Genesis 40

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

While these things were going on, it happened that two eunuchs, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and the miller of grain, offended their lord.

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

And Pharaoh, being angry with them, (now the one was in charge of the cupbearers, the other of the millers of grain)

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

sent them to the prison of the leader of the military, in which Joseph also was a prisoner.

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

But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, who ministered to them also. Some little time passed by, while they were held in custody.

5 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.

And they both saw a similar dream on one night, whose interpretations should be related to one another.

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

And when Joseph had entered to them in the morning, and had seen them sad,

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

he consulted them, saying, “Why is your expression sadder today than usual?”

8 “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.”

They responded, “We have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it for us.” And Joseph said to them, “Doesn’t interpretation belong to God? Recount for me what you have seen.”

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

The chief cupbearer explained his dream first. “I saw before me a vine,

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

on which were three shoots, which grew little by little into buds, and, after the flowers, it matured into grapes.

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

And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand. Therefore, I took the grapes, and I pressed them into the cup that I held, and I handed the cup to Pharaoh.”

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

Joseph responded: “This is the interpretation of the dream. The three shoots are the next three days,

13 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.

after which Pharaoh will remember your service, and he will restore you to your former position. And you will give him the cup according to your office, as you were accustomed to do before.

14 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.

Only remember me, when it will be well with you, and do me this mercy, to suggest to Pharaoh to lead me out of this prison.

15 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.”

For I have been stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here, innocently, I was cast into the pit.”

16 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.

The chief miller of grain, seeing that he had wisely unraveled the dream, said: “I also saw a dream: that I had three baskets of meal above my head,

17 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.”

and in one basket, which was the highest, I carried all foods that are made by the art of baking, and the birds ate from it.”

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

Joseph responded: “This is the interpretation of the dream. The three baskets are the next three days,

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

after which Pharaoh will carry away your head, and also suspend you from a cross, and the birds will tear your flesh.”

20 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.

The third day thereafter was the birthday of Pharaoh. And making a great feast for his servants, he remembered, during the banquet, the chief cupbearer and the chief miller of grain.

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

And he restored the one to his place, to present him the cup;

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

the other he hanged on a gallows, and thus the truth of the interpreter of dreams was proven.

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

And although he advanced with so much prosperity, the chief cupbearer forgot his interpreter of dreams.