Joseph Interprets the Prisoners' Dreams

After this, Pharaoh became angry with two of his officers, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker. He put them in custody in the prison where Joseph was held. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and Joseph took care of them there for many days.

One night, both officers had dreams. In the morning Joseph saw that they were sad and asked why they looked that way. They said they had dreamed, but no one could interpret the dreams. Joseph said that interpretations belong to God and asked them to tell him what they had seen.

The cup bearer described a vine with three branches. It budded, blossomed, and produced ripe grapes. In the dream, Pharaoh’s cup was in his hand, and he pressed the grapes into it and gave the cup to Pharaoh. Joseph said the three branches meant three days. In three days, Pharaoh would restore him to his work. Joseph also asked him to remember him and speak to Pharaoh for him, because he had been taken from the land of the Hebrews and had done nothing to be put in prison.

Then the baker told his dream. He had seen three baskets on his head, and in the top basket were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh. Birds were eating from that basket. Joseph said the three baskets also meant three days. But in three days, Pharaoh would put the baker to death, and the birds would eat from his body.

On Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for his servants. That day, things happened just as Joseph had interpreted. The cup bearer was restored to his place and again gave Pharaoh his cup. But the baker was hanged. Even so, the chief cup bearer did not remember Joseph. He forgot him.