1 Depois disto, aconteceu que o copeiro e o padeiro do rei do Egito ofenderam o seu senhor.2 O faraó, encolerizado contra os seus dois oficiais, o copeiro-mor e o padeiro-mor,3 mandou-os encarcerar na casa do chefe da guarda, na prisão onde se encontrava detido José.4 O chefe da guarda associou-lhes José para os servir. Havia já um certo tempo que estavam detidos,5 quando os dois prisioneiros, o copeiro e o padeiro do rei do Egito, tiveram um sonho numa mesma noite, cada um o seu, com seu sentido particular.6 Quando José voltou junto deles no dia seguinte pela manhã, viu que estavam tristes.7 Perguntou então aos oficiais do faraó, detidos com ele na casa do seu senhor: "Por que tendes hoje um ar sombrio?"8 "Tivemos um sonho, responderam; e não há ninguém para no-los interpretar." "Porventura, não pertence a Deus, replicou José, a interpretação dos sonhos? Rogo-vos que mos conteis."9 E o copeiro-mor contou seu sonho a José: "Em meu sonho, disse ele, vi uma cepa que estava diante de mim,10 e nesta cepa três varas, que pareciam brotar; saiu uma flor e seus cachos deram uvas maduras.11 Eu tinha na mão a taça do faraó; tomei as uvas e espremi-as na taça, que entreguei na mão do faraó."12 José disse-lhe: "Eis o significado do teu sonho: as três varas são três dias.13 Dentro de três dias, o faraó te reabilitará em tuas funções. Apresentarás ao faraó sua taça, como o fazias antes, quando eras seu copeiro.14 Quando fores feliz, lembra-te de mim e faze-me o favor de recomendar-me ao faraó, para que ele me tire desta prisão.15 Porque é por um rapto que fui tirado da terra dos hebreus, e aqui, igualmente, eu nada fiz para merecer a prisão."16 O padeiro-mor, vendo que José tinha dado uma boa interpretação, disse-lhe: "Eu também, em meu sonho, levava sobre minha cabeça três cestas de pão branco.17 Nada de cima, havia toda a sorte de manjares para o faraó; mas as aves do céu comiam-nas na cesta que estava sobre minha cabeça."18 "Eis, disse José, o que isto significa: as três cestas são três dias.19 Dentro de três dias, o faraó levantará a tua cabeça: ele te suspenderá numa forca, e as aves devorarão a tua carne."20 No terceiro dia, celebrava-se o aniversário natalício do faraó, e ele ofereceu um banquete todo o seu pessoal. Ele levantou a cabeça do copeiro-mor, no meio de todos os seus servos:21 restabeleceu no seu cargo o copeiro-mor, que apresentou novamente a taça ao faraó,22 e mandou suspender no patíbulo o padeiro-mor, segundo a interpretação que José lhes havia dado.23 Mas o copeiro-mor não pensou mais em José; esqueceu-o.

1 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and the baker committed an offense, against their lord the king of Egypt.2 And Pharaoh was wroth against his two 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 guards, into the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.4 And the captain of the guards 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 his dream in one night, each in accordance with the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison.6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked at them, and, behold, they were sad.7 And he asked the officers of Pharaoh that were with him in ward in his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly today?8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is none to interpret it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell it to me, I pray you.9 The chief of the butlers then told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;10 And on the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded, shot forth its blossoms, and on its clusters the grapes became ripe:11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them out into Pharaoh’s cup, and I placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.12 And Joseph said unto him, This is its interpretation: The three branches are three days;13 Within yet three days will Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto thy office; and thou shalt place Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.14 Therefore if thou thinkest on me when it shall be well with thee, then show 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 not done the least that they should put me into the dungeon.16 And when the chief of the bakers saw that he had well interpreted, he said unto Joseph, I also saw in my dream, and, behold, I had three baskets with fine bread on my head:17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats, used as food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket from my head.18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days;19 Within yet three days will Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and will hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.20 And it came to pass on 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 of the butlers and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants.21 And he restored the chief of the butlers unto his butlership; and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand;22 But the chief of the bakers he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them.23 Yet the chief of the butlers did not remember Joseph, and forgot him.