Genesis 38-40

21st Century King James Version

38 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned unto a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

² And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.

³ And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

⁴ And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

⁵ And she yet again conceived and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. And he was at Chezib when she bore him.

⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

⁷ And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.

⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, “Go in unto thy brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.”

⁹ And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He slew him also.

¹¹ Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow at thy father’s house, until Shelah my son is grown”; for he said, “Lest perhaps he die also, as his brethren did.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

¹² And in process of time, the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

¹³ And it was told Tamar, saying, “Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

¹⁴ And she put her widow’s garments off from her and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him as wife.

¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot, because she had covered her face.

¹⁶ And he turned unto her on the wayside and said, “Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee” (for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law). And she said, “What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?”

¹⁷ And he said, “I will send thee a kid from the flock.” And she said, “Wilt thou give me a pledge until thou send it?”

¹⁸ And he said, “What pledge shall I give thee?” And she said, “Thy signet and thy bracelets and thy staff that is in thine hand.” And he gave it to her and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

¹⁹ And she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

²⁰ And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he found her not.

²¹ Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was openly by the wayside?” And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”

²² And he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her, and also the men of the place said that there was no harlot in this place.”

²³ And Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.”

²⁴ And it came to pass about three months after that it was told Judah, saying, “Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom.” And Judah said, “Bring her forth, and let her be burned.”

²⁵ When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man whose these are, am I with child.” And she said, “Discern, I pray thee, whose are these — the signet, and bracelets, and staff.”

²⁶ And Judah acknowledged them and said, “She hath been more righteous than I, because I gave her not to Shelah my son.” And he knew her again no more.

²⁷ And it came to pass in the time of her travail that, behold, twins were in her womb.

²⁸ And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This came out first.”

²⁹ And it came to pass as he drew back his hand that, behold, his brother came out; and she said, “How hast thou broken forth? This breach be upon thee.” Therefore his name was called Perez [that is, A breach].

³⁰ And afterward came out his brother who had the scarlet thread upon his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hands of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down thither.

² And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a 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 prosper in his hand.

⁴ And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him. And he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

⁵ And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.

⁶ And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not anything he had, save the bread which he ate. And Joseph was a goodly person, and wellfavored.

⁷ And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”

⁸ But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, “Behold, my master knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand.

⁹ There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

¹⁰ And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her.

¹¹ And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and there were none of the men of the house there within.

¹² And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got himself out.

¹³ And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled forth,

¹⁴ that she called unto the men of her house and spoke unto them, saying, “See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us. He came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.

¹⁵ And it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled, and got himself out.”

¹⁶ And she laid aside his garment by her until his lord came home.

¹⁷ And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us came in unto me to mock me.

¹⁸ And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled out.”

¹⁹ And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke unto him, saying, “After this manner did thy servant to me,” that his wrath was kindled.

²⁰ And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison.

²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

²² And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

²³ The keeper of the prison looked not into any thing that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him; and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

40 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

² And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers—against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers.

³ And he put them under guard in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

⁴ And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; and they continued a season under guard.

⁵ And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

⁶ And Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked upon them, and behold, they were sad.

⁷ And he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the guard of his lord’s house, saying, “Why look ye so sadly today?”

⁸ And they said unto him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” And Joseph said unto them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you.”

⁹ And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was before me.

¹⁰ And in the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded and her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes.

¹¹ And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

¹² And Joseph said unto him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days.

¹³ Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head and restore thee unto thy place; and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

¹⁴ But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me; and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

¹⁵ For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”

¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and behold, I had three white baskets on my head.

¹⁷ And in the uppermost basket there were all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.”

¹⁸ And Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days.

¹⁹ Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.”

²⁰ And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

²¹ And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;

²² but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

²³ Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.