Genesis 40:5-41:32

New International Version

⁵ each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream^(A) the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.^(B)

⁶ When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. ⁷ So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody^(C) with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”^(D)

⁸ “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”^(E)

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?^(F) Tell me your dreams.”

⁹ So the chief cupbearer^(G) told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,^(H) and its clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹ Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

¹² “This is what it means,^(I)” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.^{(J) 13} Within three days^(K) Pharaoh will lift up your head^(L) and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.^{(M) 14} But when all goes well with you, remember me^(N) and show me kindness;^(O) mention me to Pharaoh^(P) and get me out of this prison. ¹⁵ I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews,^(Q) and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”^(R)

¹⁶ When the chief baker^(S) saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,^(T) he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets^(U) of bread.^{[a] 17} In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

¹⁸ “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days.^{(V) 19} Within three days^(W) Pharaoh will lift off your head^(X) and impale your body on a pole.^(Y) And the birds will eat away your flesh.”^(Z)

²⁰ Now the third day^(AA) was Pharaoh’s birthday,^(AB) and he gave a feast for all his officials.^(AC) He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker^(AD) in the presence of his officials: ²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer^(AE) to his position,^(AF) so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand^(AG)— ²² but he impaled the chief baker,^(AH) just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.^(AI)

²³ The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.^(AJ)

Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream:^(AK) He was standing by the Nile,^{(AL) 2} when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat,^(AM) and they grazed among the reeds.^{(AN) 3} After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. ⁴ And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.^(AO)

⁵ He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain,^(AP) healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. ⁶ After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind.^{(AQ) 7} The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up;^(AR) it had been a dream.

⁸ In the morning his mind was troubled,^(AS) so he sent for all the magicians^(AT) and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.^(AU)

⁹ Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.^{(AV) 10} Pharaoh was once angry with his servants,^(AW) and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.^{(AX) 11} Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.^{(AY) 12} Now a young Hebrew^(AZ) was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard.^(BA) We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.^{(BB) 13} And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.^(BC)”

¹⁴ So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon.^(BD) When he had shaved^(BE) and changed his clothes,^(BF) he came before Pharaoh.

¹⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it.^(BG) But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”^(BH)

¹⁶ “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”^(BI)

¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,^{(BJ) 18} when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.^{(BK) 19} After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. ²¹ But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

²² “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. ²³ After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. ²⁴ The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.^(BL)”

²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.^(BM) God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.^{(BN) 26} The seven good cows^(BO) are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. ²⁷ The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.^(BP)

²⁸ “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.^{(BQ) 29} Seven years of great abundance^(BR) are coming throughout the land of Egypt, ³⁰ but seven years of famine^(BS) will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.^{(BT) 31} The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. ³² The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided^(BU) by God, and God will do it soon.^(BV)