⁶ So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care;^(A) with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,^{(B) 7} and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”^(C)

⁸ But he refused.^(D) “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.^{(E) 9} No one is greater in this house than I am.^(F) My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”^{(G) 10} And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused^(H) to go to bed with her or even be with her.

¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,^(I) and none of the household servants^(J) was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak^(K) and said, “Come to bed with me!”^(L) But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.^(M)

⁶ So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care;^(A) with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,^{(B) 7} and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”^(C)

⁸ But he refused.^(D) “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.^{(E) 9} No one is greater in this house than I am.^(F) My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”^{(G) 10} And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused^(H) to go to bed with her or even be with her.

¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,^(I) and none of the household servants^(J) was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak^(K) and said, “Come to bed with me!”^(L) But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.^(M)

Daniel in the Den of Lions

6 ^[a]It pleased Darius^(A) to appoint 120 satraps^(B) to rule throughout the kingdom, ² with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.^(C) The satraps were made accountable^(D) to them so that the king might not suffer loss. ³ Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.^{(E) 4} At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges^(F) against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”^(G)

⁶ So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!^{(H) 7} The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors^(I) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.^{(J) 8} Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^{(K) 9} So King Darius put the decree in writing.

¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward^(L) Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees^(M) and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.^(N)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness^(A)

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a](B) by the devil.^{(C) 2} After fasting forty days and forty nights,^(D) he was hungry. ³ The tempter^(E) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,^(F) tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”^(G)

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city^(H) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,”^(I) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”^(K)

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!^(L) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[e]”^(M)

¹¹ Then the devil left him,^(N) and angels came and attended him.^(O)

²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(A) and worshiped and served created things^(B) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(C) Amen.^(D)

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over^(E) to shameful lusts.^(F) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^{(G) 27} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^(H)

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel^(A) before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches^(B) he may strengthen you with power^(C) through his Spirit in your inner being,^{(D) 17} so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^(E) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted^(F) and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^(G) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^(H) is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^(I)—that you may be filled^(J) to the measure of all the fullness of God.^(K)

²⁰ Now to him who is able^(L) to do immeasurably more than all we ask^(M) or imagine, according to his power^(N) that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^(O)