1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

2The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’

8But he refused. ‘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. 9No-one is greater in this house than I am. 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?’ 10And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even to be with her.

11One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

13When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14she called her household servants. ‘Look,’ she said to them, ‘this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.’

16She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17Then she told him this story: ‘That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.’

19When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, ‘This is how your slave treated me,’ he burned with anger. 20Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warder. 22So the warder put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23The warder paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®

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B'resheet (Gen) 39

1(v) Yosef was brought down to Egypt, and Potifar, an officer of Pharaoh’s and captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Yishma‘elim who had brought him there. 2Adonai was with Yosef, and he became wealthy while he was in the household of his master the Egyptian. 3His master saw how Adonai was with him, that Adonai prospered everything he did. 4Yosef pleased him as he served him, and his master appointed him manager of his household; he entrusted all his possessions to Yosef. 5From the time he appointed him manager of his household and all his possessions, Adonai blessed the Egyptian’s household for Yosef’s sake; Adonai’s blessing was on all he owned, whether in the house or in the field. 6So he left all his possessions in Yosef’s care; and because he had him, he paid no attention to his affairs, except for the food he ate.

Now Yosef was well-built and handsome as well. (vi) 7In time, the day came when his master’s wife took a look at Yosef and said, “Sleep with me!” 8But he refused, saying to his master’s wife, “Look, because my master has me, he doesn’t know what’s going on in this house. He has put all his possessions in my charge. 9In this house I am his equal; he hasn’t withheld anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10But she kept pressing him, day after day. Nevertheless, he didn’t listen to her; he refused to sleep with her or even be with her.

11However, one day, when he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men living in the house was there indoors, 12she grabbed him by his robe and said, “Sleep with me!” But he fled, leaving his robe in her hand, and got himself outside. 13When she saw that he had left his robe in her hand and had escaped, 14she called the men of her house and said to them, “Look at this! My husband brought in a Hebrew to make fools of us. He came in and wanted to sleep with me, but I yelled out loudly. 15When he heard me yelling like that, he left his robe with me and ran out.” 16She put the robe aside until his master came home. 17Then she said to him, “This Hebrew slave you brought us came in to make a fool of me. 18But when I yelled out, he left his robe with me and fled outside.” 19When his master heard what his wife said as she showed him, “Here’s what your slave did to me,” he became furious. 20Yosef’s master took him and put him in prison, in the place where the king’s prisoners were kept; and there he was in the prison.

21But Adonai was with Yosef, showing him grace and giving him favor in the sight of the prison warden. 22The prison warden made Yosef supervisor of all the prisoners in the prison; so that whatever they did there, he was in charge of it. 23The prison warden paid no attention to anything Yosef did, because Adonai was with him; and whatever he did, Adonai prospered.

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Genesis 39

B'resheet (Gen) 39