Genesis 41:24 T 45
do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember
me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this
prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here
I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”
16 When the c hief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpreta
tion, he said to Joseph, “I too had a d
ream: On my head were t hree baskets 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.
19 Within t hree days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a
pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”
20 Now the t hird day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a f east for all his
officials. He lifted up the h
eads of the c hief cupbearer and the c hief baker in
the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position,
so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand — 22 but he impaled the
chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Pharaoh’s Dreams
41
When two full years had p
assed, Pharaoh had a d
ream: He was standing
by the Nile, 2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and
fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 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.
5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of g
rain, h
ealthy
and good, were growing on a single s talk. 6 After them, seven other heads
of g
rain sprouted — thin and s corched by the east wind. 7 The thin heads of
grain swallowed up the seven h
ealthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it
had been a dream.
8 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians
and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could in
terpret them for him.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my
shortcomings. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he impris
oned me and the c hief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 Each
of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
12 Now a young Hebrew was t here with us, a servant of the captain of the g
uard.
We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the
interpretation of his dream. 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted
them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”
14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dun
geon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But
I have h
eard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh
the answer he desires.”
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my d
ream I was standing on the bank
of the Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek,
and they grazed among the reeds. 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 h
eads 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 ex
plain it to me.”
a 16 Or
three wicker baskets