Shared Word Translation
Genesis 40
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams
After these things, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard appointed Joseph to attend them, and he served them. And they remained in custody for some time.
Then the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, each dreamed a dream on the same night, each with its own meaning. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have dreamed dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
The Cupbearer’s Dream
So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream, behold, there was a vine before me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms came out, and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”
The Baker’s Dream
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. Behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head, and in the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you upon a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
Pharaoh’s Birthday
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 among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.