Genesis 40 – Joseph Interprets the Butler and Baker's Dreams
In prison, Joseph correctly interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker.
Genesis 40 finds Joseph still imprisoned after the events of Genesis 39, now tasked with attending to two of Pharaoh's officials, the chief butler and chief baker, who are also confined there. When both men have troubling dreams on the same night, Joseph offers to interpret them.
And after these things, the butler of the King of Egypt and his baker offended their lorde the King of Egypt.
And Pharaoh was angrie against his two officers, against the chiefe butler, and against the chiefe baker.
Therefore he put them in ward in his chiefe stewardes house, in the prison and place where Ioseph was bound.
And the chiefe steward gaue Ioseph charge ouer them, and he serued them: and they continued a season in warde.
And they both dreamed a dreame, eyther of them his dreame in one night, eche one according to the interpretation of his dreame, both the butler and the baker of the King of Egypt, which were bounde in the prison.
And when Ioseph came in vnto them in the morning, and looked vpon them, beholde, they were sad.
And he asked Pharaohs officers, that were with him in his masters warde, saying, Wherefore looke ye so sadly to day?
Who answered him, We haue dreamed, eche one a dreame, and there is none to interprete the same. Then Ioseph saide vnto them, Are not interpretations of God? tell them me nowe.
So the chiefe butler tolde his dreame to Ioseph, and said vnto him, In my dreame, behold, a vine was before me,
And in the vine were three branches, and as it budded, her flowre came foorth: and the clusters of grapes waxed ripe.
And I had Pharaohs cup in mine hande, and I tooke the grapes, and wrung the into Pharaohs cup, and I gaue the cup into Pharaohs hand.
Then Ioseph sayde vnto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three braunches are three dayes.
Within three dayes shall Pharaoh lift vp thine head, and restore thee vnto thine office, and thou shalt giue Pharaohs cup into his hand after the olde maner, when thou wast his butler.
But haue me in remembrance with thee, when thou art in good case, and shew mercie, I pray thee, vnto me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring me out of this house.
For I was stollen away by theft out of the land of the Ebrewes, and here also haue I done nothing, wherefore they should put mee in the dungeon.
And when the chiefe baker sawe that the interpretation was good, hee saide vnto Ioseph, Also mee thought in my dreame that I had three white baskets on mine head.
And in the vppermost basket there was of all maner baken meates for Pharaoh: and the birdes did eate them out of the basket vpon mine head.
Then Ioseph answered, and saide, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three dayes:
Within three dayes shall Pharaoh take thine head from thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birdes shall eate thy flesh from off thee.
And so the third day, which was Pharaohs birthday, hee made a feast vnto all his seruants: and hee lifted vp the head of the chiefe butler, and the head of the chiefe baker among his seruants.
And he restored the chiefe butler vnto his butlershippe, who gaue the cup into Pharaohs hande,
But he hanged the chiefe baker, as Ioseph had interpreted vnto them.
Yet the chiefe butler did not remember Ioseph, but forgate him.