The Holy Bible – Knox Translation
The Book of Genesis
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Chapter 39
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1
Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken away into Egypt, where his Ismaelite owners sold him to an Egyptian called Putiphar, one of Pharao’s courtiers, and captain of his guard.
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The Lord was with him, so that he prospered in all he undertook; and he was given a lodging in the house of his master,
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who saw clearly enough how God was with him, giving him success in all he turned his hand to.
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Thus Joseph became his master’s favourite servant, and had the management of all his affairs, and of all the property that was entrusted to him.
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For Joseph’s sake, the Lord blessed the household of this Egyptian, and gave him large revenues of stock and store;
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he ate what was put before him, and could not tell how he came by it.
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Joseph had beauty of form and face, and after a while his mistress cast longing eyes at him, and bade him share her bed.
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But he would have nothing to do with such wickedness; My master, he said, entrusts everything to my care, and keeps no count of his belongings;
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there is nothing of his but I, by his appointment, have the keeping of it, save thee only, his wedded wife. How canst thou ask me to wrong him so grievously, and offend my God?
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Such was the talk between them day after day, she ever more importunate, and he still resisting her shameful desire.
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A day came at last when Joseph must needs be within doors, busy with some task when no one else was by;
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and she caught him by the hem of his garment, inviting him to her bed. Whereupon he went out, leaving his cloak still in her hand.
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And now, finding herself alone with his garment in her hands, and all her advances spurned,
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she summoned the men of the household; Look, she said, what comes of bringing in a Hebrew to insult us! Joseph came in, and would have dishonoured me, but I cried out,
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and at the sound of my voice he ran out, leaving his cloak in my grasp.
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She kept the cloak in support of her story, and shewed it to her husband when he came back home;
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This Hebrew slave, she told him, whom thou hast brought into the house to insult me, offered me violence;
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and it was only upon hearing me cry for help that he ran out, leaving me with this cloak in my hand.
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Upon this Joseph’s master, too easily convinced by what his wife told him, broke into a rage,
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and committed him to the prison in which the king’s prisoners were kept. There lay Joseph, then, a captive,
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but the Lord was still with him, and by the Lord’s mercy he became a favourite with the chief gaoler,
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who put all the prisoners detained there in his charge, and would have nothing done save at his discretion.
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Thus the chief gaoler, in his turn, knew nothing of what went forward, but left all to Joseph, well knowing that the Lord was with him, and prospered all he did.
