约瑟解梦

40 后来,埃及王的侍酒总管和膳食总管得罪了王, 王非常愤怒, 把他们囚禁在护卫长波提乏府内的监牢里,也就是约瑟被囚的地方。 护卫长派约瑟去伺候他们。他们在监里待了一段日子。

一天晚上,他们俩都做了梦,他们的梦各有不同的意思。 第二天早上,约瑟过来见他们神情沮丧, 就问:“你们今天为什么满面愁容?” 他们回答说:“我们都做了梦,可是没有人给我们解梦。”约瑟说:“解梦的能力不是来自上帝吗?请你们把梦告诉我。”

侍酒总管便把自己的梦告诉约瑟,说:“我梦见一棵葡萄树, 10 树上有三根枝子,枝子发芽开花,结满了成熟的葡萄。 11 我手上拿着法老的酒杯,摘下葡萄,把汁挤在酒杯中,然后递给法老。” 12 约瑟说:“这梦的意思是,三根枝子代表三天, 13 三天之内,法老必定释放你,恢复你侍酒总管的职位。你仍要和从前一样伺候法老饮酒。 14 当你再被重用的时候,请你记得恩待我,在法老面前提及我,救我出狱。 15 我是从希伯来人那里被拐来的,无辜被囚在监。”

16 膳食总管见梦解得好,就对约瑟说:“我也做了个梦,我梦见自己头上顶着三筐白饼, 17 最上面的一筐里放着为法老烤制的各种食物,有鸟来吃筐内的食物。” 18 约瑟说:“这梦的意思是,三筐就是三天, 19 三天之内,法老必砍下你的头,把你挂在木头上,鸟要来吃你的肉。”

20 第三天是法老的生日,他宴请文武百官,把侍酒总管和膳食总管从监牢里提出来, 21 恢复了侍酒总管的职位,让他仍旧伺候自己饮酒, 22 却处死了膳食总管,正应验了约瑟的话。 23 然而,法老的侍酒总管把约瑟忘了。

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40 Some time later, the cupbearer(A) and the baker(B) of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry(C) with his two officials,(D) the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,(E) in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard(F) assigned them to Joseph,(G) and he attended them.

After they had been in custody(H) for some time, each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream(I) the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.(J)

When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody(K) with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”(L)

“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”(M)

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?(N) Tell me your dreams.”

So the chief cupbearer(O) told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,(P) and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

12 “This is what it means,(Q)” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.(R) 13 Within three days(S) Pharaoh will lift up your head(T) and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.(U) 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me(V) and show me kindness;(W) mention me to Pharaoh(X) and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews,(Y) and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”(Z)

16 When the chief baker(AA) saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,(AB) he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets(AC) of bread.[a] 17 In the top basket were 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 said. “The three baskets are three days.(AD) 19 Within three days(AE) Pharaoh will lift off your head(AF) and impale your body on a pole.(AG) And the birds will eat away your flesh.”(AH)

20 Now the third day(AI) was Pharaoh’s birthday,(AJ) and he gave a feast for all his officials.(AK) He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker(AL) in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer(AM) to his position,(AN) so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand(AO) 22 but he impaled the chief baker,(AP) just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.(AQ)

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 40:16 Or three wicker baskets

Joseph tells two people what their dreams mean

40 Some time later, two of the king's officers made him angry. One of them was the king's cupbearer.[a] The other was the king's baker.

Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, both the cupbearer and the baker. Pharaoh put them in the same prison that Joseph was in. That was in the house of the captain of the king's guards. They were in the prison for a long time. The captain of the guards made Joseph their servant, to help them. One night, both of the king's officers had a dream. Each dream had its own meaning.

When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were upset. So Joseph asked the two officers, ‘What are you sad about?’ They replied, ‘We both had dreams last night, but there is nobody to tell us what they mean.’ Joseph said, ‘Only God can tell you the meaning of dreams. Tell your dreams to me.’

So the king's cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said, ‘In my dream I saw a vine in front of me. 10 There were three branches on it. New leaves came on the branches, and then flowers came. After that, there were grapes which became ripe. 11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes and I squeezed them. Then I put the juice into the cup and I gave the cup to Pharaoh.’

12 Joseph said, ‘This is what your dream means. The three branches tell us about three days. 13 In three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and he will make you his officer again.[b] You will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand, as you did before. 14 But when these good things happen to you, remember to be kind to me. Tell Pharaoh about me so that I will get out of this prison. 15 Men took hold of me in the land of the Hebrews and they brought me here. Even here, I have not done anything wrong. I should not be in this prison.’

16 The king's baker heard what Joseph had said to the cupbearer. He realized that the meaning of the cupbearer's dream was good. So he said to Joseph, ‘This was my dream: I had three baskets of bread on my head. 17 The top basket contained many different kinds of bread for Pharaoh. But birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.’

18 Joseph said, ‘This is what your dream means. The three baskets tell us about three days. 19 In three days, Pharaoh will lift off your head. He will hang you on a tree. Then birds will eat the meat off your body.’

20 Three days later, it was Pharaoh's birthday. He gave a feast for all his officers. He lifted up the head of the cupbearer and he lifted off the head of the baker! He brought them both out of the prison so that all his officers could see.

21 Pharaoh caused the cupbearer to be his own cupbearer again. As a result, the cupbearer put Pharaoh's cup into his hand again, as he did before. 22 But Pharaoh hanged the baker to kill him.

So it all happened in the way that Joseph said it would happen. 23 But the cupbearer did not think about Joseph at all. He completely forgot about him.

Footnotes

  1. 40:1 The cupbearer had authority in the king's house. He would make sure that the king's wine was safe for the king to drink.
  2. 40:13 ‘lift up your head’ means ‘you will be important again’.

40 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.

And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.

And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?

And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.

And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;

10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:

11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:

13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:

17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.

18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:

19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:

22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.