Genesis 40
40
Joseph in Prison
1Later the king’s cupbearer #40:1 A cupbearer was a trusted royal official who ensured that the king’s drink was not poisoned. and his baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his chief cupbearer and his chief baker. 3He put them in the prison of the captain of the guard, the same place where Joseph was a prisoner. 4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them.
After they had been confined for some time, 5both prisoners—the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt—had dreams one night. Each man had a dream with its own special meaning.
6When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were upset. 7So he asked these officials of Pharaoh who were with him in his master’s prison, “Why do you look so unhappy today?”
8“We both had dreams,” they answered him, “but there’s no one to tell us what they mean.”
“Isn’t God the only one who can tell what they mean?” Joseph asked them. “Why don’t you tell me all about them.”
9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said “In my dream a grapevine with three branches appeared in front of me. 10Soon after it sprouted it blossomed. Then its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed them into it. I put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12“This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13In the next three days Pharaoh will release you and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14Remember me when things go well for you, and please do me a favor. Mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison. 15I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I’ve done nothing to deserve being put in this prison.”
16The chief baker saw that the meaning Joseph had given to the cupbearer’s dream was good. So he said to Joseph, “I had a dream too. In my dream three baskets of white baked goods were on my head. 17The top basket contained all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18“This is what it means,” Joseph replied. “The three baskets are three days. 19In the next three days Pharaoh will cut off your head and hang your dead body on a pole. The birds will eat the flesh from your bones.”
20Two days later, on his birthday, Pharaoh had a special dinner prepared for all his servants. Of all his servants he gave special attention to the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 21He restored the chief cupbearer to his position. So the cupbearer put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22But he hung the chief baker just as Joseph had said in his interpretation.
23Nevertheless, the chief cupbearer didn’t remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 40
40
1 NOW SOME time later the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, Egypt's king.
2 And Pharaoh was angry with his officers, the chief of the butlers and the chief of the bakers.
3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined.
4 And the captain of the guard put them in Joseph's charge, and he served them; and they continued in custody for some time.
5 And they both dreamed a dream in the same night, each man according to [the personal significance of] the interpretation of his dream–the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison.
6 When Joseph came to them in the morning and looked at them, he saw that they were sad and depressed.
7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were in custody with him in his master's house, Why do you look so dejected and sad today?
8 And they said to him, We have dreamed dreams, and there is no one to interpret them. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me [your dreams], I pray you.
9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph and said to him, In my dream I saw a vine before me,
10 And on the vine were three branches. Then it was as though it budded; its blossoms burst forth and the clusters of them brought forth ripe grapes [almost all at once].
11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup; then I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
12 And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days.
13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will again put Pharaoh's cup into his hand, as when you were his butler.
14 But think of me when it shall be well with you and show kindness, I beg of you, to me, and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.
15 For truly I was carried away from the land of the Hebrews by unlawful force, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me into the dungeon.
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, I also dreamed, and behold, I had three cake baskets on my head.
17 And in the uppermost basket were some of all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds [of prey] were eating out of the basket on my head.
18 And Joseph answered, This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days.
19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head but will have you beheaded and hung on a tree, and [you will not so much as be given burial, but] the birds will eat your flesh.
20 And on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the heads of the chief butler and the chief baker [by inviting them also] among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief butler to his butlership, and the butler gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand;
22 But [Pharaoh] hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 But [even after all that] the chief butler gave no thought to Joseph, but forgot [all about] him.
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