The Cupbearer's and Baker's Dreams
Study note
Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker offend their master and are thrown into the same prison where Joseph is confined. The captain of the guard assigns Joseph to attend them. After some time, both men have dreams on the same night, and both are troubled. Joseph notices their sad faces and asks what is wrong. They say they have had dreams but no one can interpret them. Joseph says that interpretations belong to God and asks them to tell him their dreams.
1 Sometime later, two of Pharaoh's workers made him angry. One was his personal cupbearer. The other was his head baker. And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.
2 Pharaoh was so upset with these two officials that And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
3 he threw them both in prison — the same prison where Joseph was being held, in the house of the captain of the guard. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
4 The captain put Joseph in charge of taking care of these two men. After they had been locked up for a while, And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
5 both of them — the cupbearer and the baker — had dreams on the same night. Each man's dream had its own special meaning. And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
6 When Joseph came to check on them the next morning, he could tell they were upset. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
7 He asked them, "Why do you both look so gloomy today?" And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
8 They said, "We each had a strange dream last night, and there's nobody here who can tell us what they mean." Joseph replied, "Understanding dreams is something only God can do. But go ahead and tell me about them." And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
Joseph Interprets the Dreams
Study note
The cupbearer dreams of a vine with three branches that blossom and produce grapes. He squeezes the grapes into Pharaoh's cup and serves him. Joseph says the three branches represent three days — in three days, the cupbearer will be restored to his position. Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him and mention him to Pharaoh. The baker, encouraged by the good interpretation, shares his dream: three baskets of bread on his head, with birds eating from the top basket. Joseph says the three baskets also represent three days — but in three days, Pharaoh will have the baker executed.
9 The cupbearer went first: "In my dream, I saw a grapevine before me." And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
10 "The vine had three branches. As I watched, it sprouted buds, then flowers, and then the flowers turned into bunches of ripe grapes." And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
11 "I was holding Pharaoh's cup, so I picked the grapes, squeezed their juice into the cup, and placed it in Pharaoh's hand." And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
12 Joseph told him, "Here is what your dream means. The three branches represent three days." And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:
13 "In three days, Pharaoh is going to bring you back and give you your old job again. You'll be serving Pharaoh's cup just like you used to." Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
14 "But when everything works out for you, please don't forget about me! Put in a good word for me with Pharaoh and help me get out of this prison." But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
15 "I was kidnapped from my homeland, and I've done nothing wrong here to deserve being thrown in this dungeon." For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
16 When the head baker heard the good news about the cupbearer's dream, he eagerly spoke up: "I had a dream too! I was carrying three baskets of bread stacked on my head." When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
17 "The top basket was full of every kind of pastry and baked goods for Pharaoh. But birds kept swooping down and eating them right off my head." And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
18 Joseph told him, "Here is what your dream means. The three baskets represent three days." And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
19 "In three days, Pharaoh is going to have you executed and your body hung up on a pole. Birds will pick your flesh clean." Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
The Dreams Come True
Study note
On the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, everything happens exactly as Joseph said. The cupbearer is restored to his position, and the baker is executed. But the cupbearer does not remember Joseph — he forgets him completely. Joseph remains in prison, forgotten by the man he helped, but not forgotten by God.
20 Three days later was Pharaoh's birthday, and he threw a big celebration for all his officials. He brought out both the cupbearer and the baker in front of everyone. And it came to pass 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 butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
21 He gave the cupbearer his old job back. Once again the cupbearer was placing the cup right in Pharaoh's hand. And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
22 But the baker was executed, just as Joseph had predicted. But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 But the cupbearer completely forgot about Joseph. He never thought about him again. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.