joseph tells the meaning of the prisoners' dreams
1-3While Joseph was in prison, both the king's#40.1-3 the king's: See the note at 12.15. personal servant#40.1-3 personal servant: The Hebrew text has “cup bearer”, an important and trusted official in the royal court, who personally served wine to the king. and his chief cook made the king angry. So he had them thrown into the same prison with Joseph. 4They spent a long time in prison, and Potiphar, the official in charge of the palace guard, made Joseph their servant.
5One night each of the two men had a dream, but their dreams had different meanings. 6The next morning, when Joseph went to see the men, he could tell they were upset, 7and he asked, “Why are you so worried today?”
8“We each had a dream last night,” they answered, “and there is no one to tell us what they mean.”
Joseph replied, “Doesn't God know the meaning of dreams? Now tell me what you dreamed.”
9The king's personal servant told Joseph, “In my dream I saw a vine 10with three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its grapes became ripe. 11I held the king's cup and squeezed the grapes into it, then I gave the cup to the king.”
12Joseph said:
This is the meaning of your dream. The three branches stand for three days, 13and in three days the king will pardon you. He will make you his personal servant again, and you will serve him his wine, just as you used to do. 14But when these good things happen, please don't forget to tell the king about me, so I can get out of this place. 15I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here in Egypt I haven't done anything to deserve being thrown in jail.
16When the chief cook saw that Joseph had given a good meaning to the dream, he told Joseph, “I also had a dream. In it I was carrying three breadbaskets stacked on top of my head. 17The top basket was full of all kinds of baked things for the king, but birds were eating them.”
18Joseph said:
This is the meaning of your dream. The three baskets are three days, 19and in three days the king will cut off your head. He will hang your body on a pole, and birds will come and peck at it.
20Three days later, while the king was celebrating his birthday with a dinner for his officials, he sent for his personal servant and the chief cook. 21He put the personal servant back in his old job 22and had the cook put to death.
Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, 23but the king's personal servant completely forgot about Joseph.
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Genesis 40
40
1After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, offended their lord.
2And Pharao being angry with them (now the one was chief butler and the other chief baker),
3He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which Joseph also was prisoner,
4But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, and he served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept in custody.
5And they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves.
6And when Joseph was come in to them in the morning, and saw them sad,
7He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual?
8They 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.
9The chief butler first told his dream: I saw before me a vine,
10On which were three branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes.
11And 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.
12Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three branches are yet three days:
13After 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.
14Only 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.
15For I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon.
16The 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;
17And 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.
18Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream. The three baskets are yet three days:
19After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross; and the birds shall tear thy flesh.
20The 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.
21And he restored the one to his place to present him the cup:
22The other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn.
23But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.