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).

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, a chamberlain of Pharaoh, the captain of the life-guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down thither.

2 Because Yahweh helped Joseph, he was able to do his work very well, and lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

And Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 His master saw that Yahweh was helping Joseph and enabling him to be successful in everything that he did.

And his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

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.

And Joseph found favour in his eyes, and attended on him; and he set him over his house, and all that he had he gave into his hand.

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.

And it came to pass from the time he had set him over his house and all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of Jehovah was on all that he had in the house and in the field.

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.

And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and took cognizance of nothing with him, save the bread that he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful form and of a beautiful countenance.

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!”

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and said, Lie with me!

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.

But he refused, and said to his master's wife, Behold, my master takes cognizance of nothing with me: what is in the house, and all that he has, he has given into my hand.

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!”

There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he withheld anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife; and how should I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

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.

And it came to pass as she spoke to Joseph day by day and he hearkened not to her, to lie with her [and] to be with her,

11 One day Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the other household servants were in the house.

that on a certain day he went into the house to do his business, and there was none of the men of the house there in the house.

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!

Then she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me! But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran out.

13 When she saw that he had run outside leaving his cloak in her hand,

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

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.

that she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, See, he has brought in a Hebrew man to us, to mock us: he came in to me, to lie with me; and I cried with a loud voice;

15 As soon as he heard me scream loudly, he left his loincloth with me and ran outside!”

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 went out.

16 She kept the loincloth beside her until her husband, Joseph’s master, came home.

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

17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought here came into my room and tried to rape me!

And she spoke to him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew bondman that thou hast brought to us came in to me to mock me;

18 As soon as I screamed loudly, he ran outside, leaving me holding his loincloth!”

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

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.

And it came to pass when his lord heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, After this manner did thy bondman to me, that his wrath was kindled.

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.

And Joseph's lord took him and put him into the tower-house, [the] place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the tower-house.

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.

And Jehovah was with Joseph, and extended mercy to him, and gave him favour in the eyes of the chief of the tower-house.

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.

And the chief of the tower-house committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the tower-house; and whatever they had to do there he did.

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.

The chief of the tower-house looked not to anything under his hand, because Jehovah was with him; and what he did, Jehovah made it prosper.