Genesis 40 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

After these events, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the baker had offended their master, the king of Egypt.

Pharaoh was furious with his two officials — the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.

He had them placed under guard in the house of the captain of the guard — the same prison where Joseph was being held.

The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to attend to them, and he served them. They remained in custody for some time.

Then one night, both of them — the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in the prison — each had a dream. Each dream had its own meaning.

When Joseph came to them in the morning, he noticed they looked troubled.

He asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why do you look so upset today?"

They told him, "We both had dreams, but there's no one here to interpret them." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to Elohim? Tell me your dreams."

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said, "In my dream, there was a grapevine right in front of me.

The vine had three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes.

Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

Joseph said to him, "Here's what it means: The three branches are three days.

Within three days, Pharaoh will lift your head — he'll restore you to your position, and you'll place Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just like you used to when you were his cupbearer.

But when things go well for you, please remember me. Show me kindness — mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this place.

I was taken by force from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I've done nothing to deserve being thrown in this pit.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, "I also had a dream. In it, there were three baskets of white bread on my head.

In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but birds were eating them out of the basket on my head."

Joseph answered, "Here's what it means: The three baskets are three days.

Within three days, Pharaoh will lift your head — off of you. He'll hang your body on a pole, and the birds will eat your flesh.

On the third day — Pharaoh's birthday — he threw a feast for all his officials. He lifted the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the presence of his officials.

He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and the cupbearer once again placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.

But the chief baker, he hanged — just as Joseph had interpreted for them.

But the chief cupbearer didn't remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.