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.
Genesis 40
40
The Dreams of Two Prisoners
1Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he waited on them; and they continued for some time in custody. 5One night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. 6When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7So he asked Pharaoh's officers, who were with him in custody in his master's house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
9So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms came out and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.” 12Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days; 13within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14But remember me when it is well with you; please do me the kindness to make mention of me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this place. 15For in fact I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.”
16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18And Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a pole; and the birds will eat the flesh from you.”
20On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21He restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand; 22but the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.