1-3While Joseph was in prison, both the king's#40.1-3 the king's: See the note at 12.15. personal servant#40.1-3 personal servant: The Hebrew text has “cup bearer,” an important and trusted official in the royal court, who personally served wine to the king. and his chief cook made the king angry. So he had them thrown into the same prison with Joseph. 4They spent a long time in prison, and the official in charge of the palace guard,#40.4 the palace guard: Possibly Potiphar (see 39.1). made Joseph their servant.

5One night each of the two men had a dream, but their dreams had different meanings. 6The next morning, when Joseph went to see the men, he could tell they were upset, 7and he asked, “Why are you so worried today?”

8“We each had a dream last night,” they answered, “and there is no one to tell us what they mean.”

Joseph replied, “Doesn't God know the meaning of dreams? Now tell me what you dreamed.”

9The king's personal servant told Joseph, “In my dream I saw a vine 10with three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its grapes became ripe. 11I held the king's cup and squeezed the grapes into it, then I gave the cup to the king.”

12Joseph said:

This is the meaning of your dream. The three branches stand for three days, 13and in three days the king will pardon you. He will make you his personal servant again, and you will serve him his wine, just as you used to do. 14But when these good things happen, please don't forget to tell the king about me, so I can get out of this place. 15I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here in Egypt I haven't done anything to deserve being thrown in jail.

16When the chief cook saw that Joseph had given a good meaning to the dream, he told Joseph, “I also had a dream. In it I was carrying three breadbaskets stacked on top of my head. 17The top basket was full of all kinds of baked things for the king, but birds were eating them.”

18Joseph said:

This is the meaning of your dream. The three baskets are three days, 19#3 Macc 6.34. and in three days the king will cut off your head. He will hang your body on a pole, and birds will come and peck at it.

20Three days later, while the king was celebrating his birthday with a dinner for his officials, he sent for his personal servant and the chief cook. 21He put the personal servant back in his old job 22and had the cook put to death.

Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, 23but the king's personal servant completely forgot about Joseph.

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

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Genesis 40

Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison

1And it happened that after these things the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker did wrong against their lord, against the king of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief cupbearer and chief baker. 3And he put them in custody in the house of the chief of the guard, into the prison where Joseph was confined. 4And the chief of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. And they were in custody many days.#Literally “days” 5And the two of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, dreamed a dream, each his own dream, with its own interpretation. 6When Joseph came to them in the morning he looked at them, and behold, they were troubled. 7And he asked the court officials of Pharaoh that were with him in the custody of his master’s house, “Why are your faces sad today?” 8And they said to him, “We each dreamed a dream, but there is no one to interpret it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” 9Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, “In my dream, now behold, there was a vine before me, 10and on the vine were three branches. And as it budded, its blossoms came up, and its clusters of grapes grew ripe. 11And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup of Pharaoh. Then I placed the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.” 12Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches, they are three days. 13In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your office. And you shall put the cup of Pharaoh into his hand as was formerly the custom, when you were his cupbearer. 14But remember me when it goes well with you, and please may you show kindness with respect to me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. 15For I was surely kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in this pit.” 16And when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good he said to Joseph, “I also dreamed. In my dream, now behold, there were three baskets of bread upon my head. 17And in the upper basket were all sorts of baked foods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket upon my head.” 18Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets, they are three days. 19In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a pole,#Or “tree” and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20And it happened that on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 21And he restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing position. And he placed the cup in the hand of Pharaoh. 22But the chief baker he hanged as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

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Genesis 40

Genesis 40