Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39 Now Joseph^(A) had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard,^(B) bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.^(C)

² The Lord was with Joseph^(D) so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the Lord was with him^(E) and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did,^{(F) 4} Joseph found favor in his eyes^(G) and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household,^(H) and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.^{(I) 5} From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household^(J) of the Egyptian because of Joseph.^(K) The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.^{(L) 6} So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care;^(M) with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

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

⁸ But he refused.^(P) “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.^{(Q) 9} No one is greater in this house than I am.^(R) 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?”^{(S) 10} And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused^(T) to go to bed with her or even be with her.

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

¹³ When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, ¹⁴ she called her household servants.^(Z) “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew^(AA) has been brought to us to make sport of us!^(AB) He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.^{(AC) 15} When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”^(AD)

¹⁶ She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she told him this story:^(AE) “That Hebrew^(AF) slave^(AG) you brought us came to me to make sport of me. ¹⁸ But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

¹⁹ When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.^{(AH) 20} Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison,^(AI) the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, ²¹ the Lord was with him;^(AJ) he showed him kindness^(AK) and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.^{(AL) 22} So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.^{(AM) 23} The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s^(AN) care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.^(AO)

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40 Some time later, the cupbearer^(A) and the baker^(B) of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. ² Pharaoh was angry^(C) with his two officials,^(D) the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, ³ and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,^(E) in the same prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴ The captain of the guard^(F) assigned them to Joseph,^(G) and he attended them.

After they had been in custody^(H) for some time, ⁵ each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream^(I) the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.^(J)

⁶ When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. ⁷ So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody^(K) with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”^(L)

⁸ “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”^(M)

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?^(N) Tell me your dreams.”

⁹ So the chief cupbearer^(O) told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,^(P) and its clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹ Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

¹² “This is what it means,^(Q)” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.^{(R) 13} Within three days^(S) Pharaoh will lift up your head^(T) and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.^{(U) 14} But when all goes well with you, remember me^(V) and show me kindness;^(W) mention me to Pharaoh^(X) and get me out of this prison. ¹⁵ I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews,^(Y) and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”^(Z)

¹⁶ When the chief baker^(AA) saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,^(AB) he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets^(AC) of bread.^{[a] 17} In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

¹⁸ “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days.^{(AD) 19} Within three days^(AE) Pharaoh will lift off your head^(AF) and impale your body on a pole.^(AG) And the birds will eat away your flesh.”^(AH)

²⁰ Now the third day^(AI) was Pharaoh’s birthday,^(AJ) and he gave a feast for all his officials.^(AK) He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker^(AL) in the presence of his officials: ²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer^(AM) to his position,^(AN) so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand^(AO)— ²² but he impaled the chief baker,^(AP) just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.^(AQ)

²³ The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.^(AR)

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes^(A)

He said:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you,^(M) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.^{(N) 12} Rejoice and be glad,^(O) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(P)

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.^(Q)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(R) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.^{(S) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others,^(T) that they may see your good deeds^(U) and glorify^(V) your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.^{(W) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.^{(X) 19} Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands^(Y) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.^(Z)

Murder^(AA)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a](AB) and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry^(AC) with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment.^(AD) Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court.^(AE) And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.^(AF)

²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[e](AG) 28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.^{(AH) 29} If your right eye causes you to stumble,^(AI) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble,^(AJ) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[f](AK) 32} But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(AL)

Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,^(AM) but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’^{(AN) 34} But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:^(AO) either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;^{(AP) 35} or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.^{(AQ) 36} And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;^(AR) anything beyond this comes from the evil one.^[g](AS)

Eye for Eye

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^{[h](AT) 39} But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.^{(AU) 40} And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.^(AV)

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i](AW) and hate your enemy.’^{(AX) 44} But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,^{(AY) 45} that you may be children^(AZ) of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(BA) 46} If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?^(BB) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.^(BC)