Genesis 40

Sometime after that, the {head} wine-server and the {head} baker disobeyed their master, {who was} {Pharaoh,} the king of Egypt.

As a result, {King} Pharaoh was furious with those two officers.

So he {had his soldiers arrest them and} put them in prison at the captain over the guards’ house, in the same prison where Joseph was. \*

{There} the captain over the guards appointed Joseph to {take care of} them, so he served them, and they remained in prison {for} some time.

One night the king of Egypt’s wine server and baker each had a dream while they were in prison. Each {one’s} dream had its own meaning. \*

The next morning, when Joseph came to {serve} them, he noticed that they looked sad.

So he asked them, “Why do you look {so} unhappy today?”

They answered him, “We {each} had a dream {last night}, but there is no one {here} who can tell {us} what our dreams mean.” Joseph replied, “God is the {only} one who gives someone the ability to interpret {the meaning of dreams}. Please tell me {what you dreamed}.” \*

Then the head wine-server told Joseph what was in his dream. He said, “While I was dreaming, I saw a vine in front of me

that had three branches. Soon buds started forming {on the branches}. {Then} {the buds} became flowers, {and the flowers} became bunches of ripe grapes.

Next I was holding {King} Pharaoh’s cup, and I picked grapes {from the vine} and squeezed juice from them into the cup. Then I handed the cup to Pharaoh {and he drank from it}.” \*

Joseph said to him, “This {is} what your dream means: The three branches {represent} three days.

In three days {King} Pharaoh will summon you and give you back your job, so that you will {again} serve wine to him, as you used to do when you were his wine-server. \*

When {you are out of prison and} everything is going well for you, please remember that I was {here} with you, and please be kind to me and mention my situation to {King} Pharaoh so that he releases me from this prison.

People brought me {here} by force from the land where {my people,} the Hebrews, live. Even here {in Egypt} I have done nothing {wrong} to deserve being in a dungeon.” \*

When the head baker heard the positive meaning that Joseph gave {for the first dream}, he told him, “I also {had a dream}, and while I was dreaming, I saw three bread baskets {stacked} on my head.

In the top basket {there were} many {kinds} of bread and cakes for {King} Pharaoh {to eat}, but {some} birds were gobbling them {up} from the basket.” \*

Joseph said {to him}, “This {is} what your dream means: The three baskets {represent} three days.

In three days {King} Pharaoh will {have his soldiers} chop off your head and impale your body on a {sharp} pole, where vultures will eat {all} your flesh off your bones.” \*

Then sure enough, three days later {it was} {King} Pharaoh’s birthday, and he invited all his officers to attend a banquet. {During the banquet,} he {had soldiers} bring {his} head wine-server and head baker {to the banquet} in front of {all} his {other} officers.

Then he returned the head wine-server to his {former} work, so that he {again} served wine to him.

But he {had his soldiers execute} the head baker {and} impale {his body on a pole}. {Everything happened} exactly the way Joseph had explained {their dreams} to them.

However the head wine-server {completely} forgot about Joseph and did not remember {to tell Pharaoh about} him. \*