Joseph Interprets Dreams Story - Bible

While Joseph was in prison in Egypt, two of Pharaoh's officials were put in the same prison. They were the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. They had offended Pharaoh. They were put in the prison where Joseph was held. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph. He attended to them.

After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men had a dream. They had their dreams on the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, 'Why do you look so sad today?'

They answered, 'We both had dreams. But there is no one to interpret them.'

Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.'

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, 'In my dream I saw a vine in front of me. On the vine were 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 put the cup in his hand.'

Joseph said to him, 'This is what the dream means. The three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me. Show me kindness. Mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews. Even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.'

When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, 'I also had a dream. In my dream I saw three baskets of bread on my head. 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.'

Joseph answered, 'This is what the dream means. The three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. The birds will eat away your flesh.'

The third day was Pharaoh's birthday. He gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position. The cupbearer once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand. But he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph. He forgot him.

Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. He was standing by the Nile River. Seven cows came up out of the river. They were sleek and fat. They grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up out of the Nile. They were ugly and gaunt. They stood beside the sleek cows on the riverbank. The ugly, gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

He fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. They were healthy and good. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted. They were thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. It had been a dream.

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 interpret them for him.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, 'Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants. He put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night. Each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us. He was a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us. He gave each man the correct interpretation. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us. I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.'

So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. They hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon. When Joseph had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.'

Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'I cannot do it. But God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.'

Then Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams. He told him about the seven fat cows and the seven gaunt cows. He told him about the seven healthy heads of grain and the seven thin heads of grain.

Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years. The seven good heads of grain are seven years. It is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years. So are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind. They are seven years of famine.

As I said to Pharaoh, God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. But seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will ruin the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered because the famine that follows will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God. God will do it soon.

Now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man. Let him put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming. They should store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh. Let them keep the food in the cities. This food will be a reserve for the country for the seven years of famine that will come on Egypt. Then the country will not be ruined by the famine.'

The plan pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. Pharaoh asked them, 'Can we find anyone like this man? The Spirit of God is in him.'

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace. All my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.'

Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command. People shouted before him, 'Make way!' Thus Joseph was put in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh. He went throughout the land of Egypt. During the seven years of abundance, the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields around it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain. It was like the sand of the sea. It was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. The famine spread over all the face of the earth. Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph. The famine was severe everywhere.

God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams. Through this gift, Joseph was able to save Egypt and many other lands from starvation. God had a plan for Joseph's life. Even when Joseph was sold as a slave and put in prison, God was working. He was preparing Joseph to be a great leader. God can use the hard times in our lives to prepare us for something wonderful.

The Joseph Interprets Dreams story teaches wisdom and patience. It shows that God gives insight to those who trust Him. This story highlights faith and divine revelation.