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The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 39 -

1
Meanwhile, Joseph was led into Egypt. And Putiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, a leader of the army, an Egyptian man, purchased him from the hand of the Ishmaelites, by whom he was brought.
2
And the Lord was with him, and he was a man who prospered in everything that he did. And he lived in the house of his lord,
3
who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and that all the things that were done by him were directed by his hand.
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And Joseph found favor in the sight of his lord, and he ministered to him. And, having been placed in charge of everything by him, he governed the house that was entrusted to him and all the things that had been delivered to him.
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And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian, because of Joseph, and he multiplied all his substance, as much in the buildings, as in the fields.
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Neither did he know anything other than the bread that he ate. Now Joseph was beautiful in form, and stately in appearance.(a)
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And so, after many days, his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.”
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And without consenting at all to the wicked act, he said to her: “Behold, my lord has delivered all things to me, and he does not know what he has in his own house.
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Neither is there anything which is not in my power, or that he has not delivered to me, except you, for you are his wife. How then can I do this evil act and sin against my God?”
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With such words as these, throughout each day, the woman was pestering the young man, and he was refusing the adultery.
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Then it happened, on a certain day, that Joseph entered the house, and he was doing something, without any witnesses.
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And she, grasping the hem of his garment, said, “Sleep with me.” But he, leaving behind the cloak in her hand, fled and went outside.

Joseph Falsely Imprisoned

13
And when the woman saw the garment in her hands and herself being treated with disrespect,
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she called to herself the men of her house, and she said to them: “Lo, he has brought in a Hebrew man to abuse us. He entered toward me, in order to join with me; and when I had shouted out,
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and he had heard my voice, he left behind the cloak that I held, and he fled outside.”
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As a proof, therefore, of her fidelity, she retained the cloak, and she showed it to her husband, when he returned home.(b)
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And she said: “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought in to me, approached me to abuse me.
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And when he had heard me cry out, he left behind the cloak that I held, and he fled outside.”
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His lord, upon hearing these things, and having excessive trust in the words of his mate, was very angry.
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And he delivered Joseph into prison, where the prisoners of the king were kept, and he was enclosed in that place.
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But the Lord was with Joseph, and, having mercy on him, he gave him favor in the sight of the leader of the prison,
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who delivered into his hand all the prisoners who were held in custody. And whatever was done, was under him.
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Neither did he himself know anything, having entrusted all things to him. For the Lord was with him, and he directed everything that he did.

Footnotes

(a)39:6 The master of the house knew nothing about what went on in his own house, except he knew that he ate meals there. He was ignorant of everything but the bread that he ate.(Conte)
(b)39:16 A proof of her fidelity:or an argument to gain credit, argumentum fidei.(Challoner)
1
Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there.
2
The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3
His master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did prosper in his hand.
4
Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
5
From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. The LORD’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.
6
He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.
7
After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
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But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.
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No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10
As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11
About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.
12
She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.

Joseph Falsely Imprisoned

13
When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside,
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she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
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When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
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She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
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She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me,
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and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
19
When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled.
20
Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.
21
But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22
The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it.
23
The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him; and that which he did, the LORD made it prosper.
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