Joseph Interprets a Dream

¹Now some time later, the cupbearer (butler) and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, Egypt’s king. ² Pharaoh (^[a]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. ¹⁴ Only think of me when it goes well with you, and please show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. ¹⁵ For in fact I was ^[b]taken (stolen) from the land of the Hebrews by [unlawful] force, and even here I have done nothing for which they should put me in the dungeon.”

¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that the interpretation [of the dream] was good, he said to Joseph, “I also dreamed, and [in my dream] there were three cake baskets on my head; ¹⁷ and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds [of prey] were eating [these foods] out of the basket on my head.” ¹⁸ Joseph answered, “This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets represent three days; ¹⁹ within three more days Pharaoh will ^[c]lift up your head and will hang you on a tree (gallows, pole), and [you will not so much as be given a burial, but] the birds will eat your flesh.”

²⁰ Now on the third day, [which was] the Pharaoh’s birthday, he [released the two men from prison and] made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker [that is, presented them in public] among his servants. ²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and the cupbearer [once again] put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; ²² but Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted [the meaning of the dreams] to them. ²³ Yet [even after all that] the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot [all about] him.