Genesis 39
Chapter 39
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
1 When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
2 The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.
6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!
Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man,
7 and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.
8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household.
9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”
10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.11 One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work.
12 She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
13 When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled,14 she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.
15 When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.”
16 She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home.17 Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said.
18 “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”
Joseph Put in Prison
19 Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her.20 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained.21 But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison.
23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
Genesis 39
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt.t An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard,s purchased him fromt the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successfult and livedt in the household of his Egyptian master.3 His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful.t4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant.s Potiphar appointed Josepht overseer of his household and put him in charget of everything he owned.5 From the timet Potiphart appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blesseds the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, botht in his house and in his fields.s
6 So Potiphart lefts everything he had in Joseph’s care;t he gave no thoughtt to anything except the food he ate.s
Now Joseph was well built and good-looking.t7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice oft Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.”ts8 But he refused, sayingt to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thoughtt to his household with me here,t and everything that he owns he has put into my care.t9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I dot such a great evil and sin against God?”
10 Even though she continued to speakt to Joseph day after day, he did not respondt to her invitation to have sex with her.t
11 One dayt he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servantst were there in the house.12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Have sex with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and rant outside.s13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside,14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband broughtt in a Hebrew mans to us to humiliate us.t He tried to have sex with me,t but I screamed loudly.t
15 When he heard me raiset my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”
16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home.17 This is what she said to him:t “That Hebrew slaves you brought to us tried to humiliate me,t
18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”
19 When his master heard his wife say,t “This is the wayt your slave treated me,”t he became furious.t
20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison,t the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison.s
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness.t He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden.t22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing.t
23 The warden did not concern himselft with anything that was in Joseph’st care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.
