Genesis 40
Names of God Bible
Joseph in Prison
40 Later the king’s cupbearer[a] and his baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his chief cupbearer and his chief baker. 3 He put them in the prison of the captain of the guard, the same place where Joseph was a prisoner. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them.
After they had been confined for some time, 5 both prisoners—the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt—had dreams one night. Each man had a dream with its own special meaning.
6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were upset. 7 So he asked these officials of Pharaoh who were with him in his master’s prison, “Why do you look so unhappy today?”
8 “We both had dreams,” they answered him, “but there’s no one to tell us what they mean.”
“Isn’t Elohim the only one who can tell what they mean?” Joseph asked them. “Why don’t you tell me all about them.”
9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said “In my dream a grapevine with three branches appeared in front of me. 10 Soon after it sprouted it blossomed. Then its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed them into it. I put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 In the next three days Pharaoh will release you and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 Remember me when things go well for you, and please do me a favor. Mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison. 15 I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I’ve done nothing to deserve being put in this prison.”
16 The chief baker saw that the meaning Joseph had given to the cupbearer’s dream was good. So he said to Joseph, “I had a dream too. In my dream three baskets of white baked goods were on my head. 17 The top basket contained all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 “This is what it means,” Joseph replied. “The three baskets are three days. 19 In the next three days Pharaoh will cut off your head and hang your dead body on a pole. The birds will eat the flesh from your bones.”
20 Two days later, on his birthday, Pharaoh had a special dinner prepared for all his servants. Of all his servants he gave special attention to the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position. So the cupbearer put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hung the chief baker just as Joseph had said in his interpretation.
23 Nevertheless, the chief cupbearer didn’t remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 40:1 A cupbearer was a trusted royal official who ensured that the king’s drink was not poisoned.
Genesis 40
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 40
The Dreams Interpreted. 1 [a]Some time afterward, the royal cupbearer and baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the chief steward, the same jail where Joseph was confined. 4 The chief steward assigned Joseph to them, and he became their attendant.
After they had been in custody for some time, 5 the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the jail both had dreams on the same night, each his own dream and each dream with its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked disturbed. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so troubled today?” 8 They answered him, “We have had dreams, but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph said to them, “Do interpretations not come from God? Please tell me the dreams.”(A)
9 Then the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. It had barely budded when its blossoms came out, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes, pressed them out into his cup, and put it in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 Joseph said to him: “This is its interpretation. The three branches are three days; 13 within three days Pharaoh will single you out[b] and restore you to your post. You will be handing Pharaoh his cup as you formerly did when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only think of me when all is well with you, and please do me the great favor of mentioning me to Pharaoh, to get me out of this place. 15 The truth is that I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and I have not done anything here that they should have put me into a dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to him: “I too had a dream. In it I had three bread baskets on my head; 17 in the top one were all kinds of bakery products for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 Joseph said to him in reply: “This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days; 19 within three days Pharaoh will single you out and will impale you on a stake, and the birds will be eating your flesh.”
20 And so on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, when he gave a banquet to all his servants, he singled out the chief cupbearer and chief baker in the midst of his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, so that he again handed the cup to Pharaoh; 22 but the chief baker he impaled—just as Joseph had told them in his interpretation. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not think of Joseph; he forgot him.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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