Genesis 39

Joseph and the Wife of Potiphar

1Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar had bought him from the Ishmaelite traders who had taken him there. Potiphar was one of Pharaoh’s officials. He was the captain of the palace guard.

2The Lord was with Joseph. He gave him great success. Joseph lived in Potiphar’s house. 3Joseph’s master saw that the Lord was with him. He saw that the Lord made Joseph successful in everything he did. 4So Potiphar was pleased with Joseph and made him his attendant. He put Joseph in charge of his house. He trusted Joseph to take care of everything he owned. 5From that time on, the Lord blessed Potiphar’s family and servants because of Joseph. He blessed everything Potiphar had in his house and field. 6So Joseph took good care of everything Potiphar owned. With Joseph in charge, Potiphar didn’t have to worry about anything except the food he ate.

Joseph was strong and handsome. 7After a while, his master’s wife noticed Joseph. She said to him, “Come to bed with me!”

8But he refused. “My master has put me in charge,” he told her. “Now he doesn’t have to worry about anything in the house. He trusts me to take care of everything he owns. 9No one in this house is in a higher position than I am. My master hasn’t held anything back from me, except you. You are his wife. So how could I do an evil thing like that? How could I sin against God?” 10She spoke to Joseph day after day. But he told her he wouldn’t go to bed with her. He didn’t even want to be with her.

11One day Joseph went into the house to take care of his duties. None of the family servants was inside. 12Potiphar’s wife grabbed him by his coat. “Come to bed with me!” she said. But he left his coat in her hand. And he ran out of the house.

13She saw that he had left his coat in her hand and had run out of the house. 14So she called her servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew slave has been brought here to make fun of us! He came in here to force me to have sex with him. But I screamed for help. 15He heard my scream. So he left his coat beside me and ran out of the house.”

16She kept Joseph’s coat with her until Potiphar came home. 17Then she told him her story. She said, “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to rape me. 18But I screamed for help. So he left his coat beside me and ran out of the house.”

19Potiphar’s wife told him, “That’s how your slave treated me.” When Joseph’s master heard her story, he became very angry. 20So he put Joseph in prison. It was the place where the king’s prisoners were kept.

While Joseph was there in the prison, 21the Lord was with him. He was kind to him. So the man running the prison was pleased with Joseph. 22He put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. He made him responsible for everything done there. 23The man who ran the prison didn’t pay attention to anything in Joseph’s care. That’s because the Lord was with Joseph. He gave Joseph success in everything he did.

Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®

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Genesis 39

1¶ And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hands of the Ishmeelites, who had brought him down there.

2But the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prospered man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

4So Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.

6And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and with him knew of nothing more than of the bread which he ate. And Joseph was handsome and well favoured.

7¶ And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

8But he refused and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand;

9 there is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but thee because thou art his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

10And it came to pass as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not hearken unto her, to lie by her or to be with her.

11And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and none of those of the house were there within.

12And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me; and he left his garment in her hand and fled and got outside.

13¶ And it came to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled forth,

14that she called unto those of her house and spoke unto them, saying, See, he has brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice;

15and it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled and left.

16And she laid up his garment by her until his lord came home.

17And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew slave, whom thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to dishonour me;

18and when I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me and fled out.

19¶ And it came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke unto him, saying, After this manner did thy slave treat me, that his wrath was kindled.

20And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison.

21But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him grace in the sight of the prince of the house of the prison.

22And the prince of the house of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatever they did there, he was the doer of it.

23The prince of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International

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