giving up the ghost. He was alarmed about the king's death,
for it was doubtful whether the successor to the throne would
retain him in office. He resolved to do all in his power to
keep Pharaoh alive. Therefore he stepped before him, and
spake, saying, "I do remember two faults of mine this day,
I showed myself ungrateful to Joseph, in that I did not bring
his request before thee, and also I saw thee in distress by
reason of thy dream, without letting thee know that Joseph
can interpret dreams.[164] When it pleased the Lord God to
make Pharaoh wroth with his servants, the king put me in
ward in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the
chief baker.[165] And with us there was a simple young
man, one of the despised race of the Hebrews, slave to the
captain of the guard, and he interpreted our dreams to us,
and it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was.
Therefore,
O king, stay the hand of the hangmen, let them not
execute the Egyptians. The slave I speak of is still in the
dungeon, and if the king will consent to summon him
hither, he will surely interpret thy dreams."[166]


JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH

"Accursed are the wicked that never do a wholly good
deed." The chief butler described Joseph contemptuously
as a "slave" in order that it might be impossible for him
to occupy a distinguished place at court, for it was a law
upon the statute books of Egypt that a slave could never sit
upon the throne as king, nor even put his foot in the stirrup