Genesis 39:1–20

Joseph a Slave in Egypt

39Now Joseph had been taken ^adown to Egypt. And ^bPotiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, ^cbought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. ^2dThe Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. ³And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord ^emade all he did ¹to prosper in his hand. ⁴So Joseph ^ffound favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him ^goverseer of his house, and all that he had he put ²under his authority. ⁵So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that ^hthe 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. ⁶Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s ³hand, and he did not know what he had except for the ⁴bread which he ate.

Now Joseph ⁱwas handsome in form and appearance.

⁷And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife ⁵cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ^j“Lie with me.”

⁸But 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. ⁹There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. ^kHow then can I do this great wickedness, and ^lsin against God?”

¹⁰So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he ^mdid not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.

¹¹But 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, ¹²that she ⁿcaught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. ¹³And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, ¹⁴that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a ^oHebrew to ⁶mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. ¹⁵And 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.”

¹⁶So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. ¹⁷Then she ^pspoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; ¹⁸so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”

¹⁹So 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 ^qanger was aroused. ²⁰Then Joseph’s master took him and ^rput him into the ^sprison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.