Genesis 40
King James Version
40 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:
13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
Genesis 40
Wycliffe Bible
40 When these things were done, it befelled that two geldings, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, sinned to their lord. (After these things were done, it befell that two eunuchs, Pharaoh’s butler and baker, sinned against their lord.)
2 And Pharaoh was wroth against them, for the one was (the) master butler, and the tother was (the) master baker.
3 And he sent them into the prison of the prince of knights, in which also Joseph was bound. (And he sent them into the prison of the captain of the guard, where Joseph was also kept.)
4 And the keeper of the prison betook them to Joseph, which also served, or kept, them. Somewhat of time passed, and they were holden in keeping, (And the ruler of the prison delivered them unto Joseph, who served them. Some time passed, and they were still held in the prison,)
5 and both saw a dream in one night, by covenable expounding to them. (when both of them had a dream one night, and they needed their dreams to be interpreted.)
6 And when Joseph had entered to them early, and had seen them sorry, (And when Joseph came to them in the morning, and saw them looking sorrowful, or sad,)
7 he asked them, and said, Why is your cheer heavier today than it is wont (to be)? (he asked them, Why are your faces so heavy, or so unhappy, today?)
8 Which answered, We (each) saw a dream, and there is no man that expoundeth it to us. And Joseph said to them, Whether the expounding is not of God? Tell ye to me what ye have seen. (And they answered, We have each had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it for us. And Joseph said to them, Should not the interpretation come from God? Tell me what ye have seen.)
9 The master butler told first his dream; I saw before me that a vine, (So the master butler told his dream first, and he said, I saw that there was a vine before me,)
10 in which were three scions, waxed little and little into burgeonings, and that after the flowers (came), the grapes waxed ripe, (which had three branches, that over time had more and more buds, and after the flowers came, the grapes ripened,)
11 and (then) the cup of Pharaoh was in mine hand; therefore I took the grapes, and pressed them out into the cup that I held, and I gave (the) drink to Pharaoh (and I gave it to Pharaoh to drink).
12 Joseph answered, This is the expounding of the dream; three scions be yet three days, (Joseph answered, This is the dream’s interpretation; the three branches be three days yet to come,)
13 after which Pharaoh shall have mind of thy service, and he shall restore thee into the first degree, and thou shalt give to him the cup, by thine office, as thou were wont to do before. (and then Pharaoh shall remember thy service, and he shall restore thee to thy place, and thou shalt give him the cup, as per thy duties, yea, as thou were wont to do before.)
14 Only have thou mind of me, when it is well to thee, and thou shalt do mercy with me, that thou make suggestion to Pharaoh, that he lead me out of this prison; (And when it is well with thee, remember me, and do thou mercy to me, so that thou make a suggestion to Pharaoh, that he release me from this prison;)
15 for thiefly, (that is, by thievery), I am taken away from the land of Hebrews, and (once) here I am sent innocent into prison. (for I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews, and then once here, I was sent into prison, though innocent.)
16 The master baker saw that Joseph had declared prudently the dream, and he said, And I saw a dream, that I had three baskets of meal on mine head, (The master baker saw that Joseph had prudently interpreted the dream, and he said, And I had a dream, where I had three baskets of meal on my head,)
17 and I guessed that I bare in one basket, that was highest, all (the) (bake)meats that be made (for Pharaoh) by the craft of bakers, and that birds ate thereof. (and I saw that I carried in the first basket, that was on top, all the baked goods that the baker made for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them.)
18 Joseph answered, This is the expounding of the dream; three baskets be yet three days, (Joseph answered, This is the dream’s interpretation; the three baskets be three days yet to come,)
19 after which Pharaoh shall take away thine head, and he shall hang thee in a cross, and birds shall draw thy flesh. (after which Pharaoh shall take away thy head, and he shall hang thee on a tree, and then the birds shall draw off thy flesh.)
20 From thence the third day was the day of the birth of Pharaoh, which made a great feast to his servants, and he had mind among the meats, of the master butler, and of the prince of (the) bakers; (And three days later was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he made a great feast for his servants, and during the feast he remembered the master butler, and the master baker;)
21 and he restored the one into his place, (so) that he should direct the cup, either (the) drink, to the king,
22 and he hanged the tother in a gibbet, that the truth of Joseph(’s) declaring (of) the dreams should be proved. (but he hanged the other man on a tree, and so the truth of Joseph’s interpretations of the dreams was shown.)
23 And nevertheless when prosperities befelled to the master butler, he forgat Joseph that declared his dream. (And yet when good things happened to the master butler, he forgot about Joseph, who had interpreted his dream.)
Genesis 40
English Standard Version
Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners' Dreams
40 Some time after this, the (A)cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 (B)and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.
5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, (C)“Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, (D)“We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, (E)“Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, (F)“This is its interpretation: (G)the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will (H)lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For (I)I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and (J)here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, (K)“This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 (L)In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and (M)hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”
20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh's (N)birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and (O)lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 (P)He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and (Q)he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he (R)hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
