Genesis 40
40
Joseph interprets dreams in prison
1Some time later, both the wine steward and the baker for Egypt’s king offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief wine steward and the chief baker, 3and he put them under arrest with the commander of the royal guard in the same jail where Joseph was imprisoned. 4The commander of the royal guard assigned Joseph to assist them. After they had been under arrest for some time, 5both of them—the wine steward and the baker for Egypt’s king who were imprisoned in the jail—had dreams one night, and each man’s dream had its own meaning. 6When Joseph met them in the morning, he saw that they were upset. 7He asked the officers of Pharaoh who were under arrest with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so distressed today?”
8They answered, “We’ve both had dreams, but there’s no one to interpret them.”
Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Describe your dreams to me.”
9The chief wine steward described his dream to Joseph: “In my dream there was a vine right in front of me, 10and on the vine were three branches. When it budded, its blossoms appeared, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, crushed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12Joseph said to him, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three branches are three days. 13After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and return you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just the way things were before when you were his wine steward. 14But please, remember me when you are doing well and be loyal to me. Put in a good word for me to Pharaoh, so he sets me free from this prison. 15I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I’ve done nothing to be thrown into this dungeon.”
16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “It was the same for me. In my dream, there were three baskets of white bread#40.16 Heb uncertain on my head. 17In the basket on top there were baked goods for Pharaoh’s food, but birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18Joseph responded, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three baskets are three days. 19After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and will hang you from a tree where birds will peck your flesh from you.”
20The third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a party for all of his servants. Before all of his servants, he gave an audience to the chief wine steward and the chief baker. 21He returned the chief wine steward to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22But the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had said would happen when he interpreted their dreams for them. 23But the chief wine steward didn’t remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 40
40
Genesis 40
1¶ And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had sinned against their lord, the king of Egypt.
2And Pharaoh was angry against his two officers, against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers.
3And he put them in prison in the house of the captain of the guard, into the house of the prison where Joseph was bound.
4And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; and they continued for days in prison.
5¶ And both of them dreamed a dream, each man his dream in the same 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.
6And Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
7And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the prison of his lord’s house, saying, Why look ye so sad today?
8And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me the dreams, I pray you.
9Then the chief butler 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 and her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes;
11and 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.
12And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days;
13yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head and restore thee unto thy place, and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
14Therefore thou shalt think of me within thyself when it shall be well with thee, and show mercy, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring me out of this house;
15for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; neither have I done anything here that they should put me into the prison.
16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head;
17and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of baked foods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.
18Then Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days.
19Yet 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¶ And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a banquet unto all his slaves, and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his slaves.
21And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
22But he hanged the chief baker; as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph but forgot him.
The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International