Old/New Testament

Joseph in Potiphar’s House

39 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, commander of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. ² And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. ³ And his master observed that Yahweh was with him, and everything that was in his hand to do Yahweh made successful. ⁴ And Joseph found favor in his eyes and he served him. Then he appointed him^[a] over his house and all that he owned he put into his hand. ⁵ And it happened that from the time he appointed him over his house and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. ⁶ And he left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and he did not worry about anything^[b] except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome.^{[c] 7} And it happened that after these things his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” ⁸ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not worry about^[d] what is in the house, and everything he owns he has put in my hand. ⁹ He has no greater authority in this house than me, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, since you are his wife. Now how could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And it happened that as she spoke to Joseph day after day,^[e] he did not heed her to lie beside her or to be with her. ¹¹ But one particular day^[f] he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house, ¹² she seized him by his garment and said, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and he went outside. ¹³ And it happened that when she saw that he left his garment in her hand and fled outside, ¹⁴ she called to the men of her house and said to them, “Look! He^[g] brought a Hebrew man to us to mock us! He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. ¹⁵ And when he heard me, that I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled, and he went outside.” ¹⁶ Then she put his garment beside her until his master came to his house. ¹⁷ Then she spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave that you brought to us came to me to make fun of me. ¹⁸ And it happened that as I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” ¹⁹ And when his master heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, “This is what your servant did to me,”^[h] he became very angry.^{[i] 20} And Joseph’s master took him and put him into prison, the place that the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison. ²¹ And Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed loyal love to him, and gave him favor in the eyes of the chief of the prison. ²² And the chief of the prison put all the prisoners that were in the prison into the hand of Joseph. And everything that was done there, he was the one who did it. ²³ The chief of the prison did not worry about^[j] anything in his^[k] hand, since Yahweh was with him. And whatever he did Yahweh made it successful.

Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison

40 And it happened that after these things the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker did wrong against their lord, against the king of Egypt. ² And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief cupbearer and chief baker. ³ And he put them in custody in the house of the chief of the guard, into the prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴ And the chief of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. And they were in custody many days.^{[l] 5} And the two of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, dreamed a dream, each his own dream, with its own interpretation. ⁶ When Joseph came to them in the morning he looked at them, and behold, they were troubled. ⁷ And he asked the court officials of Pharaoh that were with him in the custody of his master’s house, “Why are your faces sad today?” ⁸ And they said to him, “We each dreamed a dream, but there is no one to interpret it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” ⁹ Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, “In my dream, now behold, there was a vine before me, ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. And as it budded, its blossoms came up, and its clusters of grapes grew ripe. ¹¹ And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup of Pharaoh. Then I placed the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.” ¹² Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches, they are three days. ¹³ In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your office. And you shall put the cup of Pharaoh into his hand as was formerly the custom, when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴ But remember me when it goes well with you, and please may you show kindness with respect to me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. ¹⁵ For I was surely kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in this pit.” ¹⁶ And when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good he said to Joseph, “I also dreamed. In my dream, now behold, there were three baskets of bread upon my head. ¹⁷ And in the upper basket were all sorts of baked foods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket upon my head.” ¹⁸ Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets, they are three days. ¹⁹ In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a pole,^[m] and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” ²⁰ And it happened that on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. ²¹ And he restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing position. And he placed the cup in the hand of Pharaoh. ²² But the chief baker he hanged as Joseph had interpreted to them. ²³ But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

A Question from John the Baptist

11 And it happened that when Jesus had finished giving orders to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their towns. ² Now when^[a] John^[b] heard in prison the deeds of Christ, he sent word^[c] by his disciples ³ and^[d] said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” ⁴ And Jesus answered and^[e] said to them, “Go and^[f] tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news announced to them.^{[g] 6} And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.”

⁷ Now as^[h] these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. ⁹ But why did you go out? To see a prophet?^[i] Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! ¹⁰ It is this man about whom it is written:

¹¹ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim^[k] it. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it,^[l] he is Elijah, the one who is going to come. ¹⁵ The one who has ears, let him hear!

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, ¹⁷ saying,

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”^[m]

Woes Pronounced on Unrepentant Towns

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the towns in which the majority of his miracles had been done, because they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. ²⁴ Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”

A Yoke That Is Easy

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and^[n] said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.^{[o] 26} Yes, Father, for to do so was your gracious will.^{[p] 27} All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom^[q] the Son wants to reveal him.^{[r] 28} Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light.”