Genesis 39
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
39 Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.(A) 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master.(B) 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands.(C) 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.(D) 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.(E) 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and with him there he had no concern for anything but the food that he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”(F) 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”(G) 10 And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house, 12 she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside.(H) 13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called out to the members of her household and said to them, “See, my husband[a] has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice, 15 and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” 16 Then she kept his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me,(I) 18 but as soon as I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
19 When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is the way your servant treated me,” he became enraged.(J) 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison.(K) 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.(L) 22 The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.(M) 23 The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.(N)
Footnotes
- 39.14 Heb he
Genesis 39
International Standard Version
Joseph is Delivered to Potiphar
39 Meanwhile, Joseph had been delivered to Egypt and turned over to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials and the Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards. An Egyptian, he bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.
2 But the Lord was with Joseph. He became a very prosperous man while in the house of his Egyptian master, 3 who could see that the Lord was with Joseph,[a] because the Lord made everything prosper that Joseph[b] did. 4 That’s how Joseph pleased Potiphar[c] as he served him. Eventually, Potiphar appointed Joseph as overseer of his entire household. Moreover, he entrusted everything that he owned into his care.[d] 5 From the time he appointed Joseph to be overseer over his entire household and everything that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing rested on Joseph,[e] whether in Potiphar’s household or in Potiphar’s fields. 6 Everything that he owned, he entrusted into Joseph’s care. He never concerned himself about anything, except for the food he ate.
Potiphar’s Wife Accuses Joseph
Now Joseph was well built and good looking. 7 That’s why, sometime later, Joseph’s master’s wife looked straight at Joseph and propositioned him: “Come on! Let’s have a little sex!”[f]
8 But he refused, telling his master’s wife, “Look! My master doesn’t have to worry about anything in the house with me in charge, and he has entrusted everything into my care. 9 No one has more authority in this house than I do. He has withheld nothing from me, except you, and that’s because you’re his wife. So how can I commit such a horrible evil? How can I sin against God?”
10 She kept on talking to him like this day after day, but he wouldn’t listen to her. Not only would he refuse to have sex with her, he refused even to stay around her. 11 One day, though,[g] he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants[h] were inside, 12 so she grabbed Joseph[i] by his outer garment and demanded “Let’s have some sex!”
Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand. 13 When she realized that he had left his outer garment right there in her hand, she ran outside 14 and yelled for her household servants. “Look!” she cried out. “My husband[j] brought in a Hebrew man to humiliate us. He came in here to have sex with me, but I screamed out loud! 15 When he heard me starting to scream, he left his outer garment with me and fled outside.” 16 She kept his outer garment by her side until Joseph’s master came home, 17 and then this is what she told him: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought to us came in here to rape[k] me. 18 But when I started to scream, he left his outer garment with me and ran outside.”
Joseph is Locked in Prison
19 When Joseph’s master heard his wife’s claim to the effect that “This is how your servant treated me,” he flew into a rage, 20 arrested Joseph, and locked him up in the same prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph remained there in prison.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph. He extended gracious love to him, causing the prison warden to be pleased with Joseph.[l] 22 So the prison warden entrusted into Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were confined in prison. Whatever they did, Joseph was in charge of the work detail.[m] 23 The prison warden did not have to worry about anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him. That’s why Joseph prospered in everything he did.
Footnotes
- Genesis 39:3 Lit. him
- Genesis 39:3 Lit. him
- Genesis 39:4 Lit. Joseph found favor in his sight
- Genesis 39:4 Lit. hand and so throughout the chapter
- Genesis 39:5 Lit. him
- Genesis 39:7 Lit. Lie down with me
- Genesis 39:11 Lit. About this time
- Genesis 39:11 Lit. men
- Genesis 39:12 Lit. him
- Genesis 39:14 Lit. He
- Genesis 39:17 Or humiliate
- Genesis 39:21 Lit. him
- Genesis 39:22 Lit. was the one who did it
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