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Joseph in Egypt

39 The Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt and they sold him there as a slave. Potiphar bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites. He was one of Pharaoh's officers. He had authority over all the guards. The Lord was with Joseph, so that good things happened to him. Joseph lived in the house of Potiphar, his Egyptian master. Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph. He saw that the Lord helped Joseph to do good work. So Joseph pleased Potiphar. Potiphar gave Joseph authority as his special servant. Joseph took care of everything that belonged to Potiphar. From the time that Potiphar gave Joseph authority over everything in his house, the Lord blessed the people of Potiphar's house, his animals and his crops. The Lord blessed Potiphar because of Joseph.

So Potiphar told Joseph to take care of everything that belonged to him. Potiphar did not worry about anything in his house. The only thing that he thought about was the food that he ate.

Joseph was a strong and handsome man. After some time had passed, Potiphar's wife saw that Joseph was handsome. She said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But Joseph refused to do that. He said, ‘My master does not need to think about anything in the house. I take care of everything that belongs to him. No one has more authority in this house than I do. My master keeps nothing from me, except you. That is because you are his wife. I could not do such a bad thing. I could not do a sin that is against God.’

10 Potiphar's wife continued to speak to Joseph every day. But he would not agree to go to bed with her. He would not even go near her. 11 One day Joseph went into the house to do his work. None of the other servants were there in the house. 12 Potiphar's wife suddenly took hold of Joseph's coat. She said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ Joseph left his coat in her hand and he ran out of the house.

13 Potiphar's wife saw that Joseph had left his coat in her hand. She saw that he had run out of the house. 14 So she called her servants to come. She said to them, ‘Look at this! The Hebrew man that Potiphar brought to work here does not respect us! He came in here and he tried to have sex with me. But I screamed loudly. 15 When he heard me scream like that, he ran out of the house. But he left his coat here with me.’

16 Potiphar's wife kept the coat beside her until Joseph's master, Potiphar, came home. 17 Then she told him this story: ‘The Hebrew slave that you brought to us tried to insult me. He wanted to sleep with me. 18 But I screamed loudly for help. So he left his coat with me and he ran out of the house.’

19 Joseph's master heard the story that his wife told him. She said, ‘This is what your slave did to me.’ When Potiphar heard that, he was very angry. 20 He took hold of Joseph, and he put him in prison. It was the place where the king put his own prisoners. 21 While Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was still with him. He was kind to Joseph. He caused the leader of the prison guards to like Joseph. 22 So this man gave Joseph authority over all the other prisoners. Joseph was responsible for everything that they did in the prison. 23 The prison guard did not worry about anything that Joseph had authority over. He saw that the Lord was with Joseph. Whatever Joseph did, the Lord helped him to do it well.

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 bodyguard, bought him [a]from the (A)Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. And (B)the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a [b]successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master (C)saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord (D)made all that he did prosper in his hand. So Joseph (E)found favor in his sight and [c]became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and [d]put him in charge of (F)all that he owned. It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord (G)blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so (H)the Lords blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left [e]Joseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not [f]concern himself with anything except the [g]food which he [h]ate.

Now Joseph was (I)handsome in form and appearance. And it came about after these events (J)that his master’s wife [i]had her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “(K)Sleep with me.” But (L)he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master [j]does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has [k]put me in charge of all that he owns. [l](M)There 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 (N)sin against God?” 10 Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11 Now it happened [m]one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside. 12 So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 13 [n]When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a [o]Hebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I [p]screamed. 15 When he heard that I raised my voice and [q]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16 So she [r]left his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she (O)spoke to him [s]with these [t]words: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me; 18 but when I raised my voice and [u]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

Joseph Imprisoned

19 Now when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, “[v]This is what your slave did to me,” (P)his anger burned. 20 So Joseph’s master took him and (Q)put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison. 21 But (R)the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and (S)gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22 And the warden of the prison [w](T)put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was [x]responsible for it. 23 (U)The warden of the prison did not supervise anything [y]under Joseph’s authority, because (V)the Lord was with him; and, (W)the Lord made whatever he did prosper.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 39:1 Lit from the hand of
  2. Genesis 39:2 Or prosperous
  3. Genesis 39:4 Or ministered to him
  4. Genesis 39:4 Lit handed over to him
  5. Genesis 39:6 Lit in Joseph’s hand
  6. Genesis 39:6 Lit know
  7. Genesis 39:6 Lit bread
  8. Genesis 39:6 Or used to eat
  9. Genesis 39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes at
  10. Genesis 39:8 Lit does not know what is in the house
  11. Genesis 39:8 Lit handed over to me
  12. Genesis 39:9 Or He is not greater
  13. Genesis 39:11 Lit about this day
  14. Genesis 39:13 Lit And it came about when
  15. Genesis 39:14 Lit Hebrew man
  16. Genesis 39:14 Lit called with a great voice
  17. Genesis 39:15 Lit called out
  18. Genesis 39:16 Lit let...lie beside
  19. Genesis 39:17 Lit according to
  20. Genesis 39:17 Lit words, saying
  21. Genesis 39:18 Lit called out
  22. Genesis 39:19 Lit According to these things your slave
  23. Genesis 39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph all
  24. Genesis 39:22 Lit the doer
  25. Genesis 39:23 Lit in his hand