Genesis 39

Joseph in Potiphar’s House

1Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him from the Ishmaelites#Gn 37:25,28,36; Ps 105:17 who had brought him there. 2The Lord was with Joseph,#Gn 39:3,21,23; Ac 7:9 and he became a successful man, serving#39:2 Lit and he was in the household of his Egyptian master. 3When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful,#Ps 1:3 4Joseph found favor#Gn 18:3; 19:19; 33:10 with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority.#39:4 Lit owned in his hand 5From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph.#Gn 30:27 The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. 6He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority;#39:6 Lit owned in Joseph’s hand he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.#Gn 29:17; 1Sm 16:12 7After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”

8But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority.#39:8 Lit owns in my hand 9No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?” #Gn 20:6; 42:18; 2Sm 12:13; Ps 51:4; Pr 6:29

10Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her.#39:10 Lit he did not listen to her to lie beside her, to be with her 11Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there.#39:11 Lit there in the house 12She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. 13When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, 14she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. 15When he heard me screaming for help,#39:15 Lit he heard that I raised my voice and I screamed he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

16She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. 17Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, 18but when I screamed for help,#39:18 Lit I raised my voice and screamed he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

19When his master heard the story his wife told him — “These are the things your slave did to me” — he was furious 20and had him thrown into prison,#Gn 40:3; Ps 105:18 where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison.

Joseph in Prison

21But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him.#Gn 39:2; Ps 105:19; Ac 7:9 He granted him favor with the prison warden.#Ex 3:21; 11:3; 12:36 22The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority,#39:22 Lit prison in the hand of Joseph and he was responsible for everything that was done there. 23The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority,#39:23 Lit anything in his hand because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.#Gn 39:2–3

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Genesis 39

CHAPTER 39

1Therefore Joseph was led into Egypt, and Potiphar, a gelding of Pharaoh, prince of the host, a man of Egypt, bought him of the hand of Ishmaelites, of which he was brought thither.

2And the Lord was with him, and he was a man doing with prosperity in all things. And Joseph dwelled in the house of his lord,

3which knew full well that the Lord was with Joseph, and that all things which he did, were dressed of the Lord in his hand.

4And Joseph found grace before his lord, and he served him, of whom Joseph was made sovereign of all things, and he governed the house betaken to him, and all things that were betaken to him.

5And the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph, and multiplied all his chattel [or substance], as well in houses, as in fields;

6neither he knew any other thing, but [the] bread which he ate. Forsooth Joseph was fair in face, and shapely in sight.

7And so after many days the lady of his lord cast her eyes into Joseph, and said, Sleep thou with me;

8which assented not to the unleave-ful work, and said to her, Lo! while all things be betaken to me, my lord wot not what he hath in his house,

9neither anything is, which is not in my power, either which he hath not betaken to me, except thee, which art his wife; how therefore may I do this evil, and do sin against my lord?

10They spake such words by all days or by long time, and the woman was dis-easeful to the young man, and he forsook the adultery.

11Forsooth it befelled in a day, that Joseph entered into the house, and did some work without witnesses.

12And she took the hem of his cloth, and she said, Sleep thou with me; and he left the mantle in her hand, and he fled, and went out.

13And when the woman had seen the cloth in her hands, and that she was despised,

14she called to her the men of her house, and said to them, Lo! my lord hath brought in an Hebrew man, that he should scorn us; he entered to me to do lechery with me, and when I cried,

15and he heard my voice, he left the mantle which I held, and he fled out.

16Therefore into proving of the truth, she showed the mantle, that she held, to her husband turning again home.

17And she said, The Hebrew servant, whom thou broughtest in, entered to me to scorn me;

18and when he saw me cry, he left the mantle that I held, and he fled out.

19And when these things were heard, the lord believed over much to the words of the wife, and he was full wroth;

20and he betook Joseph into prison, where the bound men of the king were kept, and he was enclosed there.

21Forsooth the Lord was with Joseph, and had mercy on him, and gave grace to him, in the sight of the prince of the prison,

22which betook in the hand of Joseph all the prisoners that were holden in keeping, and whatever thing was done, it was done under Joseph,

23neither the prince knew anything, for all things were betaken to Joseph; for the Lord was with him, and dressed all his works.

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