Genesis 39

1 Meanwhile, the descendants of Ishmael took Joseph down to Egypt. There Potiphar bought Joseph from them. Potiphar was an Egyptian who was one of the king’s officials and the captain of the king’s (palace guards/guards who protected the king).

Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

2 Because Yahweh helped Joseph, he was able to do his work very well, and lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.

3 His master saw that Yahweh was helping Joseph and enabling him to be successful in everything that he did.

When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did,

4 Joseph’s master was pleased with him, so he appointed him to be his personal servant. Then he appointed him to be the one who would take care of everything in his household and all of his possessions.

Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.

5 From the time Potiphar appointed Joseph to take care of everything in his household and all that he owned, Yahweh blessed the people who lived in Potiphar’s house because of Joseph. He also caused Potiphar’s crops to grow well.

From the time that he put Joseph in charge of his household and all he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s household on account of him. The LORD’s blessing was on everything he owned, both in his house and in his field.

6 Potiphar allowed Joseph to take care of everything that he owned. Potiphar needed to decide only about the food he ate. He was not concerned about anything else in his house. Joseph was well-built/muscular and handsome.

So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,

7 Because of that, after a while, his master’s wife started to look fondly at Joseph. So one day she said to him, “Have sex [EUP] with me!”

and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”

8 But he refused, saying to his master’s wife, “Listen! My master is not concerned about anything in this house. He has appointed me to take care of everything that he owns.

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 entrusted everything he owns to my care.

9 No one in this household has more authority than I do. The only thing that he has not allowed me to have is you, because you are his wife! So (how could I do this wicked thing [that you are asking me to do]?/I certainly could not do this wicked thing!) [RHQ] I would be sinning against God if I did that!”

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?”

10 She kept on asking Joseph day after day to have sex [EUP] with her, but he refused. He would not even go near her.

Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her.

11 One day Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the other household servants were in the house.

One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside.

12 Potiphar’s wife grabbed his cloak and said, “Have sex [EUP] with me!” Joseph ran out of the house, but his cloak was still in her hand!

She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

13 When she saw that he had run outside leaving his cloak in her hand,

When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,

14 she called the household servants. She said to them, “Look! This Hebrew man that my husband brought to us is (insulting/trying to do something disgraceful to) us! He came into my room and tried to (rape me/make me have sex [EUP] with him), but I screamed loudly.

she called her household servants. “Look,” she said, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, but I screamed as loud as I could.

15 As soon as he heard me scream loudly, he left his loincloth with me and ran outside!”

When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

16 She kept the loincloth beside her until her husband, Joseph’s master, came home.

So Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s cloak beside her until his master came home.

17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought here came into my room and tried to rape me!

Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me,

18 As soon as I screamed loudly, he ran outside, leaving me holding his loincloth!”

but when I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

19 When Joseph’s master heard this story that his wife told him, saying “This is how your slave treated me,” he was very angry.

When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” he burned with anger.

20 Joseph’s master took Joseph and put him in prison, the place where all the king’s prisoners were put, and Joseph stayed there.

So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. While Joseph was there in the prison,

21 But Yahweh was kind to Joseph and helped him, and caused the (prison warden/man who was in charge of the prison) to be pleased with him.

the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

22 So the prison warden put Joseph in charge of all those who were in the prison, and in charge of all the work that was done there.

And the warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care, so that he was responsible for all that was done in the prison.

23 The warden was not concerned with anything that Joseph was taking care of, because Yahweh helped Joseph to do well everything that he did.

The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.