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Genesis 39:1-41:16
New American Standard Bible

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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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 Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6 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. 7 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.” 8 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. 9 [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.

Joseph Interprets Dreams

40 Then it came about after these things, that (X)the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was (Y)furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the (Z)captain of the bodyguard, in the prison, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 And the captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he [z]took care of them; and they were in confinement for [aa]some time. 5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 [ab]When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, [ac]behold, they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “[ad](AA)Why are your faces so sad today?” 8 And they said to him, “(AB)We have [ae]had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “(AC)Do interpretations not belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, [af]saying to him, “In my dream, [ag]behold, there was a vine in front of me; 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s [ah]hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the (AD)interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within three more days Pharaoh will [ai]lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as in your former practice when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only [aj]keep me in mind when it goes well for you, and please (AE)do me a kindness [ak]by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this [al]prison. 15 For (AF)I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the [am]dungeon.”

16 When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17 and in the top basket there were some of all [an]kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a wooden post, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

20 So it came about on the third day, which was (AG)Pharaoh’s birthday, that he held a feast for all his servants; (AH)and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his [ao]office, and (AI)he put the cup into Pharaoh’s [ap]hand; 22 but (AJ)he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but (AK)forgot him.

Pharaoh’s Dream

41 Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2 And behold, from the Nile seven cows came up, fine-looking and [aq]fat; and they grazed in the (AL)marsh grass. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and [ar]thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 Then the ugly and [as]thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 But he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 Now in the morning (AM)his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the (AN)soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its (AO)wise men. And Pharaoh told them his [at]dreams, but (AP)there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of (AQ)my own [au]offenses. 10 Pharaoh was (AR)furious with his servants, and (AS)he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 11 Then (AT)we had a dream one night, [av]he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now a Hebrew youth was there with us, a (AU)servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we told him the dreams, and (AV)he interpreted our dreams for us. For each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And just (AW)as he interpreted for us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me in my office, but he hanged [aw]the chief baker.”

Joseph Interprets

14 Then Pharaoh sent word and (AX)called for Joseph, and they (AY)hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, (AZ)but no one can interpret it; and (BA)I have heard [ax]it said about you, that [ay]when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “[az](BB)It has nothing to do with me; (BC)God will [ba]give Pharaoh an answer for his own good.”

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
  26. Genesis 40:4 Lit ministered to
  27. Genesis 40:4 Lit days
  28. Genesis 40:6 Or And
  29. Genesis 40:6 Lit and behold
  30. Genesis 40:7 Lit saying, Why
  31. Genesis 40:8 Lit dreamed
  32. Genesis 40:9 Lit and said
  33. Genesis 40:9 Lit and behold
  34. Genesis 40:11 Lit palm
  35. Genesis 40:13 I.e., a royal gesture of forgiveness
  36. Genesis 40:14 Lit remember me with yourself
  37. Genesis 40:14 Lit and mention
  38. Genesis 40:14 Lit house
  39. Genesis 40:15 Or pit
  40. Genesis 40:17 Lit food for Pharaoh made by a baker
  41. Genesis 40:21 Lit wine-pouring
  42. Genesis 40:21 Lit palm
  43. Genesis 41:2 Lit fat of flesh
  44. Genesis 41:3 Lit thin of flesh
  45. Genesis 41:4 Lit thin of flesh
  46. Genesis 41:8 Lit dream
  47. Genesis 41:9 Or sins
  48. Genesis 41:11 Lit I and he
  49. Genesis 41:13 Lit him
  50. Genesis 41:15 Lit about you, saying
  51. Genesis 41:15 Lit you hear a dream to interpret it
  52. Genesis 41:16 Lit Apart from me
  53. Genesis 41:16 Lit answer the peace of Pharaoh
Close NLT

Genesis 39:1-41:16
New Living Translation

Joseph in Potiphar’s House

39 When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. 3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. 5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7 and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.

8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12 She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.

13 When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, 14 she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.”

16 She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. 17 Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said. 18 “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”

Joseph Put in Prison

19 Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. 20 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. 23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.

Joseph Interprets Two Dreams

40 Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. 2 Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, 3 and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. 4 They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.

5 While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. 7 “Why do you look so worried today?” he asked them.

8 And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.”

“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”

9 So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine in front of me. 10 The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes. 11 I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”

12 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches represent three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. 14 And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place. 15 For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I’m here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it.”

16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head. 17 The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head.”

18 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets also represent three days. 19 Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.”

20 Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned[a] his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials. 21 He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. 22 But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream. 23 Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 2 In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 3 Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. 4 Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.

5 But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 6 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. 7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.

8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh. 10 “Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. 11 One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. 12 There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. 13 And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.”

14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. 15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

Footnotes

  1. 40:20 Hebrew He lifted up the head of.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.