Genesis 39

1 Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar the Egyptian, a captain of high position in Pharaoh's house, got him for a price from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, who had sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officers, the commander of the royal guard.

2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he did well; and he was living in the house of his master the Egyptian.

The Lord was with Joseph and made him successful. He lived in his Egyptian master's house.

3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, making everything he did go well.

His master noticed that the Lord was with him and made him successful in everything he did.

4 And having a high opinion of Joseph as his servant, he made him the overseer of his house and gave him control over all he had.

Potiphar appreciated Joseph and his service, and put him in charge of his household and made him responsible for everything he owned.

5 And from the time when he made him overseer and gave him control of all his property, the blessing of the Lord was with the Egyptian, because of Joseph; the blessing of the Lord was on all he had, in the house and in the field.

From the time he put Joseph in charge and trusted him with all he had, the Lord blessed Potiphar's household because of Joseph. The Lord blessed everything he had, whether in his house or in his fields.

6 And he gave Joseph control of all his property, keeping no account of anything, but only the food which was put before him. Now Joseph was very beautiful in form and face.

So Potiphar left Joseph to care for everything he owned. He didn't bother with anything except to decide what food he was going to eat. Now Joseph was handsome, having a good physique,

7 And after a time, his master's wife, looking on Joseph with desire, said to him, Be my lover.

so some time later he caught the eye of his master's wife. She propositioned him, saying, “Come here! Sleep with me!”

8 But he would not, and said to her, You see that my master keeps no account of what I do in his house, and has put all his property in my control;

But he turned her down, telling his master's wife, “Look, my master trusts me so much he doesn't even bother to find out how his household is running. He's put me in charge of everything he owns—

9 So that no one has more authority in this house than I have; he has kept nothing back from me but you, because you are his wife; how then may I do this great wrong, sinning against God?

no one in this house has more authority than me! He hasn't held back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such an evil thing as this, and sin against God?”

10 And day after day she went on requesting Joseph to come to her and be her lover, but he would not give ear to her.

Day after day she persisted in asking him, but he refused to sleep with her and tried to avoid her.

11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work; and not one of the men of the house was inside.

But one day he went into the house to do his work and none of the other servants were there.

12 And pulling at his coat, she said, Come to my bed; but slipping out of his coat, he went running away.

She grabbed him by his clothing, and demanded, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his clothing in her hand, he ran out of the house.

13 And when she saw that he had got away, letting her keep his coat,

Seeing that he'd left his clothing in her hand, and had ran out of the house,

14 She sent for the men of her house and said to them, See, he has let a Hebrew come here and make sport of us; he came to my bed, and I gave a loud cry;

she shouted out to her servants, “Look at this! He brought this Hebrew slave here to dishonor us! This man came to try and rape me, but I screamed at the top of my voice.

15 And hearing it he went running out without his coat.

When he heard me scream for help, he left his clothing beside me and ran outside.”

16 And she kept his coat by her, till his master came back.

She kept his clothing with her until her husband came home.

17 Then she gave him the same story, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you have taken into our house came in to make sport of me;

Then she told him her story. It went like this: “That Hebrew slave you brought here tried to come and dishonor me.

18 And when I gave a loud cry he went running out without his coat.

But as soon as I screamed and called for help, he left his clothing beside me and ran outside.”

19 And hearing his wife's account of what his servant had done, he became very angry.

When Potiphar heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” he became angry.

20 And Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, in the place where the king's prisoners were kept in chains, and he was there in the prison-house.

He took Joseph and put him in the prison where the king's prisoners were kept, and there he stayed.

21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and was good to him, and made the keeper of the prison his friend.

But the Lord was with Joseph, showing him trustworthy love, and made the chief jailer pleased with him.

22 And the keeper of the prison put all the prisoners under Joseph's control, and he was responsible for whatever was done there.

So the chief jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners there and gave him the responsibility for running the prison.

23 And the keeper of the prison gave no attention to anything which was under his care, because the Lord was with him; and the Lord made everything he did go well.

The chief jailer didn't bother with anything for Joseph took care of it all for the Lord was with him and made him successful.