< 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).
וְיֹוסֵ֖ף הוּרַ֣ד מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּקְנֵ֡הוּ פֹּוטִיפַר֩ סְרִ֨יס פַּרְעֹ֜ה שַׂ֤ר הַטַּבָּחִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מִיַּד֙ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֹורִדֻ֖הוּ שָֽׁמָּה׃
2 Because Yahweh helped Joseph, he was able to do his work very well, and lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
וַיְהִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יֹוסֵ֔ף וַיְהִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ מַצְלִ֑יחַ וַיְהִ֕י בְּבֵ֥ית אֲדֹנָ֖יו הַמִּצְרִֽי׃
3 His master saw that Yahweh was helping Joseph and enabling him to be successful in everything that he did.
וַיַּ֣רְא אֲדֹנָ֔יו כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אִתֹּ֑ו וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֔ה יְהוָ֖ה מַצְלִ֥יחַ בְּיָדֹֽו׃
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.
וַיִּמְצָ֨א יֹוסֵ֥ף חֵ֛ן בְּעֵינָ֖יו וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹתֹ֑ו וַיַּפְקִדֵ֙הוּ֙ עַל־בֵּיתֹ֔ו וְכָל־יֶשׁ־לֹ֖ו נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדֹֽו׃
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.
וַיְהִ֡י מֵאָז֩ הִפְקִ֨יד אֹתֹ֜ו בְּבֵיתֹ֗ו וְעַל֙ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־לֹ֔ו וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית הַמִּצְרִ֖י בִּגְלַ֣ל יֹוסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֞י בִּרְכַּ֤ת יְהוָה֙ בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־לֹ֔ו בַּבַּ֖יִת וּבַשָּׂדֶֽה׃
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.
וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לֹו֮ בְּיַד־יֹוסֵף֒ וְלֹא־יָדַ֤ע אִתֹּו֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא אֹוכֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י יֹוסֵ֔ף יְפֵה־תֹ֖אַר וִיפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה׃
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!”
וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַתִּשָּׂ֧א אֵֽשֶׁת־אֲדֹנָ֛יו אֶת־עֵינֶ֖יהָ אֶל־יֹוסֵ֑ף וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁכְבָ֥ה עִמִּֽי׃
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.
וַיְמָאֵ֓ן ׀ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת אֲדֹנָ֔יו הֵ֣ן אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא־יָדַ֥ע אִתִּ֖י מַה־בַּבָּ֑יִת וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֶשׁ־לֹ֖ו נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדִֽי׃
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!”
אֵינֶ֨נּוּ גָדֹ֜ול בַּבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּה֮ מִמֶּנִּי֒ וְלֹֽא־חָשַׂ֤ךְ מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־אֹותָ֖ךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתְּ־אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו וְאֵ֨יךְ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֜ה הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וְחָטָ֖אתִי לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃
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.
וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל־יֹוסֵ֖ף יֹ֣ום ׀ יֹ֑ום וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע אֵלֶ֛יהָ לִשְׁכַּ֥ב אֶצְלָ֖הּ לִהְיֹ֥ות עִמָּֽהּ׃
11 One day Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the other household servants were in the house.
וַיְהִי֙ כְּהַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א הַבַּ֖יְתָה לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות מְלַאכְתֹּ֑ו וְאֵ֨ין אִ֜ישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת שָׁ֖ם בַּבָּֽיִת׃
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!
וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ בְּבִגְדֹ֛ו לֵאמֹ֖ר שִׁכְבָ֣ה עִמִּ֑י וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדֹו֙ בְּיָדָ֔הּ וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃
13 When she saw that he had run outside leaving his cloak in her hand,
וַיְהִי֙ כִּרְאֹותָ֔הּ כִּֽי־עָזַ֥ב בִּגְדֹ֖ו בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֖נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃
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.
וַתִּקְרָ֞א לְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵיתָ֗הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר רְא֗וּ הֵ֥בִיא לָ֛נוּ אִ֥ישׁ עִבְרִ֖י לְצַ֣חֶק בָּ֑נוּ בָּ֤א אֵלַי֙ לִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמִּ֔י וָאֶקְרָ֖א בְּקֹ֥ול גָּדֹֽול׃
15 As soon as he heard me scream loudly, he left his loincloth with me and ran outside!”
וַיְהִ֣י כְשָׁמְעֹ֔ו כִּֽי־הֲרִימֹ֥תִי קֹולִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדֹו֙ אֶצְלִ֔י וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃
16 She kept the loincloth beside her until her husband, Joseph’s master, came home.
וַתַּנַּ֥ח בִּגְדֹ֖ו אֶצְלָ֑הּ עַד־בֹּ֥וא אֲדֹנָ֖יו אֶל־בֵּיתֹֽו׃
17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought here came into my room and tried to rape me!
וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּֽא־אֵלַ֞י הָעֶ֧בֶד הָֽעִבְרִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־הֵבֵ֥אתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי׃
18 As soon as I screamed loudly, he ran outside, leaving me holding his loincloth!”
וַיְהִ֕י כַּהֲרִימִ֥י קֹולִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֥ב בִּגְדֹ֛ו אֶצְלִ֖י וַיָּ֥נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃
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.
וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אֲדֹנָ֜יו אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י אִשְׁתֹּ֗ו אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבְּרָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה עָ֥שָׂהּ לִ֖י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וַיִּ֖חַר אַפֹּֽו׃
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.
וַיִּקַּח֩ אֲדֹנֵ֨י יֹוסֵ֜ף אֹתֹ֗ו וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַסֹּ֔הַר מְקֹ֕ום אֲשֶׁר־אֲסוּרֵי (אֲסִירֵ֥י) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲסוּרִ֑ים וֽ͏ַיְהִי־שָׁ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר׃
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.
וַיְהִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יֹוסֵ֔ף וַיֵּ֥ט אֵלָ֖יו חָ֑סֶד וַיִּתֵּ֣ן חִנֹּ֔ו בְּעֵינֵ֖י שַׂ֥ר בֵּית־הַסֹּֽהַר׃
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.
וַיִּתֵּ֞ן שַׂ֤ר בֵּית־הַסֹּ֙הַר֙ בְּיַד־יֹוסֵ֔ף אֵ֚ת כָּל־הָ֣אֲסִירִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַסֹּ֑הַר וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר עֹשִׂים֙ שָׁ֔ם ה֖וּא הָיָ֥ה עֹשֶֽׂה׃
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.
אֵ֣ין ׀ שַׂ֣ר בֵּית־הַסֹּ֗הַר רֹאֶ֤ה אֶֽת־כָּל־מְא֙וּמָה֙ בְּיָדֹ֔ו בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אִתֹּ֑ו וַֽאֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֖ה יְהוָ֥ה מַצְלִֽיחַ׃ ס

< Genesis 39 >