Genesis 39
1 Therfor Joseph was led in to Egipt, and Putifar, `chast and onest seruaunt of Farao, prince of the oost, a man of Egipt, bouyte hym of the hondis of Ismaelitis, of which he was brouyt.
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 And the Lord was with hym, and he was a man doynge with prosperite in alle thingis. And Joseph dwellide in `the hows of his lord,
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
3 which knew best that the Lord was with Joseph, and that alle thingis whiche he dide, weren dressid of the Lord in `the hond of hym.
When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did,
4 And Joseph foond grace bifor his lord, and `mynystride to hym, of whom Joseph was maad souereyn of alle thingis, and gouernede the hows bitaken to hym, and alle thingis that weren bitakun to hym.
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 And the Lord blesside the `hows of Egipcian for Joseph, and multipliede al his catel, as wel in howsis as in feeldis;
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 nether he knew ony other thing no but `breed which he eet. Forsothe Joseph was fair in face, and schapli in siyt.
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 And so aftir many daies the ladi castide hir iyen in to Joseph, and seide, Slepe thou with me;
and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”
8 which assentide not to the vnleueful werk, and seide to hir, Lo! while alle thingis ben bitakun to me, my lord woot not what he hath in his hows,
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 nether ony thing is, which is not in my power, ether which `he hath not bitake to me, outakun thee, which art his wijf; how therfor may Y do this yuel, and do synne ayens my lord?
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 Thei spaken siche wordis `bi alle daies, and the womman was diseseful to the yong waxynge man, and he forsook auoutrie.
Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her.
11 Forsothe it bifelde in a dai, that Joseph entride in to the hows, and dide sum werk with out witnessis.
One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside.
12 And sche took `the hem of his clooth, and sche seide, Slepe thou with me; and he lefte the mentil in hir hoond, and he fledde, and yede out.
She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.
13 And whanne the womman hadde seyn the clooth in hir hondis, and that sche was dispisid,
When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,
14 sche clepide to hir the men of hir hows, and seide to hem, Lo! my lord hath brouyt in an Ebrew man, that he schulde scorn vs; he entride to me to do leccherie with me, and whanne Y criede, and he herde my vois,
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 he lefte the mentil which Y helde, and he fledde out.
When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
16 Therfor in to the preuyng of trouthe, sche schewide the mantil, holdun to the hosebonde turnynge ayen hoom.
So Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s cloak beside her until his master came home.
17 And she seide, The Ebrew seruaunt, whom thou brouytist, entride to me to scorne me; and whanne he siy me crye,
Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me,
18 he lefte the mentil which Y helde, and he fledde out.
but when I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
19 And whanne these thingis weren herd, the lord bileuyde ouer myche to the wordis of the wijf, and was ful wrooth;
When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” he burned with anger.
20 and he bitook Joseph in to prisoun, where the bounden men of the kyng weren kept, and he was closid 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 Forsothe the Lord was with Joseph, and hadde mercy on hym, and yaf grace to hym in the siyt of the prince of the prisoun,
the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
22 which bitook in the hond of Joseph alle prisoneris that weren holdun in kepyng, and what euer thing was doon, it was vndur Joseph, nethir the prince knewe ony thing,
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 for alle thingis weren bitakun to Joseph; for the Lord was with hym, and dresside alle his werkis.
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.
