Genesis 39
1 Igitur Joseph ductus est in Ægyptum, emitque eum Putiphar eunuchus Pharaonis, princeps exercitus, vir ægyptius, de manu Ismaëlitarum, a quibus perductus erat.
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).
2 Fuitque Dominus cum eo, et erat vir in cunctis prospere agens: habitavitque in domo domini sui,
Because Yahweh helped Joseph, he was able to do his work very well, and lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
3 qui optime noverat Dominum esse cum eo, et omnia, quæ gerebat, ab eo dirigi in manu illius.
His master saw that Yahweh was helping Joseph and enabling him to be successful in everything that he did.
4 Invenitque Joseph gratiam coram domino suo, et ministrabat ei: a quo præpositus omnibus gubernabat creditam sibi domum, et universa quæ ei tradita fuerant:
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.
5 benedixitque Dominus domui Ægyptii propter Joseph, et multiplicavit tam in ædibus quam in agris cunctam ejus substantiam:
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.
6 nec quidquam aliud noverat, nisi panem quo vescebatur. Erat autem Joseph pulchra facie, et decorus aspectu.
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.
7 Post multos itaque dies injecit domina sua oculos suos in Joseph, et ait: Dormi mecum.
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!”
8 Qui nequaquam acquiescens operi nefario, dixit ad eam: Ecce dominus meus, omnibus mihi traditis, ignorat quid habeat in domo sua:
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.
9 nec quidquam est quod non in mea sit potestate, vel non tradiderit mihi, præter te, quæ uxor ejus es: quomodo ergo possum hoc malum facere, et peccare in Deum meum?
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!”
10 Hujuscemodi verbis per singulos dies, et mulier molesta erat adolescenti: et ille recusabat stuprum.
She kept on asking Joseph day after day to have sex [EUP] with her, but he refused. He would not even go near her.
11 Accidit autem quadam die ut intraret Joseph domum, et operis quippiam absque arbitris faceret:
One day Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the other household servants were in the house.
12 et illa, apprehensa lacinia vestimenti ejus, diceret: Dormi mecum. Qui relicto in manu ejus pallio fugit, et egressus est foras.
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!
13 Cumque vidisset mulier vestem in manibus suis, et se esse contemptam,
When she saw that he had run outside leaving his cloak in her hand,
14 vocavit ad se homines domus suæ, et ait ad eos: En introduxit virum hebræum, ut illuderet nobis: ingressus est ad me, ut coiret mecum: cumque ego succlamassem,
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.
15 et audisset vocem meam, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.
As soon as he heard me scream loudly, he left his loincloth with me and ran outside!”
16 In argumentum ergo fidei retentum pallium ostendit marito revertenti domum,
She kept the loincloth beside her until her husband, Joseph’s master, came home.
17 et ait: Ingressus est ad me servus hebræus quem adduxisti, ut illuderet mihi:
Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought here came into my room and tried to rape me!
18 cumque audisset me clamare, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.
As soon as I screamed loudly, he ran outside, leaving me holding his loincloth!”
19 His auditis dominus, et nimium credulus verbis conjugis, iratus est valde:
When Joseph’s master heard this story that his wife told him, saying “This is how your slave treated me,” he was very angry.
20 tradiditque Joseph in carcerem, ubi vincti regis custodiebantur, et erat ibi clausus.
Joseph’s master took Joseph and put him in prison, the place where all the king’s prisoners were put, and Joseph stayed there.
21 Fuit autem Dominus cum Joseph, et misertus illius dedit ei gratiam in conspectu principis carceris.
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.
22 Qui tradidit in manu illius universos vinctos qui in custodia tenebantur: et quidquid fiebat, sub ipso erat.
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.
23 Nec noverat aliquid, cunctis ei creditis: Dominus enim erat cum illo, et omnia opera ejus dirigebat.
The warden was not concerned with anything that Joseph was taking care of, because Yahweh helped Joseph to do well everything that he did.
