Joseph’s Success in Egypt

39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the [royal] guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. ² The Lord was with Joseph, and he [even though a slave] became a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. ³ Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper (succeed) in his hand.^{(A) 4} So Joseph pleased Potiphar and found favor in his sight and he served him as his personal servant. He made Joseph overseer over his house, and he put all that he owned in Joseph’s charge. ⁵ It happened that from the time that he made Joseph overseer in his house and [put him in charge] over all that he owned, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was on everything that Potiphar owned, in the house and in the field. ⁶ So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with Joseph there he did not [need to] ^[a]pay attention to anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome and attractive in form and appearance.^{(B) 7} Then after a time his master’s wife ^[b]looked at Joseph with desire, and she said, “Lie with me.” ⁸ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me in the house, my master does not concern himself with anything; he has put everything that he owns in my charge. ⁹ He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God [and your husband]?” ¹⁰ And so it was that she spoke to Joseph [persistently] day after day, but he did not listen to her [plea] to lie beside her or be with her. ¹¹ Then it happened one day that Joseph went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the men of the household was there in the house. ¹² She caught Joseph by his [outer] robe, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his robe in her hand and ran, and got outside [the house]. ¹³ When she saw that he had left his robe in her hand and had run outside, ¹⁴ she called to the men of her household and said to them, “Look at this, your master has brought a Hebrew [into the household] to mock and insult us; he came to me to lie with me, and I screamed. ¹⁵ When he heard me screaming, he left his robe with me and ran outside [the house].” ¹⁶ So she left Joseph’s [outer] robe beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she told her husband the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you brought among us, came to me to mock and insult me; ¹⁸ then as soon as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his robe with me and ran outside [the house].”

Joseph Imprisoned

¹⁹ And when Joseph’s master heard the words of his wife, saying, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger burned. ²⁰ So Joseph’s master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined; so he was there in the prison. ²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph and extended lovingkindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden. ²² The warden committed to Joseph’s care (management) all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was ^[c]in charge of it. ²³ The warden paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with him; whatever Joseph did, the Lord made to prosper.

Joseph Interprets a Dream

40 Now some time later, the cupbearer (butler) and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, Egypt’s king. ² Pharaoh (^[d]Sesostris II) was extremely angry with his two officials, the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers. ³ He put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴ The captain of the guard put Joseph in charge of them, and he served them; and they continued to be in custody for some time. ⁵ Then the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both dreamed a dream in the same night, each man with his [own significant] dream and each dream with its [personal] interpretation. ⁶ When Joseph came to them in the morning and looked at them, [he saw that] they were sad and depressed. ⁷ So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in confinement with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so down-hearted today?” ⁸ And they said to him, “We have [each] dreamed [distinct] dreams and there is no one to interpret them.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell me [your dreams].”

⁹ So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream there was a grapevine in front of me; ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. Then as soon as it budded, its blossoms burst open, and its clusters produced ripe grapes [in rapid succession]. ¹¹ Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup; then I placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” ¹² Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches represent three days; ¹³ within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head (present you in public) and restore you to your position; and you will [again] put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand just as [you did] when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴ Only think of me when it goes well with you, and please show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. ¹⁵ For in fact I was ^[e]taken (stolen) from the land of the Hebrews by [unlawful] force, and even here I have done nothing for which they should put me in the dungeon.”

¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that the interpretation [of the dream] was good, he said to Joseph, “I also dreamed, and [in my dream] there were three cake baskets on my head; ¹⁷ and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds [of prey] were eating [these foods] out of the basket on my head.” ¹⁸ Joseph answered, “This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets represent three days; ¹⁹ within three more days Pharaoh will ^[f]lift up your head and will hang you on a tree (gallows, pole), and [you will not so much as be given a burial, but] the birds will eat your flesh.”

²⁰ Now on the third day, [which was] the Pharaoh’s birthday, he [released the two men from prison and] made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker [that is, presented them in public] among his servants. ²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and the cupbearer [once again] put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; ²² but Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted [the meaning of the dreams] to them. ²³ Yet [even after all that] the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot [all about] him.

John’s Questions

11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities.

² Now when ^[a]John [the Baptist] in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent word by his disciples^{(A) 3} and asked Him, “Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else [who will be the promised One]?”^{(B) 4} Jesus answered, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive [their] sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed [by healing] and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.^{(C) 6} And blessed [joyful, favored by God] is he who does not take offense at Me [accepting Me as the Messiah and trusting confidently in My message of salvation].”^(D)

Jesus’ Tribute to John

⁷ As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out in the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind [which is commonplace]? ⁸ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh desert]? Those who wear soft clothing are in the palaces of kings! ⁹ But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one [more eminent, more remarkable, and] ^[b]far more than a prophet [who foretells the future]. ¹⁰ This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi],

¹¹ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater [in privilege] than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize]. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Law prophesied up until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is [the fulfillment of] Elijah [as the messenger] who was to come [before the kingdom].^{(F) 15} He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like little children sitting in the market places, who call to the others, ¹⁷ and say ‘We piped the flute for you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we wailed sad dirges [playing funeral], and you did not mourn and cry aloud.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking [with others], and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking [with others], and they say, ‘Look! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]!’ Yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by her deeds [in the lives of those who respond to Me].”

The Unrepenting Cities

²⁰ Then He began to denounce [the people in] the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent [and change their hearts and lives]. ²¹ “Woe (judgment is coming) to you, ^[c]Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [cities of the Gentiles], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes [their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God]. ²² Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the pagan cities of] Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven [for your apathy and unresponsiveness]? You will descend to Hades (the realm of the dead); for if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”

Come to Me

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him.

²⁸ “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.^{(G) 30} For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”