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).
Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh who was captain of the guard and an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.
2 Because Yahweh helped Joseph, he was able to do his work very well, and lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
Yahweh was with Joseph and he became a prosperous man. He lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
3 His master saw that Yahweh was helping Joseph and enabling him to be successful in everything that he did.
His master saw that Yahweh was with him and that Yahweh prospered everything that 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. He served Potiphar. Potiphar made Joseph manager over his house, and everything that he possessed, he put under his care.
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.
It came about from the time that he made him manager over his house and over everything he possessed, that Yahweh blessed the Egyptian's house because of Joseph. The blessing of Yahweh was on everything that Potiphar had in the house and in the 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.
Potiphar put everything that he had under Joseph's care. He did not have to think about anything except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was handsome and attractive.
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!”
It came about after this that his master's wife lusted for Joseph. She 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 and said to his master's wife, “Look, my master does not pay attention to what I do in the house, and he has put everything that he owns under 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 is greater in this house than I am. He has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness 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.
She spoke to Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her or to be with her.
11 One day Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the other household servants were in the house.
It came about one day that he went into the house to do his work. None of the men of the house were there in the house.
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 caught him by his clothes and said, “Sleep with me.” He left his clothing in her hand, fled, and went outside.
13 When she saw that he had run outside leaving his cloak in her hand,
It came about, when she saw that he had left his clothing in her hand and had fled outside,
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.
that she called to the men of her house and told them, “See, Potiphar has brought in a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to sleep with me, and I screamed.
15 As soon as he heard me scream loudly, he left his loincloth with me and ran outside!”
It came about when he heard me scream, that he left his clothing with me, fled, and went outside.”
16 She kept the loincloth beside her until her husband, Joseph’s master, came home.
She set his clothing next to 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!
She told him this explanation, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us, came in to mock me.
18 As soon as I screamed loudly, he ran outside, leaving me holding his loincloth!”
It came about that when I screamed, he left his clothing with me and fled outside.”
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.
It came about that, when his master heard the explanation his wife told him, “This is what your servant did to me,” he became very angry.
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.
Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. He 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.
But Yahweh was with Joseph and showed covenant faithfulness to him. He gave him favor in the sight 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.
The prison warden gave into Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, Joseph was in charge of it.
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 prison warden did not worry about anything that was in his hand, because Yahweh was with him. Whatever he did, Yahweh prospered.
