[1] The Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the king's official in charge of the palace guard. [2] So Joseph lived in the home of Potiphar, his Egyptian owner. Soon Potiphar realized that the LORD was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did. [4] Potiphar liked Joseph and made him his personal assistant, putting him in charge of his house and all of his property. [5] Because of Joseph, the LORD began to bless Potiphar's family and fields. [6] Potiphar left everything up to Joseph, and with Joseph there, the only decision he had to make was what he wanted to eat. Joseph was well-built and handsome, [7] and Potiphar's wife soon noticed him. She asked him to make love to her, [8] but he refused and said, "My master isn't worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns. [9] No one in my master's house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn't given me is you, and that's because you are his wife. I won't sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this." [10] She kept begging Joseph day after day, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her. [11] One day, Joseph went to Potiphar's house to do his work, and none of the other servants were there. [12] Potiphar's wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, "Make love to me!" Joseph ran out of the house, leaving her hanging onto his coat. [13] When this happened, [14] she called in her servants and said, "Look! This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help. [15] And when he heard me scream, he ran out of the house, leaving his coat with me." [16] Potiphar's wife kept Joseph's coat until her husband came home. [17] Then she said, "That Hebrew slave of yours tried to rape me! [18] But when I screamed for help, he left his coat and ran out of the house." [19] Potiphar became very angry [20] and threw Joseph in the same prison where the king's prisoners were kept. While Joseph was in prison, [21] the LORD helped him and was good to him. He even made the jailer like Joseph so much that [22] he put him in charge of the other prisoners and of everything that was done in the jail. [23] The jailer did not worry about anything, because the LORD was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did.
