Genesis 39–40

¹And Joseph hath been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, head of the executioners, an Egyptian man, buyeth him out of the hands of the Ishmaelites who have brought him thither. ²And Jehovah is with Joseph, and he is a prosperous man, and he is in the house of his lord the Egyptian, ³and his lord seeth that Jehovah is with him, and all that he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper in his hand, ⁴and Joseph findeth grace in his eyes and serveth him, and he appointeth him over his house, and all that he hath he hath given into his hand. ⁵And it cometh to pass from the time that he hath appointed him over his house, and over all that he hath, that Jehovah blesseth the house of the Egyptian for Joseph’s sake, and the blessing of Jehovah is on all that he hath, in the house, and in the field; ⁶and he leaveth all that he hath in the hand of Joseph, and he hath not known anything that he hath, except the bread which he is eating. And Joseph is of a fair form, and of a fair appearance.

⁷And it cometh to pass after these things, that his lord’s wife lifteth up her eyes unto Joseph, and saith, ‘Lie with me;’ ⁸and he refuseth, and saith unto his lord’s wife, ‘Lo, my lord hath not known what is with me in the house, and all that he hath he hath given into my hand; ⁹none is greater in this house than I, and he hath not withheld from me anything, except thee, because thou art his wife; and how shall I do this great evil?—then have I sinned against God.’ ¹⁰And it cometh to pass at her speaking unto Joseph day by day, that he hath not hearkened unto her, to lie near her, to be with her; ¹¹and it cometh to pass about this day, that he goeth into the house to do his work, and there is none of the men of the house there in the house, ¹²and she catcheth him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me;’ and he leaveth his garment in her hand, and fleeth, and goeth without.

¹³And it cometh to pass when she seeth that he hath left his garment in her hand, and fleeth without, ¹⁴that she calleth for the men of her house, and speaketh to them, saying, ‘See, he hath brought in to us a man, a Hebrew, to play with us; he hath come in unto me, to lie with me, and I call with a loud voice, ¹⁵and it cometh to pass, when he heareth that I have lifted up my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth, and goeth without.’ ¹⁶And she placeth his garment near her, until the coming in of his lord unto his house. ¹⁷And she speaketh unto him according to these words, saying, ‘The Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us, hath come in unto me to play with me; ¹⁸and it cometh to pass, when I lift my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth without.’

¹⁹And it cometh to pass when his lord heareth the words of his wife, which she hath spoken unto him, saying, ‘According to these things hath thy servant done to me,’ that his anger burneth; ²⁰and Joseph’s lord taketh him, and putteth him unto the round-house, a place where the king’s prisoners are bound; and he is there in the round-house. ²¹And Jehovah is with Joseph, and stretcheth out kindness unto him, and putteth his grace in the eyes of the chief of the round-house; ²²and the chief of the round-house giveth into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who are in the round-house, and of all that they are doing there, he hath been doer; ²³the chief of the round-house seeth not anything under his hand, because Jehovah is with him, and that which he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper.

Chapter 40

¹And it cometh to pass, after these things—the butler of the king of Egypt and the baker have sinned against their lord, against the king of Egypt; ²and Pharaoh is wroth against his two eunuchs, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers, ³and giveth them in charge in the house of the chief of the executioners, unto the round-house, the place where Joseph is a prisoner, ⁴and the chief of the executioners chargeth Joseph with them, and he serveth them; and they are days in charge.

⁵And they dream a dream both of them, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker whom the king of Egypt hath, who are prisoners in the round-house. ⁶And Joseph cometh in unto them in the morning, and seeth them, and lo, they are morose; ⁷and he asketh Pharaoh’s eunuchs who are with him in charge in the house of his lord, saying, ‘Wherefore are your faces sad to-day?’ ⁸And they say unto him, ‘A dream we have dreamed, and there is no interpreter of it;’ and Joseph saith unto them, ‘Are not interpretations with God? recount, I pray you, to me.’ ⁹And the chief of the butlers recounteth his dream to Joseph, and saith to him, ‘In my dream, then lo, a vine is before me! ¹⁰and in the vine are three branches, and it is as it were flourishing; gone up hath its blossom, its clusters have ripened grapes; ¹¹and Pharaoh’s cup is in my hand, and I take the grapes and press them into the cup of Pharaoh, and I give the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.’ ¹²And Joseph saith to him, ‘This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days; ¹³yet, within three days doth Pharaoh lift up thy head, and hath put thee back on thy station, and thou hast given the cup of Pharaoh into his hand, according to the former custom when thou wast his butler.

¹⁴‘Surely if thou hast remembered me with thee, when it is well with thee, and hast done (I pray thee) kindness with me, and hast made mention of me unto Pharaoh, then hast thou brought me out from this house, ¹⁵for I was really stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they have put me in the pit.’ ¹⁶And the chief of the bakers seeth that he hath interpreted good, and he saith unto Joseph, ‘I also am in a dream, and lo, three baskets of white bread are on my head, ¹⁷and in the uppermost basket are of all kinds of Pharaoh’s food, work of a baker; and the birds are eating them out of the basket, from off my head.’ ¹⁸And Joseph answereth and saith, ‘This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; ¹⁹yet, within three days doth Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and hath hanged thee on a tree, and the birds have eaten thy flesh from off thee.’

²⁰And it cometh to pass, on the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, that he maketh a banquet to all his servants, and lifteth up the head of the chief of the butlers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants, ²¹and he putteth back the chief of the butlers to his butlership, and he giveth the cup into the hand of Pharaoh; ²²and the chief of the bakers he hath hanged, as Joseph hath interpreted to them; ²³and the chief of the butlers hath not remembered Joseph, but forgetteth him.

Chapter 41