Genesis 40
40
1 While these things were going on, it happened that two eunuchs, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and the miller of grain, offended their lord.
2 And Pharaoh, being angry with them, (now the one was in charge of the cupbearers, the other of the millers of grain)
3 sent them to the prison of the leader of the military, in which Joseph also was a prisoner.
4 But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, who ministered to them also. Some little time passed by, while they were held in custody.
5 And they both saw a similar dream on one night, whose interpretations should be related to one another.
6 And when Joseph had entered to them in the morning, and had seen them sad,
7 he consulted them, saying, "Why is your expression sadder today than usual?"
8 They responded, "We have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it for us." And Joseph said to them, "Doesn't interpretation belong to God? Recount for me what you have seen."
9 The chief cupbearer explained his dream first. "I saw before me a vine,
10 on which were three shoots, which grew little by little into buds, and, after the flowers, it matured into grapes.
11 And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand. Therefore, I took the grapes, and I pressed them into the cup that I held, and I handed the cup to Pharaoh."
12 Joseph responded: "This is the interpretation of the dream. The three shoots are the next three days,
13 after which Pharaoh will remember your service, and he will restore you to your former position. And you will give him the cup according to your office, as you were accustomed to do before.
14 Only remember me, when it will be well with you, and do me this mercy, to suggest to Pharaoh to lead me out of this prison.
15 For I have been stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here, innocently, I was cast into the pit."
16 The chief miller of grain, seeing that he had wisely unraveled the dream, said: "I also saw a dream: that I had three baskets of meal above my head,
17 and in one basket, which was the highest, I carried all foods that are made by the art of baking, and the birds ate from it."
18 Joseph responded: "This is the interpretation of the dream. The three baskets are the next three days,
19 after which Pharaoh will carry away your head, and also suspend you from a cross, and the birds will tear your flesh."
20 The third day thereafter was the birthday of Pharaoh. And making a great feast for his servants, he remembered, during the banquet, the chief cupbearer and the chief miller of grain.
21 And he restored the one to his place, to present him the cup;
22 the other he hanged on a gallows, and thus the truth of the interpreter of dreams was proven.
23 And although he advanced with so much prosperity, the chief cupbearer forgot his interpreter of dreams.
Genesis 40
40
Joseph Explains Two Dreams
1Later, two of Pharaoh’s servants did something wrong to Pharaoh. These servants were the baker and the man who served wine to Pharaoh. 2Pharaoh became angry with his baker and wine server, 3so he put them in the same prison as Joseph. Potiphar, the commander of Pharaoh’s guards, was in charge of this prison. 4The commander put the two prisoners under Joseph’s care. The two men continued to stay in prison for some time. 5One night both of the prisoners had a dream. The baker and the wine server each had his own dream, and each dream had its own meaning. 6Joseph went to them the next morning and saw that the two men were worried. 7He asked them, “Why do you look so worried today?”
8The two men answered, “We both had dreams last night, but we don’t understand what we dreamed. There is no one to explain the dreams to us.”
Joseph said to them, “God is the only one who can understand and explain dreams. So I beg you, tell me your dreams.”
The Wine Server’s Dream
9So the wine server told Joseph his dream. The server said, “I dreamed I saw a vine. 10On the vine there were three branches. I watched the branches grow flowers and then become grapes. 11I was holding Pharaoh’s cup, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave the cup to Pharaoh.”
12Then Joseph said, “I will explain the dream to you. The three branches mean three days. 13Before the end of three days, Pharaoh will forgive you and allow you to go back to your work. You will do the same work for Pharaoh as you did before. 14But when you are free, remember me. Be good to me and help me. Tell Pharaoh about me so that I can get out of this prison. 15I was kidnapped and taken from the land of my people, the Hebrews. I have done nothing wrong! I should not be in prison.”
The Baker’s Dream
16The baker saw that the other servant’s dream was good, so he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. I dreamed there were three baskets of bread on my head. 17In the top basket there were all kinds of baked food for the king, but birds were eating this food.”
18Joseph answered, “I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets mean three days. 19Before the end of three days, the king will take you out of this prison and cut off your head! He will hang your body on a pole, and the birds will eat it.”
Joseph Is Forgotten
20Three days later it was Pharaoh’s birthday. He gave a party for all his servants. At the party Pharaoh allowed the wine server and the baker to leave the prison. 21He freed the wine server and gave him his job back, and once again the wine server put a cup of wine in Pharaoh’s hand. 22But Pharaoh hanged the baker, and everything happened the way Joseph said it would. 23But the wine server did not remember to help Joseph. He said nothing about him to Pharaoh. The wine server forgot about Joseph.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International