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 the official in charge of the palace guard,#40.4 the palace guard: Possibly Potiphar (see 39.1). 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, 19#3 Macc 6.34. and 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.
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 40
40
1And after these things, the butler of the King of Egypt and his baker offended their lorde the King of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was angrie against his two officers, against the chiefe butler, and against the chiefe baker. 3Therefore he put them in ward in his chiefe stewardes house, in the prison and place where Ioseph was bound. 4And the chiefe steward gaue Ioseph charge ouer them, and he serued them: and they continued a season in warde. 5And they both dreamed a dreame, eyther of them his dreame in one night, eche one according to the interpretation of his dreame, both the butler and the baker of the King of Egypt, which were bounde in the prison. 6And when Ioseph came in vnto them in the morning, and looked vpon them, beholde, they were sad. 7And he asked Pharaohs officers, that were with him in his masters warde, saying, Wherefore looke ye so sadly to day? 8Who answered him, We haue dreamed, eche one a dreame, and there is none to interprete the same. Then Ioseph saide vnto them, Are not interpretations of God? tell them me nowe. 9So the chiefe butler tolde his dreame to Ioseph, and said vnto him, In my dreame, behold, a vine was before me, 10And in the vine were three branches, and as it budded, her flowre came foorth: and the clusters of grapes waxed ripe. 11And I had Pharaohs cup in mine hande, and I tooke the grapes, and wrung the into Pharaohs cup, and I gaue the cup into Pharaohs hand. 12Then Ioseph sayde vnto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three braunches are three dayes. 13Within three dayes shall Pharaoh lift vp thine head, and restore thee vnto thine office, and thou shalt giue Pharaohs cup into his hand after the olde maner, when thou wast his butler. 14But haue me in remembrance with thee, when thou art in good case, and shew mercie, I pray thee, vnto me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring me out of this house. 15For I was stollen away by theft out of the land of the Ebrewes, and here also haue I done nothing, wherefore they should put mee in the dungeon. 16And when the chiefe baker sawe that the interpretation was good, hee saide vnto Ioseph, Also mee thought in my dreame that I had three white baskets on mine head. 17And in the vppermost basket there was of all maner baken meates for Pharaoh: and the birdes did eate them out of the basket vpon mine head. 18Then Ioseph answered, and saide, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three dayes: 19Within three dayes shall Pharaoh take thine head from thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birdes shall eate thy flesh from off thee. 20And so the third day, which was Pharaohs birthday, hee made a feast vnto all his seruants: and hee lifted vp the head of the chiefe butler, and the head of the chiefe baker among his seruants. 21And he restored the chiefe butler vnto his butlershippe, who gaue the cup into Pharaohs hande, 22But he hanged the chiefe baker, as Ioseph had interpreted vnto them. 23Yet the chiefe butler did not remember Ioseph, but forgate him.
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