Igitur Joseph ductus est in Ægyptum, emitque eum Putiphar eunuchus Pharaonis, princeps exercitus, vir ægyptius, de manu Ismaëlitarum, a quibus perductus erat.

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.

And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar an eunuch of Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ismaelites, by whom he was brought.

Fuitque Dominus cum eo, et erat vir in cunctis prospere agens: habitavitque in domo domini sui,

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,

And the Lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things: and he dwelt in his master’s house,

qui optime noverat Dominum esse cum eo, et omnia, quæ gerebat, ab eo dirigi in manu illius.

who saw clearly enough how God was with him, giving him success in all he turned his hand to.

Who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Invenitque Joseph gratiam coram domino suo, et ministrabat ei: a quo præpositus omnibus gubernabat creditam sibi domum, et universa quæ ei tradita fuerant:

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.

And Joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him:

benedixitque Dominus domui Ægyptii propter Joseph, et multiplicavit tam in ædibus quam in agris cunctam ejus substantiam:

For Joseph’s sake, the Lord blessed the household of this Egyptian, and gave him large revenues of stock and store;

And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph’s sake, and multiplied all his substance, both at home, and in the fields.

nec quidquam aliud noverat, nisi panem quo vescebatur. Erat autem Joseph pulchra facie, et decorus aspectu.

he ate what was put before him, and could not tell how he came by it.

Neither knew he any other thing, but the bread which he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold.

Post multos itaque dies injecit domina sua oculos suos in Joseph, et ait: Dormi mecum.

Joseph had beauty of form and face, and after a while his mistress cast longing eyes at him, and bade him share her bed.

And after many days his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and said: Lie with me.

Qui nequaquam acquiescens operi nefario, dixit ad eam: Ecce dominus meus, omnibus mihi traditis, ignorat quid habeat in domo sua:

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;

But he, in no wise consenting to that wicked act, said to her: Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house:

nec quidquam est quod non in mea sit potestate, vel non tradiderit mihi, præter te, quæ uxor ejus es: quomodo ergo possum hoc malum facere, et peccare in Deum meum?

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?

Neither is there any thing which is not in my power, or that he hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife: how then can I do this wicked thing, and sin against my God?

Hujuscemodi verbis per singulos dies, et mulier molesta erat adolescenti: et ille recusabat stuprum.

Such was the talk between them day after day, she ever more importunate, and he still resisting her shameful desire.

With such words as these day by day, both the woman was importunate with the young man, and he refused the adultery.

Accidit autem quadam die ut intraret Joseph domum, et operis quippiam absque arbitris faceret:

A day came at last when Joseph must needs be within doors, busy with some task when no one else was by;

Now it happened on a certain day, that Joseph went into the house, and was doing some business without any man with him:

et illa, apprehensa lacinia vestimenti ejus, diceret: Dormi mecum. Qui relicto in manu ejus pallio fugit, et egressus est foras.

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.

And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out.

Cumque vidisset mulier vestem in manibus suis, et se esse contemptam,

And now, finding herself alone with his garment in her hands, and all her advances spurned,

And when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself disregarded,

vocavit ad se homines domus suæ, et ait ad eos: En introduxit virum hebræum, ut illuderet nobis: ingressus est ad me, ut coiret mecum: cumque ego succlamassem,

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,

She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: See, he hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me: and when I cried out,

et audisset vocem meam, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.

and at the sound of my voice he ran out, leaving his cloak in my grasp.

And he heard my voice, he left the garment that I held, and got him out.

In argumentum ergo fidei retentum pallium ostendit marito revertenti domum,

She kept the cloak in support of her story, and shewed it to her husband when he came back home;

For a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and shewed it to her husband when he returned home:

et ait: Ingressus est ad me servus hebræus quem adduxisti, ut illuderet mihi:

This Hebrew slave, she told him, whom thou hast brought into the house to insult me, offered me violence;

And said: The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought, came to me to abuse me.

cumque audisset me clamare, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.

and it was only upon hearing me cry for help that he ran out, leaving me with this cloak in my hand.

And when he heard me cry, he left the garment which I held, and fled out.

His auditis dominus, et nimium credulus verbis conjugis, iratus est valde:

Upon this Joseph’s master, too easily convinced by what his wife told him, broke into a rage,

His master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to his wife’s words, was very angry.

tradiditque Joseph in carcerem, ubi vincti regis custodiebantur, et erat ibi clausus.

and committed him to the prison in which the king’s prisoners were kept. There lay Joseph, then, a captive,

And cast Joseph into the prison, where the king’s prisoners were kept, and he was there shut up.

Fuit autem Dominus cum Joseph, et misertus illius dedit ei gratiam in conspectu principis carceris.

but the Lord was still with him, and by the Lord’s mercy he became a favourite with the chief gaoler,

But the Lord was with Joseph, and having mercy upon him gave him favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison:

Qui tradidit in manu illius universos vinctos qui in custodia tenebantur: et quidquid fiebat, sub ipso erat.

who put all the prisoners detained there in his charge, and would have nothing done save at his discretion.

Who delivered into his hand all the prisoners that were kept in custody: and whatsoever was done was under him.

Nec noverat aliquid, cunctis ei creditis: Dominus enim erat cum illo, et omnia opera ejus dirigebat.

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.

Neither did he himself know any thing, having committed all things to him: for the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper.