Genesis 40

The Prisoners’ Dreams

1 It came to pass after these things that the *Gen. 40:11, 13; Neh. 1:11butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was *Prov. 16:14angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. 3 *Gen. 39:1, 20, 23; 41:10So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.

5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, *Gen. 37:5; 41:1had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. 6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, *Neh. 2:2"Why do you look so sad today?"

8 And they said to him, *Gen. 41:15"We each have had a dream, and thereis no interpreter of it."

So Joseph said to them, *(Gen. 41:16; Dan. 2:11, 20–22, 27, 28, 47)"Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please."

9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11 Then 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 And Joseph said to him, *Gen. 40:18; 41:12, 25; Judg. 7:14; Dan. 2:36; 4:18, 19"This is the interpretation of it: The three branches *Gen. 40:18; 42:17are three days. 13 Now within three days Pharaoh will *2 Kin. 25:27; Ps. 3:3; Jer. 52:31lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 14 But *1 Sam. 25:31; Luke 23:42remember me when it is well with you, and *Gen. 24:49; 47:29; Josh. 2:12; 1 Sam. 20:14, 15; 2 Sam. 9:1; 1 Kin. 2:7please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was *Gen. 37:26–28stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; *Gen. 39:20and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon."

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, "I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head."

18 So Joseph answered and said, *Gen. 40:12"This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 *Gen. 40:13Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and *Deut. 21:22hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you."

20 Now it came to pass on the third day, whichwas Pharaoh’s *Matt. 14:6–10birthday, that he *Mark 6:21made a feast for all his servants; and he *Gen. 40:13, 19; 2 Kin. 25:27; Jer. 52:31; Matt. 25:19lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he *Gen. 40:13restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and *Neh. 2:1he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he *Gen. 40:19; Deut. 21:23; Esth. 7:10hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but *Job 19:14; Ps. 31:12; Eccl. 9:15, 16; Is. 49:15; Amos 6:6forgot him.