Beginning
38 2 The marriage of Judah. 7, 9 The trespass of Er and Onan, and the vengeance of God that came thereupon. 18 Judah lieth with his daughter-in-law Tamar. 24 Tamar is judged to be burnt for whoredom. 29, 30 The birth of Perez and Zerah.
1 And at that time [a]Judah went down from his brethren, and turned into a man called Hirah an Adullamite.
2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a man called (A)Shua a [b]Canaanite: and he took her to wife, and went into her.
3 So she conceived and bare a son, and he called his name Er.
4 (B)And she conceived again and bare a son, and she called his name Onan.
5 Moreover she bare yet a son, whom she called Shelah: and Judah was at Chezib when she bare him.
6 Then Judah took a wife to Er his firstborn son, whose name was Tamar.
7 (C)Now Er the firstborn of Judah was wicked in the sight of the Lord: therefore the Lord slew him.
8 And Judah said to Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and do the office of a kinsman unto her, and raise [c]up seed unto thy brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his: therefore when he went in unto his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
10 And it was wicked in the eyes of the Lord, which he did: wherefore he slew him also.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, [d]Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Shelah my son grow up (for he thought thus, Lest he die as well as his brethren,) So Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
12 ¶ And in process of time also the daughter of Shua Judah’s wife died. Then Judah, when he [e]had left mourning, went up to his sheepshearers to Timnah, he, and his neighbor Hirah the Adullamite.
13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnath, to shear his sheep.
14 Then she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat down in [f]Pethah-enam which is by the way to Timnah, because she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he judged her an whore: for she had covered her face.
16 And he turned to the way towards her, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me lie with thee, (for he [g]knew not that she was his daughter-in-law.) And she answered, What wilt thou give me for to lie with me?
17 Then said he, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock, and she said, Well, if thou wilt give me a pledge, till thou send it.
18 Then he said, What is the pledge that I shall give thee? And she answered, Thy signet and thy [h]cloak and thy staff that is in thine hand. So he gave it her, and lay by her, and she was with child by him.
19 Then she rose, and went and put her veil from her and put on her widow’s raiment.
20 Afterward Judah sent a kid of the goats by the hand of his [i]neighbor the Adullamite, for to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.
21 Then asked he the men of the place, saying, Where is the whore, that sat in Enaim by the wayside? and they answered, There was no whore there.
22 He came therefore to Judah again, and said, I cannot find her, and also the men of the place said, There was no whore there.
23 Then Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be [j][k]shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24 ¶ Now after three months, one told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the whore, and lo, with playing the whore, she is great with child. Then Judah said, Bring ye her forth and let her be [l]burnt.
25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man, unto whom these things pertain, am I with child: and said also, Look I pray thee, whose these are, the seal, and the cloak, and the staff.
26 Then Judah knew them, and said, She is [m]more righteous than I: for she hath done it because I gave her not to Shelah my son. So he lay with her [n]no more.
27 ¶ Now, when the time was come that she should be delivered, behold, there were twins in her womb.
28 And when she was in travail, the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound a red thread about his hand, saying, this is come out first.
29 But when he [o]plucked his hand back again, lo, his brother came out, and the midwife said, How hast [p]thou broken the breach upon thee? and his name was called (D)Perez.
30 And afterward came out his brother that had the red thread about his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
39 1 Joseph sold to Potiphar. 2 God prospereth him. 7 Potiphar’s wife tempteth him. 13, 20 He is accused and cast in prison. 23 God showeth him favor.
1 Now Joseph was brought down into Egypt: and Potiphar [q]an Eunuch of Pharaoh’s (and his chief steward an Egyptian) bought him at the hand of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him thither.
2 And the [r]Lord was with Joseph, and he was a man that prospered and 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 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him: and made him [s]ruler of his house, and put all that he had in his hand.
5 And from that time that he had made him ruler over his house and over all that he had, the Lord [t]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 Therefore he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, [u]and took account of nothing, that was with him, save only of the bread, which he did eat. And Joseph was a fair person, and well favored.
7 Now therefore after these things, his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, [v]Lie with me.
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, Behold, my master knoweth not what he hath in the house with me, but hath committed all that he had to mine hand.
9 There is no man greater in this house than I: neither hath he kept anything from me, but only thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness and so sin against [w]God?
10 And albeit she spake to Joseph day by day, yet he hearkened not unto her, to lie with her, or to be in her company.
11 Then on a certain day Joseph entered into the house to do his business: and there was no man of the household in the house.
12 Therefore she caught him by his garment, saying, Sleep with me: but he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got him out.
13 Now when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled out,
14 She called unto the men of her house, and told them, saying, Behold, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us [x]to mock us: who came in to me for to have slept with me: but I [y]cried with a loud voice.
15 And when he heard that I lift up my voice and cried, he left his garments with me, and fled away, and got him out.
16 So she laid up his garment by her, until her lord came home.
17 Then she told him [z]according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came into me, to mock me.
18 But as soon as I lift up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me, and fled out.
19 Then when his master heard the words of his wife, which she told him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me, his anger was kindled.
20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him in [aa][ab]prison, in the place, where the king’s prisoners lay bound: and there he was in prison.
21 ¶ But the Lord was with Joseph, and [ac]showed him mercy, and got him favor in the sight of the [ad]master of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison, and [ae]whatsoever they did there, that did he.
23 And the keeper of the prison looked unto nothing that was under his hand, seeing that the Lord was with him: for whatsoever he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
40 8 The interpretation of dreams is of God. 12, 19 Joseph expoundeth the dreams of the two prisoners. 23 The ingratitude of the butler.
1 And after these things, the butler of the King of Egypt and his baker offended their Lord the King of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was angry against his two [af]Officers, against the chief butler, and against the chief baker.
3 Therefore he put them in ward in his chief steward’s house, in the prison and place where [ag]Joseph was bound.
4 And the chief steward gave Joseph charge over them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
5 ¶ And they both dreamed a dream, either of them his dream in one night, [ah]each one according to the interpretation of his dream, both the butler and the baker of the King of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
6 And when Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh’s officers, that were with him in his master’s ward, saying, Wherefore [ai]look ye so sadly today?
8 Who answered him, We have dreamed each one a dream, and there is none to interpret the same. Then Joseph said unto them, [aj]Are not interpretations of God? tell them me now.
9 So the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said unto him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me,
10 And in the vine were three branches, and as it budded, her flower came forth: and the clusters of grapes waxed ripe.
11 And I had Pharaoh’s cup in mine hand, and I took the grapes, and wrung them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
12 Then Joseph said unto him, This [ak]is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days.
13 Within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thine [al]office, and thou shalt give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand after the old manner, when thou wast his butler,
14 But have me in remembrance with thee, when thou art in good case, and show mercy, I pray thee unto me, and [am]make mention of me to Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring me out of this house.
15 For I was stolen away by theft out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing, wherefore they should put me [an]in the dungeon.
16 And when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, Also me thought in my dream that I had three [ao]white baskets on mine head.
17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner bakemeats for Pharaoh: and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon mine head.
18 Then Joseph answered, and said, [ap]This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
19 Within three days shall Pharaoh take thine head from thee, and shall hang thee on a tree and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
20 ¶ And so the third day, which was Pharaoh’s [aq]birthday, he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler, and the chief baker among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership, who gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted unto them.
23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.