Genesis 39–50

Joseph in Potiphar’s House

39Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, commander of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. ²And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. ³And his master observed that Yahweh was with him, and everything that was in his hand to do Yahweh made successful. ⁴And Joseph found favor in his eyes and he served him. Then he appointed him^a over his house and all that he owned he put into his hand. ⁵And it happened that from the time he appointed him over his house and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. ⁶And he left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and he did not worry about anything^b except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome.^{c 7}And it happened that after these things his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” ⁸But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not worry about^d what is in the house, and everything he owns he has put in my hand. ⁹He has no greater authority in this house than me, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, since you are his wife. Now how could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” ¹⁰And it happened that as she spoke to Joseph day after day,^e he did not heed her to lie beside her or to be with her. ¹¹But one particular day^f he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house, ¹²she seized him by his garment and said, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and he went outside. ¹³And it happened that when she saw that he left his garment in her hand and fled outside, ¹⁴she called to the men of her house and said to them, “Look! He^g brought a Hebrew man to us to mock us! He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. ¹⁵And when he heard me, that I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled, and he went outside.” ¹⁶Then she put his garment beside her until his master came to his house. ¹⁷Then she spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave that you brought to us came to me to make fun of me. ¹⁸And it happened that as I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” ¹⁹And when his master heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, “This is what your servant did to me,”^h he became very angry.^{i 20}And Joseph’s master took him and put him into prison, the place that the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison. ²¹And Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed loyal love to him, and gave him favor in the eyes of the chief of the prison. ²²And the chief of the prison put all the prisoners that were in the prison into the hand of Joseph. And everything that was done there, he was the one who did it. ²³The chief of the prison did not worry about^j anything in his^k hand, since Yahweh was with him. And whatever he did Yahweh made it successful.

Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison

40And it happened that after these things the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker did wrong against their lord, against the king of Egypt. ²And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief cupbearer and chief baker. ³And he put them in custody in the house of the commander of the guard, into the prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴And the commander of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. And they were in custody many days.^{a 5}And the two of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, dreamed a dream one night, each his own dream, with its own interpretation. ⁶When Joseph came to them in the morning he looked at them, and behold, they were troubled. ⁷And he asked the court officials of Pharaoh that were with him in the custody of his master’s house, “Why are your faces sad today?” ⁸And they said to him, “We each dreamed a dream, but there is no one to interpret it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” ⁹Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, “In my dream, now behold, there was a vine before me, ¹⁰and on the vine were three branches. And as it budded, its blossoms came up, and its clusters of grapes grew ripe. ¹¹And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup of Pharaoh. Then I placed the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.” ¹²Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches, they are three days. ¹³In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your office. And you shall put the cup of Pharaoh into his hand as was formerly the custom, when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴But remember me when it goes well with you, and please may you show kindness with respect to me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. ¹⁵For I was surely kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in this pit.” ¹⁶And when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good he said to Joseph, “I also dreamed. In my dream, now behold, there were three baskets of bread upon my head. ¹⁷And in the upper basket were all sorts of baked foods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket upon my head.” ¹⁸Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets, they are three days. ¹⁹In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a pole,^b and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” ²⁰And it happened that on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. ²¹And he restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing position. And he placed the cup in the hand of Pharaoh. ²²But the chief baker he hanged as Joseph had interpreted to them. ²³But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

41And it happened that after two full years^a Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. ²And behold, seven cows, well built and fat,^b were coming up from the Nile, and they grazed among the reeds. ³And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt,^c and they stood beside those^d cows on the bank of the Nile. ⁴And the ugly and gaunt^e cows ate the seven well built and fat^f cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. ⁵And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were coming out of one stalk. ⁶And behold, seven thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. ⁷And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven plump and full ears of grain. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. ⁸And it happened that in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all of the magicians^g of Egypt, and all its wise men, and Pharaoh told his dream to them. But they had no interpretation^h for Pharaoh. ⁹Then the chief of the cupbearers spoke with Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my sins today. ¹⁰Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the house of the commander of the guard. ¹¹And we dreamed a dream one night, I and he, each with a dream that had a meaning.^{i 12}And there with us was a young man, a Hebrew servant of the commander of the guard, and we told him the dream, and he interpreted our dreams for us, each according to his dream he interpreted. ¹³And it happened just as he interpreted to us, so it was. He^j restored me to my office, and him^k he^l hanged.” ¹⁴Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him quickly from the prison. And he shaved and changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. ¹⁵Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I dreamed a dream, but there is none to interpret it. Now, I have heard concerning you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” ¹⁶Then Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, “It is not in my power;^m God will answer concerning the well-being of Pharaoh.” ¹⁷And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now in my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile, ¹⁸and behold, seven cows, well built and fat,ⁿ were coming up from the Nile, and they grazed among the reeds. ¹⁹And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly looking and gaunt^o—never have I seen any as them in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. ²⁰And the thin and ugly cows ate the former seven healthy cows. ²¹But when they went into their bellies^p it could not be known that they went into their bellies,^q for their appearance was as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. ²²Then I saw in my dream and behold, seven ears of grain were coming out of one stalk, full and good. ²³And behold, seven withered ears of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. ²⁴And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven good ears of grain. And I told the magicians,^r but there was none to explain it to me.” ²⁵Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶The seven good cows, they are seven years, and the seven good ears of grain, they are seven years. The dreams are one. ²⁷And the seven thin and ugly cows coming up after them, they are seven years, and the seven empty ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, they are also seven years of famine. ²⁸This is the word that I have spoken to Pharaoh; God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁹Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. ³⁰Then seven…