Genesis 40
40
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams
1After these things happened, two of the king’s officers displeased the king. These officers were the man who served wine to the king and the king’s baker. 2The king became angry with his officer who served him wine and his baker. 3So he put them in the prison of the captain of the guard. This was the same prison where Joseph was kept. 4The captain of the guard put the two prisoners in Joseph’s care. They stayed in prison for some time.
5One night both the king’s officer who served him wine and the baker had a dream. Each had his own dream with its own meaning. 6When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw they were worried. 7Joseph asked the king’s officers who were with him, “Why do you look so unhappy today?”
8The two men answered, “We both had dreams last night. But no one can explain the meaning of them to us.”
Joseph said to them, “God is the only One who can explain the meaning of dreams. So tell me your dreams.”
9So the man who served wine to the king told Joseph his dream. He said, “I dreamed I saw a vine. 10On the vine there were three branches. I watched the branches bud and blossom, and then the grapes ripened. 11I was holding the king’s cup. So I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave it to the king.”
12Then Joseph said, “I will explain the dream to you. The three branches stand for three days. 13Before the end of three days the king will free you. He will allow you to return to your work. You will serve the king his wine just as you did before. 14But when you are free, remember me. Be kind to me. Tell the king about me so that I can get out of this prison. 15I was taken by force from the land of the Hebrews. And I have done nothing here to deserve being put in prison.”
16The baker saw that Joseph’s explanation of the dream was good. So he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. I dreamed there were three bread baskets on my head. 17In the top basket there were all kinds of baked food for the king. But the birds were eating this food out of the basket on my head.”
18Joseph answered, “I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets stand for three days. 19Before the end of three days, the king will cut off your head! He will hang your body on a pole. And the birds will eat your flesh.”
20Three days later it was the king’s birthday. So he gave a feast for all his officers. In front of his officers, he let the chief officer who served his wine and the chief baker out of prison. 21The king gave his chief officer who served wine his old position. Once again he put the king’s cup of wine into the king’s hand. 22But the king hanged the baker on a pole. Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would. 23But the officer who served wine did not remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.
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Genesis 40: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Genesis 40
40
The Dreams Interpreted. 1#Joseph interprets the dreams of the Pharaoh’s two officials. His ability to interpret the dreams shows that God is still with him and points forward to his role of dream interpreter for Pharaoh in chap. 41. Some time afterward, the royal cupbearer and baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3and he put them in custody in the house of the chief steward, the same jail where Joseph was confined. 4The chief steward assigned Joseph to them, and he became their attendant.
After they had been in custody for some time, 5the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the jail both had dreams on the same night, each his own dream and each dream with its own meaning. 6When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked disturbed. 7So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so troubled today?” 8They answered him, “We have had dreams, but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph said to them, “Do interpretations not come from God? Please tell me the dreams.”#Gn 41:16.
9Then the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a vine in front of me, 10and on the vine were three branches. It had barely budded when its blossoms came out, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes, pressed them out into his cup, and put it in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12Joseph said to him: “This is its interpretation. The three branches are three days; 13within three days Pharaoh will single you out#Single you out: lit., “lift up your head” (see also vv. 19, 20). and restore you to your post. You will be handing Pharaoh his cup as you formerly did when you were his cupbearer. 14Only think of me when all is well with you, and please do me the great favor of mentioning me to Pharaoh, to get me out of this place. 15The truth is that I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and I have not done anything here that they should have put me into a dungeon.”
16When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to him: “I too had a dream. In it I had three bread baskets on my head; 17in the top one were all kinds of bakery products for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18Joseph said to him in reply: “This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days; 19within three days Pharaoh will single you out and will impale you on a stake, and the birds will be eating your flesh.”
20And so on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, when he gave a banquet to all his servants, he singled out the chief cupbearer and chief baker in the midst of his servants. 21He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, so that he again handed the cup to Pharaoh; 22but the chief baker he impaled—just as Joseph had told them in his interpretation. 23Yet the chief cupbearer did not think of Joseph; he forgot him.
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