1: After Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, Potiphar an Egyptian, one of Pharaoh's officials and the manager of his household, bought him from them.
2: As it turned out, GOD was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master.
3: His master recognized that GOD was with him, saw that GOD was working for good in everything he did.
4: He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him.
5: From that moment on, GOD blessed the home of the Egyptian--all because of Joseph. The blessing of GOD spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields,
6: and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day. Joseph was a strikingly handsome man.
7: As time went on, his master's wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, "Sleep with me."
8: He wouldn't do it. He said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master doesn't give a second thought to anything that goes on here--he's put me in charge of everything he owns.
9: He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn't turned over to me is you. You're his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?"
10: She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her.
11: On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there.
12: She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, "Sleep with me!" He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house.
13: When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside,
14: she called to her house servants: "Look--this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he's trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could.
15: With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside."
16: She kept his coat right there until his master came home.
17: She told him the same story. She said, "The Hebrew slave, the one you brought to us, came after me and tried to use me for his plaything.
18: When I yelled and screamed, he left his coat with me and ran outside."
19: When his master heard his wife's story, telling him, "These are the things your slave did to me," he was furious.
20: Joseph's master took him and threw him into the jail where the king's prisoners were locked up. But there in jail
21: GOD was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer.
22: The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners--he ended up managing the whole operation.
23: The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because GOD was with him; whatever he did GOD made sure it worked out for the best. [JC]