1: As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt.
2: Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker,
3: and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where Joseph was held.
4: The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs. After they had been in custody for a while,
5: the king's cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning.
6: When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low.
7: So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, "What's wrong? Why the long faces?"
8: They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams."
9: First the head cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: "In my dream there was a vine in front of me
10: with three branches on it: It budded, blossomed, and the clusters ripened into grapes.
11: I was holding Pharaoh's cup; I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh."
12: Joseph said, "Here's the meaning. The three branches are three days.
13: Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work--you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.
14: Only remember me when things are going well with you again--tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place.
15: I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole."
16: When the head baker saw how well Joseph's interpretation turned out, he spoke up: "My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head;
17: the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head."
18: Joseph said, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days;
19: within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean."
20: And sure enough, on the third day it was Pharaoh's birthday and he threw a feast for all his servants. He set the head cupbearer and the head baker in places of honor in the presence of all the guests.
21: Then he restored the head cupbearer to his cupbearing post; he handed Pharaoh his cup just as before.
22: And then he impaled the head baker on a post, following Joseph's interpretations exactly.
23: But the head cupbearer never gave Joseph another thought; he forgot all about him.