Add parallel Print Page Options

Joseph Interprets the Officials’ Dreams

40 Now it happened that after these things, (A)the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was (B)furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. So he put them in confinement in the house of the (C)captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. And the captain of the bodyguard appointed Joseph as overseer over them, and he [a]attended to them; and they were in confinement for [b]some time. Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. Now Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, and behold, they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, saying, “(D)Why are your faces so sad today?” Then they said to him, “(E)We have [c]had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “(F)Do not interpretations belong to God? Recount it to me, please.”

So the chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream, [d]behold, there was a vine in front of me; 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s [e]hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the (G)interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within three more days Pharaoh will [f]lift up your head and restore you to your [g]office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me when it goes well with you, and please (H)show me lovingkindness by remembering me to Pharaoh and getting me out of this house. 15 For (I)I was in fact stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the pit.”

16 And the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, so he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17 and in the top basket there were some of all [h]sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head off of you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off of you.”

20 Thus it happened on the third day, which was (J)Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; (K)and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his [i]office, and (L)he put the cup into Pharaoh’s [j]hand; 22 but (M)he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but (N)forgot him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 40:4 Or ministered to
  2. Genesis 40:4 Lit days
  3. Genesis 40:8 Lit dreamed
  4. Genesis 40:9 Lit and behold
  5. Genesis 40:11 Lit palm
  6. Genesis 40:13 Or possibly forgive you
  7. Genesis 40:13 Lit place
  8. Genesis 40:17 Lit food for Pharaoh made by a baker
  9. Genesis 40:21 Lit wine-pouring
  10. Genesis 40:21 Lit palm

Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners’ Dreams

40 After this, the king of Egypt’s cupbearer(A) and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guards(B) in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guards assigned Joseph to them as their personal attendant, and they were in custody for some time.[a]

The king of Egypt’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. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked distraught. 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)

“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)

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.”[b](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.[c] Then the birds will eat the flesh from your body.”[d]

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he gave a feast for all his servants. He elevated[e] the chief cupbearer and the chief baker among his servants.(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[f] the chief baker, just as Joseph had explained to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.(J)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 40:4 Lit custody days
  2. 40:15 Or pit, or cistern
  3. 40:19 Or and impale you on a pole
  4. 40:19 Lit eat your flesh from upon you
  5. 40:20 Lit He lifted up the head of
  6. 40:22 Or impaled