Genesis 40

1 And it came to pass after these things, [that] the cup-bearer of the king of Egypt and the baker offended their lord the king of Egypt.

Later on the cupbearer and the baker committed some offense against their master, the king of Egypt.

2 And Pharaoh was wroth with his two chamberlains — with the chief of the cup-bearers and with the chief of the bakers;

Pharaoh was angry with these two royal officials—the chief cupbearer and chief baker—

3 and he put them in custody into the house of the captain of the life-guard, into the tower-house, into the place where Joseph was imprisoned.

and imprisoned them in the house of the commander of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was.

4 And the captain of the life-guard appointed Joseph to them, that he should attend on them. And they were [several] days in custody.

The commander of the guard assigned Joseph to them as their personal attendant. They were kept in prison for some time.

5 And they dreamed a dream, both of them in one night, each his dream, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup-bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the tower-house.

One night while they were in prison the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt each had a dream. They were different dreams, each with its own meaning.

6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning, and looked on them, and behold, they were sad.

When Joseph arrived the next morning he noticed they both looked depressed.

7 And he asked Pharaoh's chamberlains that were with him in custody in his lord's house, saying, Why are your faces [so] sad to-day?

So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were imprisoned with him in his master's house, “Why are you looking so depressed?”

8 And they said to him, We have dreamt a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said to them, [Do] not interpretations [belong] to God? tell me [your dreams], I pray you.

“We've both had dreams but can't find anyone to explain what they mean,” they said. So Joseph told them, “Isn't God the one who can interpret the meaning of dreams? Tell me your dreams.”

9 Then the chief of the cup-bearers told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. “In my dream there was a vine right in front of me,” he explained.

10 and in the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded: its blossoms shot forth, its clusters ripened into grapes.

“The vine had three branches. As soon as it budded, it flowered, and produced clusters of ripe grapes.

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

I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup, so I picked the grapes and squeezed them into the cup and gave it to Pharaoh.”

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

“This is the meaning,” Joseph told him. “The three branches represent three days.

13 In yet three days will Pharaoh lift up thy head and restore thee to thy place, and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his cup-bearer.

In three days' time Pharaoh will take you out of prison and give you back your job, and you will hand Pharaoh his cup as you used to.

14 Only bear a remembrance with thee of me when it goes well with thee, and deal kindly, I pray thee, with me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house;

But when things go well for you, please remember me with kindness and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf, and please get me out of this prison.

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

I was cruelly kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in this pit even though I've done nothing wrong.”

16 And when the chief of the bakers saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was positive, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. I had three baskets of cakes on my head.

17 And in the uppermost basket there were all manner of victuals for Pharaoh that the baker makes, and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.

In the top basket were all the cakes and pastries for Pharaoh to eat, and the birds were eating them from the basket on my head.”

18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets are three days.

“This is the meaning,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets represent three days.

19 In yet three days will Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and hang thee on a tree; and the birds will eat thy flesh from off thee.

In three days' time Pharaoh will take you out of prison and hang you on a pole, and birds will eat your flesh.”

20 And it came to pass the third day — Pharaoh's birthday — that he made a feast to all his bondmen. And he lifted up the head of the chief of the cup-bearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his bondmen.

Three days later it happened to be Pharaoh's birthday, and he arranged a banquet for all his officials. He had the chief cupbearer and the chief baker released from prison and brought there before his officials.

21 And he restored the chief of the cup-bearers to his office of cup-bearer again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

He gave the chief cupbearer his job back, and he returned to his duties of handing Pharaoh his cup.

22 And he hanged the chief of the bakers, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

But he hanged the chief baker just as Joseph had said when he interpreted their dreams.

23 But the chief of the cup-bearers did not remember Joseph, and forgot him.

But the chief cupbearer didn't remember to say anything about Joseph—in fact he forgot all about him.