New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
1
Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar the Egyptian, a captain of high position in Pharaoh's house, got him for a price from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
2
And the Lord was with Joseph, and he did well; and he was living in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands.
3
And his master saw that the Lord was with him, making everything he did go well.
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
4
And having a high opinion of Joseph as his servant, he made him the overseer of his house and gave him control over all he had.
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 blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.
5
And from the time when he made him overseer and gave him control of all his property, the blessing of the Lord was with the Egyptian, because of Joseph; the blessing of the Lord was on all he had, in the house and in the field.
6 So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge; and, with him there, he had no concern for anything but the food that he ate. Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking.
6
And he gave Joseph control of all his property, keeping no account of anything, but only the food which was put before him. Now Joseph was very beautiful in form and face.
7 And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me."
7
And after a time, his master's wife, looking on Joseph with desire, said to him, Be my lover.
8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand.
8
But he would not, and said to her, You see that my master keeps no account of what I do in his house, and has put all his property in my control;
9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
9
So that no one has more authority in this house than I have; he has kept nothing back from me but you, because you are his wife; how then may I do this great wrong, sinning against God?
10 And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her.
10
And day after day she went on requesting Joseph to come to her and be her lover, but he would not give ear to her.
11 One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house,
11
Now one day he went into the house to do his work; and not one of the men of the house was inside.
12 she caught hold of his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
12
And pulling at his coat, she said, Come to my bed; but slipping out of his coat, he went running away.
13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,
13
And when she saw that he had got away, letting her keep his coat,
14 she called out to the members of her household and said to them, "See, my husband has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice;
14
She sent for the men of her house and said to them, See, he has let a Hebrew come here and make sport of us; he came to my bed, and I gave a loud cry;
15 and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside."
15
And hearing it he went running out without his coat.
16 Then she kept his garment by her until his master came home,
16
And she kept his coat by her, till his master came back.
17 and she told him the same story, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me;
17
Then she gave him the same story, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you have taken into our house came in to make sport of me;
18 but as soon as I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside."
18
And when I gave a loud cry he went running out without his coat.
19 When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, "This is the way your servant treated me," he became enraged.
19
And hearing his wife's account of what his servant had done, he became very angry.
20 And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison.
20
And Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, in the place where the king's prisoners were kept in chains, and he was there in the prison-house.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.
21
But the Lord was with Joseph, and was good to him, and made the keeper of the prison his friend.
22 The chief jailer committed to Joseph's care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.
22
And the keeper of the prison put all the prisoners under Joseph's control, and he was responsible for whatever was done there.
23 The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph's care, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
23
And the keeper of the prison gave no attention to anything which was under his care, because the Lord was with him; and the Lord made everything he did go well.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.