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.

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Genesis 40

Interpreter of Dreams

1Now it was after these things that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt.

2Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers.

3So he put them in custody of the house of the commander of the bodyguards—in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.

4The commander of the bodyguards assigned Joseph to be with them and served them as their personal servant. They were in custody for some time.

5Then the two of them each dreamed a dream on the same night. The dream of each man—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each had its own interpretation.

6When Joseph came to them in the morning, he observed them, and there they were, looking miserable.

7So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in the custody of the house of his master saying, “Why are your faces so sad today?”

8They said to him, “We dreamed a dream and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Please tell me.”

9So the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph, saying to him, “In my dream, suddenly, there was a vine in front of me.

10On the vine were three branches, and as it was budding, its blossoms came out, its clusters ripened into grapes.

11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand and I took the grapes, pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in Pharaoh’s palm.”

12“This is its interpretation,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches: they are three days.

13In another three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. Then you’ll put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand just as you used to do before when you were his cupbearer.

14But if you remember me, that I was with you, when it goes well with you, please show me kindness and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.

15For I was forcibly kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing at all that they should put me in this pit.”

16When the chief of the bakers saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream. Expectantly, there were three baskets of white bread on my head.

17In the top basket was food for Pharaoh—all kinds of baked goods. But the birds were eating them from the basket on my head.”

18Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation. The three baskets: they are three days.

19In another three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—off of you—and will hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat your flesh off of you.”

20Then it happened on the third day—Pharaoh’s birthday—that he held a banquet for all his servants. He lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants.

21He restored the chief of the cupbearers as his cupbearer, and he put the cup on the palm of Pharaoh’s hand.

22But the chief of the bakers he hung. It was just as Joseph had interpreted for them.

23Yet the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph—indeed, he forgot him.

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Genesis 40

Genesis 40