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Genesis 40

1After these things, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh grew angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to them, and he attended them. They remained in custody for some time. 5Both of them dreamed a dream on the same night, each his own dream, each with its own interpretation—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison. 6Joseph came to them in the morning, saw them, and found them troubled. 7He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in custody in his master's house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?” 8They said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, but there is no one to interpret it.” Joseph said to them, “Do interpretations not belong to God? Please tell me.”

9The chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream, there was a vine before me, 10and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms came out, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh's palm.” 12Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13In three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14Only remember me when things go well for you. Please show me kindness, mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15For I was indeed stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me in the pit.”

16The chief baker saw that the interpretation was good. He said to Joseph, “I too, in my dream, had three baskets of white bread on my head. 17In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it from the basket above my head.” 18Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19In three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20On the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants. He lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21He restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing, and he put the cup in Pharaoh's palm. 22But he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Translation notes 3

40:8 — Interpretations. Joseph attributes the interpretation of dreams to God. The wording retains his claim without expanding it into an account of all dreams or all Egyptian practices.

40:13, 19–20 — Lifting the head. The repeated expression first promises restoration, then adds the devastating phrase “from you” for the baker. Verse 20 uses the same expression for Pharaoh's attention to both officials. The translation preserves this wordplay and the exposure of the baker's body.

40:16 — Baskets of white bread. The description of the baskets is uncertain. Alternatives include openwork baskets or baskets of fine bread. The following verse identifies their contents as baked food.