Genesis 39:6-20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
6 He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority;[a] he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.(A) 7 After some time[b] his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”
8 But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority.[c] 9 No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”(B)
10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused[d] to go to bed with her.[e] 11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there.[f] 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. 13 When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, 14 she called the household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. 15 When he heard me screaming for help,[g] he left his garment with me and ran outside.”
16 She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, 18 but when I screamed for help,[h] he left his garment with me and ran outside.”
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him—“These are the things your slave did to me”—he was furious 20 and had him thrown into prison,(C) where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 39:6 Lit owned in Joseph’s hand
- Genesis 39:7 Lit And after these things
- Genesis 39:8 Lit owns in my hand
- Genesis 39:10 Lit did not listen to her
- Genesis 39:10 Lit refused to lie beside her, to be with her
- Genesis 39:11 Lit there in the house
- Genesis 39:15 Lit me raise my voice and scream
- Genesis 39:18 Lit I raised my voice and screamed
Genesis 39:6-20
International Standard Version
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!”[a]
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,[b] he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants[c] were inside, 12 so she grabbed Joseph[d] 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[e] 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[f] 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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
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