Genesis 39
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain and chief executioner of the [royal] guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
2 But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to flourish and succeed in his hand.(A)
4 So Joseph pleased [Potiphar] and found favor in his sight, and he served him. And [his master] made him supervisor over his house and he put all that he had in his charge.
5 From the time that he made him supervisor in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the Lord’s blessing was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
6 And [Potiphar] left all that he had in Joseph’s charge and paid no attention to anything he had except the food he ate. Now Joseph was an attractive person and fine-looking.
7 Then after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, See here, with me in the house my master has concern about nothing; he has put all that he has in my care.
9 He is not greater in this house than I am; nor has he kept anything from me except you, for you are his wife. How then can I do this great evil and sin against God?
10 She spoke to Joseph day after day, but he did not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 Then it happened about this time that Joseph went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the men of the house were indoors.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me! But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out [of the house].
13 And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled away,
14 She called to the men of her household and said to them, Behold, he [your master] has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock and insult us; he came in where I was to lie with me, and I screamed at the top of my voice.
15 And when he heard me screaming and crying, he left his garment with me and fled and got out of the house.
16 And she laid up his garment by her until his master came home.
17 Then she told him the same story, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you brought among us came to me to mock and insult me.
18 And when I screamed and cried, he left his garment with me and fled out [of the house].
19 And when [Joseph’s] master heard the words of his wife, saying to him, This is the way your servant treated me, his wrath was kindled.
20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the state prisoners were confined; so he was there in the prison.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy and loving-kindness and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison.
22 And the warden of the prison committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatsoever was done there, he was in charge of it.
23 The prison warden paid no attention to anything that was in [Joseph’s] charge, for the Lord was with him and made whatever he did to prosper.
Genesis 39
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 39
Joseph, Blessed of God.[a] 1 When Joseph was brought down into Egypt, Potiphar, a counselor of Pharaoh and the commander of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
2 The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered. He remained in the house of the Egyptian, his master. 3 His master realized that the Lord was with him and that whatever he undertook prospered. 4 Thus Joseph found favor with him and became his personal attendant. Potiphar even placed him in charge of his household and he entrusted him with all his possessions. 5 From the moment that he was made overseer and entrusted with his possessions, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph, and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that Potiphar had, whether in the house or out in the fields. 6 He entrusted Joseph with all that he had, and he did not concern himself with anything other than the food he ate.
The Righteous One Calumniated.[b] Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 7 After some time, the wife of his master set her eyes upon Joseph and said to him, “Sleep with me!”
8 But he refused and said to the wife of his master, “Look, my lord does not worry about anything in his house and he has entrusted me with all his possessions. 9 He has no more authority in this house than I do. He has not kept anything from me but you, for you are his wife. How could I ever do this evil thing and sin against God?” 10 Although she spoke every day to Joseph, he would not agree to sleep with her or even to be near her.
11 One day he entered the house to do his work, but none of the servants was around. 12 She took hold of his tunic saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his tunic in her hands and ran out of the house.
13 Seeing that he had left his tunic in her hands and that he had fled outside, 14 she called out to the servants and told them, “Look, this Hebrew has been brought into the house to mock us! He came in to lie with me, but I screamed out loud. 15 As soon as he heard me raise my voice and call out, he left his tunic with me and ran out of the house.”
16 She left the tunic lying next to her until her master came home. 17 Then she told him these same things: “That Hebrew servant, whom you brought to our house, seized me to insult me. 18 But as soon as I cried out and shouted, he left his tunic next to me and ran out of the house.”
19 When the master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is what your servant has done to me,” he became very angry. 20 He seized Joseph and put him into the prison where they held royal prisoners.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph. He showed him kindness and caused him to find favor with the chief jailer. 22 The chief jailer entrusted all the prisoners to Joseph. Whatever had to be done there, he did it. 23 The chief jailer did not have to worry about any of those things that were entrusted to Joseph, for the Lord was with him and made whatever he did prosper.
Footnotes
- Genesis 39:1 Joseph becomes the majordomo of the captain of the guard, in which capacity he is a model of honor, fidelity, and constancy. He is living proof of the words of St. Paul that “God makes all things work together for good for those who love him” (Rom 8:28).
- Genesis 39:6 Despite the powerful temptation, the young man remains heroically faithful to the word given to his master no matter what the cost. And God comes to his aid as he does to all those who love him in adversity as well as in success.
Genesis 39
New International Version
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
39 Now Joseph(A) had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard,(B) bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.(C)
2 The Lord was with Joseph(D) so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him(E) and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did,(F) 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes(G) and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household,(H) and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.(I) 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household(J) of the Egyptian because of Joseph.(K) The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.(L) 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care;(M) with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,(N) 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”(O)
8 But he refused.(P) “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.(Q) 9 No one is greater in this house than I am.(R) My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”(S) 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused(T) to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,(U) and none of the household servants(V) was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak(W) and said, “Come to bed with me!”(X) But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.(Y)
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants.(Z) “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew(AA) has been brought to us to make sport of us!(AB) He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.(AC) 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”(AD)
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story:(AE) “That Hebrew(AF) slave(AG) you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.(AH) 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison,(AI) the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him;(AJ) he showed him kindness(AK) and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.(AL) 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.(AM) 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s(AN) care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.(AO)
Genesis 39
New King James Version
Joseph a Slave in Egypt
39 Now Joseph had been taken (A)down to Egypt. And (B)Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, (C)bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 (D)The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord (E)made all he did [a]to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph (F)found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him (G)overseer of his house, and all that he had he put [b]under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that (H)the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s [c]hand, and he did not know what he had except for the [d]bread which he ate.
Now Joseph (I)was handsome in form and appearance.
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife [e]cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, (J)“Lie with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. (K)How then can I do this great wickedness, and (L)sin against God?”
10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he (M)did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she (N)caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a (O)Hebrew to [f]mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she (P)spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his (Q)anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and (R)put him into the (S)prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He (T)gave[g] him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison (U)committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under [h]Joseph’s authority, because (V)the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
Footnotes
- Genesis 39:3 to be a success
- Genesis 39:4 Lit. in his hand
- Genesis 39:6 Care
- Genesis 39:6 Food
- Genesis 39:7 Lit. lifted up her eyes toward
- Genesis 39:14 laugh at
- Genesis 39:21 Caused him to be viewed with favor by
- Genesis 39:23 Lit. his hand
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.