Genesis 40:1-13 ▼

1 Now some time later, the cupbearer (butler) and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, Egypt’s king.

2 Pharaoh (Sesostris II) was extremely angry with his two officials, the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers.

3 He put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.

4 The captain of the guard put Joseph in charge of them, and he served them; and they continued to be in custody for some time.

5 Then the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both dreamed a dream in the same night, each man with his [own significant] dream and each dream with its [personal] interpretation.

6 When Joseph came to them in the morning and looked at them, [he saw that] they were sad and depressed.

7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in confinement with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so down-hearted today?”

8 And they said to him, “We have [each] dreamed [distinct] dreams and there is no one to interpret them.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell me [your dreams].”

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream there was a grapevine in front of me;

10 and on the vine were three branches. Then as soon as it budded, its blossoms burst open, and its clusters produced ripe grapes [in rapid succession].

11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup; then I placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches represent three days;

13 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head (present you in public) and restore you to your position; and you will [again] put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand just as [you did] when you were his cupbearer.