Genesis 40
Expanded Bible
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams
40 After these things happened, two of the king of Egypt’s officers ·displeased [offended; sinned against] the king—·the man who served wine [cupbearer] to the king and the king’s baker [C two important positions in the king’s court]. 2 ·The king [L Pharaoh] became angry with his ·officer who served him wine and his [chief cupbearer and chief] baker, 3 so he put them in the prison of the chief butcher [37:36], the same ·prison [L round house] where Joseph was ·kept [confined]. 4 The chief butcher [37:36] put the two prisoners in Joseph’s care, and they stayed in prison for some time.
5 One night both the king’s ·officer who served him wine and the [L cupbearer and] baker had a dream. Each had his own dream with its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw they were ·worried [troubled]. 7 He asked ·the king’s [L Pharaoh’s] officers who were with him, “Why ·do you look so unhappy [do you look so bad; L are your faces bad/evil] today?”
8 The two men answered, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can explain their meaning to us.”
Joseph said to them, “·God is the only One who can explain the meaning of dreams [L Does not interpretation belong to God?]. Tell me your dreams.”
9 So the ·man who served wine to the king [chief cupbearer] told Joseph his dream. He said, “I dreamed I saw a vine, and 10 on the vine were three branches. I watched the branches bud and blossom, and then the [L cluster of] grapes ripened. 11 I was holding ·the king’s [L Pharaoh’s] cup, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave ·it to [L the cup into the palm of] ·the king [L Pharaoh].”
12 Then Joseph said, “·I will explain the dream to you [L This is its interpretation]. The three branches stand for three days. 13 Before the end of three days the king will ·free you [L lift up your head], and he will allow you to return to your work. You will ·serve the king his wine just as you did before [give the cup into the hand of Pharaoh according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer]. 14 But when ·you are free [L it goes well for you], remember me. Be ·kind [loyal] to me, and ·tell the king about me [recall me to the king] so I can get out of this ·prison [L house]. 15 I was ·taken by force [stolen; snatched] from the land of the Hebrews, and I have done nothing here to deserve being put in ·prison [L the pit; dungeon].”
16 The [L chief] baker saw that ·Joseph’s explanation of the dream [L the interpretation] was ·good [favorable], so he said to him, “I also had a dream. I dreamed there were three bread baskets on my head. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for ·the king [L Pharaoh], but the birds were eating this food out of the basket on my head.”
18 Joseph answered, “·I will tell you what the dream means [L This is its interpretation]. The three baskets stand for three days. 19 Before the end of three days, the king will ·cut off your head [L lift up your head; v. 13]! He will hang your body on a ·pole [L tree], and the birds will eat your flesh.”
20 Three days later, on his birthday, ·the king [L Pharaoh] gave a ·feast [banquet] for all his ·officers [L servants]. In front of his ·officers [L servants], he ·released from prison the chief officer who served his wine and the chief baker [L he lifted the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker]. 21 The king gave his chief ·officer who served wine [cupbearer] his old position, and once again he put the ·king’s cup of wine [L cup] into ·the king’s [L Pharaoh’s] hand. 22 But the king hanged the baker on a ·pole, just as Joseph had said he would [L tree according to the interpretation of Joseph]. 23 But the ·officer who served wine [chief cupbearer] did not remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.
Genesis 40
Lexham English Bible
Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison
40 And 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. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief cupbearer and chief baker. 3 And he put them in custody in the house of the chief of the guard, into the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 And the chief of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. And they were in custody many days.[a] 5 And 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. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning he looked at them, and behold, they were troubled. 7 And 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?” 8 And 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.” 9 Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, “In my dream, now behold, there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it budded, its blossoms came up, and its clusters of grapes grew ripe. 11 And 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.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches, they are three days. 13 In 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. 14 But 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. 15 For 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.” 16 And 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. 17 And 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.” 18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets, they are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a pole,[b] and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20 And 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. 21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing position. And he placed the cup in the hand of Pharaoh. 22 But the chief baker he hanged as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 40:4 Literally “days”
- Genesis 40:19 Or “tree”
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