39 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
39 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams
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# Chapter 40
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1. Some time later, Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master.
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2. Pharaoh became angry with these two officials,
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3. and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard.
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4. They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.
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5. While they were in prison, Pharaoh's cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning.
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6. When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset.
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7. "Why do you look so worried today?" he asked them.
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8. And they replied, "We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean."
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"Interpreting dreams is God's business," Joseph replied. "Go ahead and tell me your dreams."
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9. So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. "In my dream," he said, "I saw a grapevine in front of me.
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10. The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes.
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11. I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."
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12. "This is what the dream means," Joseph said. "The three branches represent three days.
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13. Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer.
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14. And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.
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15. For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it."
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16. When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head.
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17. The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head."
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18. "This is what the dream means," Joseph told him. "The three baskets also represent three days.
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19. Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh."
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20. Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials.
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21. He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup.
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22. But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream.
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23. Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.
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