8Which answered, We each saw a dream, and there is no man that expoundeth it to us. And Joseph said to them, Whether the expounding is not of God? Tell ye to me what ye have seen.

9The master butler told first his dream; I saw before me that a vine,

10in which were three scions, waxed little and little into burgeonings, and that after the flowers, the grapes waxed ripe,

11and the cup of Pharaoh was in mine hand; therefore I took the grapes, and pressed them out into the cup that I held, and I gave drink to Pharaoh.

12Joseph answered, This is the expounding of the dream; three scions be yet three days,

13after which Pharaoh shall have mind of thy service, and he shall restore thee into the first degree, and thou shalt give to him the cup, by thine office, as thou were wont to do before.

14Only have thou mind of me, when it is well to thee, and thou shalt do mercy with me, that thou make suggestion to Pharaoh, that he lead me out of this prison;

15for thiefly, that is, by thievery, I am taken away from the land of Hebrews, and here I am sent innocent into prison.

16The master baker saw that Joseph had declared prudently the dream, and he said, And I saw a dream, that I had three baskets of meal on mine head,

17and I guessed that I bare in one basket, that was highest, all meats or baked foods that be made for Pharaoh by the craft of bakers, and that birds ate thereof.

18Joseph answered, This is the expounding of the dream; three baskets be yet three days,

19after which Pharaoh shall take away thine head, and he shall hang thee in a cross, and birds shall draw thy flesh.

20From thence the third day was the day of the birth of Pharaoh, which made a great feast to his servants, and he had mind among the meats or during the meal, of the master butler, and of the prince of bakers;

21and he restored the one into his place, that he should dress the cup, either drink, to the king,

22and he hanged the tother in a gibbet, that the truth of Joseph declaring the dreams should be proved.

23And nevertheless when prosperities befelled to the master butler, he forgat Joseph that declared his dream.

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Genesis 40

The Cupbearer and the Baker

1Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant.

After they had been in custody for some time, 5both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.

6When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught. 7So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?”

8“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.”

Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.”

12Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. 13Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer. 14But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison. 15For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”

16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head. 17In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

18Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. 19Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree.#40:19 Or and impale you on a pole; similarly in verse 22 Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”

20On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 21Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.#40:22 Literally had interpreted to them

23The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.

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Genesis 40

Genesis 40