Genesis 40

Chapter 40

Joseph Interprets Two Dreams

1 Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master.2 Pharaoh became angry with these two officials,3 and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard.

4 They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.
5 While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning.6 When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset.

7 “Why do you look so worried today?” he asked them.

8 And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.”
“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”
9 So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine in front of me.10 The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes.

11 I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches represent three days.13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer.14 And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.

15 For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I’m here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it.”
16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head.

17 The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head.”
18 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets also represent three days.

19 Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.”
20 Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summonedt his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials.21 He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup.22 But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream.

23 Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

GENESIS 40

Joseph Tells the Meaning //of the Prisoners' Dreams

1-3 While Joseph was in prison, both the king'st personal servantt and his chief cook made the king angry. So he had them thrown into the same prison with Joseph.

4 They spent a long time in prison, and the official in charge of the palace guard, t made Joseph their servant.
5 One night each of the two men had a dream, but their dreams had different meanings. 6 The next morning, when Joseph went to see the men, he could tell they were upset,

7 and he asked, “Why are you so worried today?”

8 “We each had a dream last night,” they answered, “and there is no one to tell us what they mean.”
Joseph replied, “Doesn't God know the meaning of dreams? Now tell me what you dreamed.”
9 The king's personal servant told Joseph, “In my dream I saw a vine 10 with three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its grapes became ripe.

11 I held the king's cup and squeezed the grapes into it, then I gave the cup to the king.”

12 Joseph said:
This is the meaning of your dream. The three branches stand for three days, 13 and in three days the king will pardon you. He will make you his personal servant again, and you will serve him his wine, just as you used to do. 14 But when these good things happen, please don't forget to tell the king about me, so I can get out of this place.

15 I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here in Egypt I haven't done anything to deserve being thrown in jail.
16 When the chief cook saw that Joseph had given a good meaning to the dream, he told Joseph, “I also had a dream. In it I was carrying three breadbaskets stacked on top of my head.

17 The top basket was full of all kinds of baked things for the king, but birds were eating them.”

18 Joseph said:
This is the meaning of your dream. The three baskets are three days,

19 t and in three days the king will cut off your head. He will hang your body on a pole, and birds will come and peck at it.
20 Three days later, while the king was celebrating his birthday with a dinner for his officials, he sent for his personal servant and the chief cook. 21 He put the personal servant back in his old job

22 and had the cook put to death.
Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, 23 but the king's personal servant completely forgot about Joseph.