Genesis 39
Legacy Standard Bible
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
39 Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian official of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him [a]from the (A)Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there. 2 (B)And Yahweh 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 Yahweh was with him and how Yahweh (D)caused all that he did to succeed in his hand. 4 So Joseph (E)found favor in his sight and [c]attended on him; and he appointed him overseer over his house, and (F)all that he owned he gave in his hand. 5 Now it happened that from the time he appointed him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, Yahweh (G)blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus (H)the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6 So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s hand; and with him there he did not [d]concern himself with anything except the [e]food which he [f]ate.
Now Joseph was (I)beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
7 And it happened after these events (J)that his master’s wife [g]set her eyes on Joseph and said, “(K)Lie with me.” 8 But (L)he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master [h]does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has given all that he owns into my hand. 9 [i](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 So it happened that as 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 [j]one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12 Then she seized him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside. 13 Now it happened, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her household and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in a [k]Hebrew to us to laugh at us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I [l]screamed. 15 Now it happened that when he heard that I raised my voice and [m]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16 And she placed his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she (O)spoke to him [n]with these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to laugh at me; 18 and as I raised my voice and [o]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
Joseph Is Put into Jail
19 Now it happened that when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “[p]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 jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. 21 But (R)Yahweh was with Joseph and [q]extended lovingkindness to him and (S)gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. 22 So the chief jailer (T)gave into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was [r]the one who did it. 23 (U)The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s hand because (V)Yahweh was with him; and whatever he did, (W)Yahweh made to succeed.
Footnotes
- Genesis 39:1 Lit from the hand of
- Genesis 39:2 Or prosperous
- Genesis 39:4 Or ministered
- Genesis 39:6 Lit know
- Genesis 39:6 Lit bread
- Genesis 39:6 Or used to eat
- Genesis 39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes at
- Genesis 39:8 Lit does not know what is in the house
- Genesis 39:9 Or He is not greater
- Genesis 39:11 Lit about this day
- Genesis 39:14 Lit Hebrew man
- Genesis 39:14 Lit called with a great voice
- Genesis 39:15 Lit called out
- Genesis 39:17 Lit according to
- Genesis 39:18 Lit called out
- Genesis 39:19 Lit According to these things your slave
- Genesis 39:21 Or turned aside, cf. 38:1, 16
- Genesis 39:22 Lit the doer
Genesis 39
King James Version
39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
Genesis 39
English Standard Version
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
39 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and (A)Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, (B)had bought him from the (C)Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 (D)The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord (E)caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph (F)found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house (G)and put him in charge of all that he had. 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 (H)for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.
Now Joseph was (I)handsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and (J)he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and (K)sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he (L)would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 (M)she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up 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 laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”
19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph's master took him and (N)put him into the (O)prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But (P)the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love (Q)and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison (R)put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because (S)the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
