Genesis 39

Joseph’s Success in Egypt

1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him #39:1 Lit from the hand offrom the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a #39:2 Or prosperoussuccessful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4So Joseph found favor in his sight and #39:4 Or ministered to himbecame his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and #39:4 Lit handed over to himput him in charge of all that he owned. 5It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6So he left #39:6 Lit in Joseph’s handJoseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not #39:6 Lit knowconcern himself with anything except the #39:6 Lit breadfood which he #39:6 Or used to eatate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7And it came about after these events that his master’s wife #39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes athad her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.” 8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master #39:8 Lit does not know what is in the housedoes not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has #39:8 Lit handed over to meput me in charge of all that he owns. 9#39:9 Or He is not greaterThere is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?” 10Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11Now it happened #39:11 Lit about this dayone day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside. 12So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 13#39:13 Lit And it came about whenWhen she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a #39:14 Lit Hebrew manHebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I #39:14 Lit called with a great voicescreamed. 15When he heard that I raised my voice and #39:15 Lit called outscreamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16So she #39:16 Lit let...lie besideleft his garment beside her until his master came home. 17Then she spoke to him #39:17 Lit according towith these #39:17 Lit words, sayingwords: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me; 18but when I raised my voice and #39:18 Lit called outscreamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

Joseph Imprisoned

19Now when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, “#39:19 Lit According to these things your slaveThis is what your slave did to me,” his anger burned. 20So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison. 21But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22And the warden of the prison #39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph allput Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was #39:22 Lit the doerresponsible for it. 23The warden of the prison did not supervise anything #39:23 Lit in his handunder Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and, the Lord made whatever he did prosper.

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Genesis 39

Joseph Is Sold to Potiphar

1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar was an officer to the king of Egypt. He was the captain of the palace guard. He bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. He lived in the house of his master, Potiphar the Egyptian.

3Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph. He saw that the Lord made Joseph successful in everything he did. 4So Potiphar was very happy with Joseph. He allowed Joseph to be his personal servant. He put Joseph in charge of the house. Joseph was trusted with everything Potiphar owned. 5So Joseph was put in charge of the house. He was put in charge of everything Potiphar owned. Then the Lord blessed the people in Potiphar’s house because of Joseph. And the Lord blessed everything that belonged to Potiphar, both in the house and in the field. 6So Potiphar put Joseph in charge of everything he owned. Potiphar was not concerned about anything, except the food he ate.

Joseph Is Put into Prison

Now Joseph was well built and handsome. 7After some time the wife of Joseph’s master began to desire Joseph. One day she said to him, “Have physical relations with me.”

8But Joseph refused. He said to her, “My master trusts me with everything in his house. He has put me in charge of everything he owns. 9There is no one in his house greater than I. He has not kept anything from me, except you. And that is because you are his wife. How can I do such an evil thing? It is a sin against God.”

10The woman talked to Joseph every day, but he refused to have physical relations with her or even spend time with her.

11One day Joseph went into the house to do his work as usual. He was the only man in the house at that time. 12His master’s wife grabbed his coat. She said to him, “Come and have physical relations with me.” But Joseph left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house.

13She saw what Joseph had done. He had left his coat in her hands and had run outside. 14So she called to the servants in her house. She said, “Look! This Hebrew slave was brought here to shame us. He came in and tried to have physical relations with me. But I screamed. 15My scream scared him, and he ran away. But he left his coat with me.” 16She kept his coat until her husband came home. 17And she told her husband the same story. She said, “This Hebrew slave you brought here came in to shame me! 18When he came near me, I screamed. He ran away, but he left his coat.”

19When Joseph’s master heard what his wife said Joseph had done, he became very angry. 20So Potiphar arrested Joseph and put him into prison. This prison was where the king’s prisoners were put. And Joseph stayed there in the prison.

21But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. The Lord caused the prison warden to like Joseph. 22The prison warden chose Joseph to take care of all the prisoners. He was responsible for whatever was done in the prison. 23The warden paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s care. This was because the Lord was with Joseph. The Lord made Joseph successful in everything he did.

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