Genesis 40
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners’ Dreams
40 After this, the Egyptian king’s cupbearer(A) and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard(B) in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to them, and he became their personal attendant. And they were in custody for some time.[a]
5 The Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were confined in the prison, each had a dream. Both had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked distraught. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”(C)
8 “We had dreams,” they said to him, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”(D)
9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: “In my dream there was a vine in front of me. 10 On the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms came out 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 placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 “This is its interpretation,”(E) Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 In just three days Pharaoh will lift up your head(F) and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand the way you used to when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well for you, remember that I was with you. Please show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison. 15 For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews,(G) and even here I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.”(H)
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was positive, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. Three baskets of white bread were on my head. 17 In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 “This is its interpretation,” Joseph replied. “The three baskets are three days. 19 In just three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from off you—and hang you on a tree.[b] Then the birds will eat the flesh from your body.”[c]
20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he gave a feast for all his servants. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.(I) 21 Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position as cupbearer, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But Pharaoh hanged[d] the chief baker, just as Joseph had explained to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.(J)
Footnotes
- Genesis 40:4 Lit custody days
- Genesis 40:19 Or and impale you on a pole
- Genesis 40:19 Lit eat your flesh from upon you
- Genesis 40:22 Or impaled
Genesis 40
International Standard Version
Pharaoh’s Two Servants
40 Some time later, both the senior security advisor[a] to the king of Egypt and his head chef[b] offended their master, Egypt’s king. 2 Pharaoh was so angry with his two officers—his senior security advisor and his head chef— 3 that he locked them up in the prison dungeon operated by the captain of the guard, the very place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 The captain of the guard entrusted them to Joseph’s custody, who took care of them, since they were to remain there in custody for a number of days.
5 Then the two of them each had a dream. They both had their dreams the same night, and there were separate interpretations for each dream—the senior security advisor and the head chef to the king of Egypt, who had confined them in prison. 6 When Joseph came to see them in the morning, he noticed how downcast they looked! They were both very sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers, who were with him in prison in his master’s house, “Why are you so sad today?”
8 “We had a dream,” they replied, “but there’s no one to interpret it.”
“Interpretations belong to God,” Joseph told them, “so please tell me your stories.”
The Security Advisor’s Dream
9 So the senior security advisor related his dream to Joseph. “In my dream,” he said, “all of a sudden there was a vine in front of me! 10 On the vine were three branches that budded. Blossoms shot out, and clusters grew up that produced ripe grapes. 11 Then, with Pharaoh’s cup in my hand, I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, then handed the cup directly to Pharaoh.”
12 Then Joseph told him, “This is what your dream means:[c] The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days, Pharaoh will encourage you[d] and return you to your responsibilities. You’ll attend to Pharaoh’s personal wine cup, just as you did when you were his senior security advisor. 14 But keep me in mind when things go well for you. Be sure to extend kindness to me by remembering me to Pharaoh. Bring me out of this prison,[e] 15 because I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. Not only that, I haven’t done anything that deserves me being confined to this pit.”
The Head Chef’s Dream
16 When the head chef heard that the interpretation was good, he told Joseph, “I was also in my dream. All of a sudden, there were three baskets with white bread stacked on top of my head. 17 There was all kinds of food in the basket that was on top, including baked food for Pharaoh. The birds were eating them from the basket on my head.”
18 Joseph replied, “This is what your dream means:[f] The three baskets are also three days. 19 Within three more days, Pharaoh will behead you and hang you on gallows,[g] where birds will eat your flesh from you.”
The Dreams are Fulfilled
20 On the third day, which just happened to be Pharaoh’s birthday, he threw a party for all his servants. He lifted the head of both his senior security advisor and of his head chef in front of his servants— 21 that is, he restored his senior security advisor to his former responsibilities, including attending to Pharaoh’s personal wine cup, 22 but he beheaded and[h] hanged the head chef, just as Joseph had interpreted for them. 23 Despite all of this, the senior security advisor not only didn’t remember Joseph, he deliberately forgot him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 40:1 Lit. the cupbearer; a servant who tested food and beverages for poison; and so throughout the chapter; cf. Neh 1:11
- Genesis 40:1 Lit. baker; and so throughout the chapter
- Genesis 40:12 Lit. is its interpretation
- Genesis 40:13 Lit. will lift up your head
- Genesis 40:14 Lit. house
- Genesis 40:18 Lit. is its interpretation
- Genesis 40:19 Lit. a tree
- Genesis 40:22 The Heb. lacks beheaded and
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