Genesis 40

The Dreams of Two Prisoners

1Some time after this, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker, 3and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he waited on them; and they continued for some time in custody. 5And one night they both dreamed-the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison-each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. 6When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, they were troubled. 7So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, "Why are your faces downcast today?" 8They said to him, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, I pray you."

9So the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream there was a vine before me, 10and on the vine there were three branches; as soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh'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." 12Then Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days; 13within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his butler. 14But remember me, when it is well with you, and do me the kindness, I pray you, to make mention of me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."

16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, "I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head." 18And Joseph answered, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head-from you!-and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat the flesh from you."

20On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21He restored the chief butler to his butlership, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand; 22but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.