1 Joseph was living in the country of Egypt because the Ishmaelite people had taken him there and sold him to a man called Potiphar. Potiphar worked for the king and was in charge of the soldiers who looked after the king's palace.

2 Joseph lived in Potiphar's house and worked for him. Yahweh was with Joseph and made everything go well for him. 3 Potiphar saw that Yahweh was with Joseph and always helped him to work well. 4 So Potiphar was pleased with Joseph and put him in charge of his house and everything he owned.

5 From then on, after Joseph started working for Potiphar, Yahweh blessed Potiphar and all his family. Yahweh blessed them because Joseph was there in Potiphar's house. Joseph worked well and everything went well inside Potiphar's house and also outside in his fields. 6-7 Potiphar trusted Joseph so he gave him everything in his house to look after and he didn't have to think about anything except the food he ate.

After a while Potiphar's wife saw that Joseph was very good-looking. He was so strong and good-looking that she wanted to sleep with him. She asked him 8 but he refused.

“No,” said Joseph. “Look, my master, your husband, doesn't have to think about anything in his house because I am here. He has made me the boss over everything he owns. 9 I am his servant but I am a master in his house just like him. He hasn't held on to anything of his except you, his wife. I don't want to do anything wrong and I won't sin against Yahweh.”

10 She kept on and on asking him, but he still refused and would not sleep with her.

11 But one day when Joseph went into the house to do his work, none of the other servants were there. He was working by himself. 12-13 Potiphar's wife caught him by his coat and said, “Come and sleep with me.” He escaped and ran outside but he left his coat in her hand. When she saw Joseph's coat in her hand, 14 she called out to her servants and said, “Look at this coat! My husband has brought this Hebrew man into the house and he has shamed us today. He came into my room and wanted to rape me, but I screamed out loud. 15 When he heard me scream he left his coat with me and ran outside.”

16 She kept Joseph's coat until her husband came home. 17 Then she told him the same thing and said, “That Hebrew servant you brought here came into my room to shame me. 18 I screamed and he ran outside and left his coat with me.”

19 Her husband, Joseph's master Potiphar, was very angry when he heard what his wife said. 20 He told his men to grab Joseph and put him in the king's prison and there he stayed.

21 But Yahweh was still with Joseph and was kind to him. And so the prison guard was pleased with him, 22 and put him in charge of all the other prisoners. 23 Joseph worked well and the prison guard didn't have to worry about anything, because Yahweh was with Joseph and helped him. So everything always went well for him.