Genesis 40
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Dreams of Two Prisoners
40 Some time after this, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he waited on them; and they continued for some time in custody. 5 And one night they both dreamed—the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, I pray you.”
9 So the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches; as soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days; 13 within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his butler. 14 But remember me, when it is well with you, and do me the kindness, I pray you, to make mention of me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat the flesh from you.”
20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief butler to his butlership, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand; 22 but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Genesis 40
New Life Version
Joseph Tells about Two Dreams
40 Some time later, the man who carried the king’s cup and the man who made the king’s bread did wrong against the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with these two important men, the head cup-carrier and the head bread-maker. 3 So he put them in prison under the care of the head of the soldiers, the same place where Joseph was in prison. 4 The head of the soldiers had Joseph watch over them. He took care of them, and they were in prison for a long time. 5 One night both the cup-carrier and the bread-maker of the king of Egypt had a dream while they were in prison. Each man had his own dream, and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came in and looked at them in the morning, he saw that they were sad. 7 So he asked these men who had worked for Pharaoh and who were with him in prison in his boss’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had a dream and there is no one to tell us what it means.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not the meanings of dreams belong to God? Tell them to me.”
9 So the head cup-carrier told his dream to Joseph. He said, “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 10 And there were three branches on the vine. Then its flowers grew out. From the many flowers came grapes ready to eat. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand. So I took the grapes and made wine from them and poured it into Pharaoh’s cup. And I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the meaning of it: The three branches are three days. 13 Before three days are over, Pharaoh will give you honor and return you to your place of work. You will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand just like you did before when you were his cup-carrier. 14 But remember me when it is well with you, and show me kindness. Say a good word about me to Pharaoh. Get me out of this prison. 15 For I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews. And here also I have done nothing for which they should put me in prison.”
16 The head bread-maker saw that the meaning of the dream was good. He said to Joseph, “I had a dream also. There were three baskets of white bread on my head. 17 All kinds of food for Pharaoh were in the top basket. But the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 Then Joseph answered, “This is the meaning of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and put your body up on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”
20 On the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a special supper for his servants. He gave honor to the head cup-carrier and the head bread-maker among his servants. 21 He returned the head cup-carrier to his place of work and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he killed the head bread-maker on a tree, just like Joseph had told them it would happen. 23 Yet the head cup-carrier did not remember Joseph. He forgot him.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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