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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Genesis 39

Joseph’s rise and betrayal

1When Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, Potiphar, Pharaoh’s chief officer, the commander of the royal guard and an Egyptian, purchased him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man and served in his Egyptian master’s household. 3His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything he did successful. 4Potiphar thought highly of Joseph, and Joseph became his assistant; he appointed Joseph head of his household and put everything he had under Joseph’s supervision. 5From the time he appointed Joseph head of his household and of everything he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s household because of Joseph. The LORD blessed everything he had, both in the household and in the field. 6So he handed over everything he had to Joseph and didn’t pay attention to anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.

7Some time later, his master’s wife became attracted to Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”

8He refused and said to his master’s wife, “With me here, my master doesn’t pay attention to anything in his household; he’s put everything he has under my supervision. 9No one is greater than I am in this household, and he hasn’t denied me anything except you, since you are his wife. How could I do this terrible thing and sin against God?” 10Every single day she tried to convince him, but he wouldn’t agree to sleep with her or even to be with her.

11One day when Joseph arrived at the house to do his work, none of the household’s men were there. 12She grabbed his garment, saying, “Lie down with me.” But he left his garment in her hands and ran outside. 13When she realized that he had left his garment in her hands and run outside, 14she summoned the men of her house and said to them, “Look, my husband brought us a Hebrew to ridicule us. He came to me to lie down with me, but I screamed. 15When he heard me raise my voice and scream, he left his garment with me and ran outside.” 16She kept his garment with her until Joseph’s master came home, 17and she told him the same thing: “The Hebrew slave whom you brought to us, to ridicule me, came to me; 18but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment with me and ran outside.”

19When Joseph’s master heard the thing that his wife told him, “This is what your servant did to me,” he was incensed. 20Joseph’s master took him and threw him in jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were held. While he was in jail, 21the LORD was with Joseph and remained loyal to him. He caused the jail’s commander to think highly of Joseph. 22The jail’s commander put all of the prisoners in the jail under Joseph’s supervision, and he was the one who determined everything that happened there. 23The jail’s commander paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s supervision, because the LORD was with him and made everything he did successful.

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