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.
B'resheet (Gen) 40
40
1(vii) Some time later it came about that the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker gave offense to their lord the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh became angry with his two officers the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, in the same place where Yosef was kept. 4The captain of the guard charged Yosef to be with them, and he became their attendant while they remained in prison.
5One night the two of them, the king of Egypt’s cupbearer and his baker, there in prison, both had dreams, each dream with its own meaning. 6Yosef came in to them in the morning and saw that they looked sad. 7He asked Pharaoh’s officers there with him in the prison of his master’s house, “Why are you looking so sad today?” 8They said to him, “We each had a dream, and there’s no one around who can interpret it.” Yosef said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”
9Then the chief cupbearer told Yosef his dream: “In my dream, there in front of me was a vine, 10and the vine had three branches. The branches budded, then it suddenly began to blossom, and finally clusters of ripe grapes appeared. 11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh.” 12Yosef said to him, “Here is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office: you will be giving Pharaoh his cup as you used to when you were his cupbearer. 14But remember me when it goes well with you; and show me kindness, please; and mention me to Pharaoh, so that he will release me from this prison. 15For the truth is that I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I have done nothing wrong that would justify putting me in this dungeon.”
16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Yosef, “I too saw in my dream: there were three baskets of white bread on my head. 17In the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.” 18Yosef answered, “Here is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from off of you — he will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”
(Maftir) 20On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he gave a party for all his officials, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his officials. 21He restored the chief cupbearer back to his position, so that he again gave Pharaoh his cup. 22But he hanged the chief baker, as Yosef had interpreted to them. 23Nevertheless, the chief cupbearer didn’t remember Yosef, but forgot him.
Haftarah Vayeshev: ‘Amos (Amos) 2:6–3:8
B’rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Vayeshev: Acts 7:9–16 (specifically vv. 9–10)
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