Genesis 40

New International Version

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40 Some time later, the cupbearer^(A) and the baker^(B) of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. ²Pharaoh was angry^(C) with his two officials,^(D) the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, ³and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,^(E) in the same prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴The captain of the guard^(F) assigned them to Joseph,^(G) and he attended them.

After they had been in custody^(H) for some time, ⁵each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream^(I) the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.^(J)

⁶When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. ⁷So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody^(K) with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”^(L)

⁸“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”^(M)

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?^(N) Tell me your dreams.”

⁹So the chief cupbearer^(O) told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, ¹⁰and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,^(P) and its clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

¹²“This is what it means,^(Q)” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.^(R) ¹³Within three days^(S) Pharaoh will lift up your head^(T) and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.^(U) ¹⁴But when all goes well with you, remember me^(V) and show me kindness;^(W) mention me to Pharaoh^(X) and get me out of this prison. ¹⁵I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews,^(Y) and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”^(Z)

¹⁶When the chief baker^(AA) saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,^(AB) he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets^(AC) of bread.^[a] ¹⁷In the top basket were 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 said. “The three baskets are three days.^(AD) ¹⁹Within three days^(AE) Pharaoh will lift off your head^(AF) and impale your body on a pole.^(AG) And the birds will eat away your flesh.”^(AH)

²⁰Now the third day^(AI) was Pharaoh’s birthday,^(AJ) and he gave a feast for all his officials.^(AK) He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker^(AL) in the presence of his officials: ²¹He restored the chief cupbearer^(AM) to his position,^(AN) so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand^(AO)— ²²but he impaled the chief baker,^(AP) just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.^(AQ)

²³The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.^(AR)

Footnotes

Genesis 40:16 Or three wicker baskets

Job 6

New International Version

Job

6 Then Job replied:

²“If only my anguish could be weighed
    and all my misery be placed on the scales!^(A)
³It would surely outweigh the sand^(B) of the seas—
    no wonder my words have been impetuous.^(C)
⁴The arrows^(D) of the Almighty^(E) are in me,^(F)
    my spirit drinks^(G) in their poison;^(H)
    God’s terrors^(I) are marshaled against me.^(J)
⁵Does a wild donkey^(K) bray^(L) when it has grass,
    or an ox bellow when it has fodder?^(M)
⁶Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
    or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow^[a]?^(N)
⁷I refuse to touch it;
    such food makes me ill.^(O)

⁸“Oh, that I might have my request,
    that God would grant what I hope for,^(P)
⁹that God would be willing to crush^(Q) me,
    to let loose his hand and cut off my life!^(R)
¹⁰Then I would still have this consolation^(S)—
    my joy in unrelenting pain^(T)—
    that I had not denied the words^(U) of the Holy One.^(V)

¹¹“What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
    What prospects, that I should be patient?^(W)
¹²Do I have the strength of stone?
    Is my flesh bronze?^(X)
¹³Do I have any power to help myself,^(Y)
    now that success has been driven from me?

¹⁴“Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend^(Z)
    forsakes the fear of the Almighty.^(AA)
¹⁵But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,^(AB)
    as the streams that overflow
¹⁶when darkened by thawing ice
    and swollen with melting snow,^(AC)
¹⁷but that stop flowing in the dry season,
    and in the heat^(AD) vanish from their channels.
¹⁸Caravans turn aside from their routes;
    they go off into the wasteland and perish.
¹⁹The caravans of Tema^(AE) look for water,
    the traveling merchants of Sheba^(AF) look in hope.
²⁰They are distressed, because they had been confident;
    they arrive there, only to be disappointed.^(AG)
²¹Now you too have proved to be of no help;
    you see something dreadful and are afraid.^(AH)
²²Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
    pay a ransom^(AI) for me from your wealth,^(AJ)
²³deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
    rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?^(AK)

²⁴“Teach me, and I will be quiet;^(AL)
    show me where I have been wrong.^(AM)
²⁵How painful are honest words!^(AN)
    But what do your arguments prove?
²⁶Do you mean to correct what I say,
    and treat my desperate words as wind?^(AO)
²⁷You would even cast lots^(AP) for the fatherless^(AQ)
    and barter away your friend.

²⁸“But now be so kind as to look at me.
    Would I lie to your face?^(AR)
²⁹Relent, do not be unjust;^(AS)
    reconsider, for my integrity^(AT) is at stake.^[b]^(AU)
³⁰Is there any wickedness on my lips?^(AV)
    Can my mouth not discern^(AW) malice?

Footnotes

Job 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Job 6:29 Or my righteousness still stands

Psalm 38

New International Version

Psalm 38^[a]

A psalm of David. A petition.

¹Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.^(A)
²Your arrows^(B) have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
³Because of your wrath there is no health^(C) in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones^(D) because of my sin.
⁴My guilt has overwhelmed^(E) me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.^(F)

⁵My wounds^(G) fester and are loathsome^(H)
    because of my sinful folly.^(I)
⁶I am bowed down^(J) and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.^(K)
⁷My back is filled with searing pain;^(L)
    there is no health^(M) in my body.
⁸I am feeble and utterly crushed;^(N)
    I groan^(O) in anguish of heart.^(P)

⁹All my longings^(Q) lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing^(R) is not hidden from you.
¹⁰My heart pounds,^(S) my strength fails^(T) me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.^(U)
¹¹My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;^(V)
    my neighbors stay far away.
¹²Those who want to kill me set their traps,^(W)
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;^(X)
    all day long they scheme and lie.^(Y)

¹³I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,^(Z)
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
¹⁴I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
¹⁵Lord, I wait^(AA) for you;
    you will answer,^(AB) Lord my God.
¹⁶For I said, “Do not let them gloat^(AC)
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”^(AD)

¹⁷For I am about to fall,^(AE)
    and my pain^(AF) is ever with me.
¹⁸I confess my iniquity;^(AG)
    I am troubled by my sin.
¹⁹Many have become my enemies^(AH) without cause^[b];
    those who hate me^(AI) without reason^(AJ) are numerous.
²⁰Those who repay my good with evil^(AK)
    lodge accusations^(AL) against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.