1Then it came about after these things, that the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the prison, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4And the captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he #40.4: Lit ministered totook care of them; and they were in confinement for #40.4: Lit dayssome time. 5Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 6#40.6: Or AndWhen Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, #40.6: Lit and beholdbehold, they were dejected. 7So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “#40.7: Lit saying, WhyWhy are your faces so sad today?” 8And they said to him, “We have #40.8: Lit dreamedhad a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do interpretations not belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”

9So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, #40.9: Lit and saidsaying to him, “In my dream, #40.9: Lit and beholdbehold, there was a vine in front of me; 10and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s #40.11: Lit palmhand.” 12Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13within three more days Pharaoh will #40.13: I.e., a royal gesture of forgivenesslift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as in your former practice when you were his cupbearer. 14Only #40.14: Lit remember me with yourselfkeep me in mind when it goes well for you, and please do me a kindness #40.14: Lit and mentionby mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this #40.14: Lit houseprison. 15For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the #40.15: Or pitdungeon.”

16When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17and in the top basket there were some of all #40.17: Lit food for Pharaoh made by a bakerkinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a wooden post, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

20So it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he held a feast for all his servants; and he 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 #40.21: Lit wine-pouringoffice, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s #40.21: Lit palmhand; 22but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

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Genesis 40

Joseph Explains Two Dreams

1Later, two of Pharaoh’s servants did something wrong to Pharaoh. These servants were the baker and the man who served wine to Pharaoh. 2Pharaoh became angry with his baker and wine server, 3so he put them in the same prison as Joseph. Potiphar, the commander of Pharaoh’s guards, was in charge of this prison. 4The commander put the two prisoners under Joseph’s care. The two men continued to stay in prison for some time. 5One night both of the prisoners had a dream. The baker and the wine server each had his own dream, and each dream had its own meaning. 6Joseph went to them the next morning and saw that the two men were worried. 7He asked them, “Why do you look so worried today?”

8The two men answered, “We both had dreams last night, but we don’t understand what we dreamed. There is no one to explain the dreams to us.”

Joseph said to them, “God is the only one who can understand and explain dreams. So I beg you, tell me your dreams.”

The Wine Server’s Dream

9So the wine server told Joseph his dream. The server said, “I dreamed I saw a vine. 10On the vine there were three branches. I watched the branches grow flowers and then become grapes. 11I was holding Pharaoh’s cup, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave the cup to Pharaoh.”

12Then Joseph said, “I will explain the dream to you. The three branches mean three days. 13Before the end of three days, Pharaoh will forgive you and allow you to go back to your work. You will do the same work for Pharaoh as you did before. 14But when you are free, remember me. Be good to me and help me. Tell Pharaoh about me so that I can get out of this prison. 15I was kidnapped and taken from the land of my people, the Hebrews. I have done nothing wrong! I should not be in prison.”

The Baker’s Dream

16The baker saw that the other servant’s dream was good, so he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. I dreamed there were three baskets of bread on my head. 17In the top basket there were all kinds of baked food for the king, but birds were eating this food.”

18Joseph answered, “I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets mean three days. 19Before the end of three days, the king will take you out of this prison and cut off your head! He will hang your body on a pole, and the birds will eat it.”

Joseph Is Forgotten

20Three days later it was Pharaoh’s birthday. He gave a party for all his servants. At the party Pharaoh allowed the wine server and the baker to leave the prison. 21He freed the wine server and gave him his job back, and once again the wine server put a cup of wine in Pharaoh’s hand. 22But Pharaoh hanged the baker, and everything happened the way Joseph said it would. 23But the wine server did not remember to help Joseph. He said nothing about him to Pharaoh. The wine server forgot about Joseph.

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Genesis 40

Genesis 40