Genesis Chapter 39
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
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And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.
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And these are the names of the chiefs that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth,
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chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,
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chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,
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chief Magdiel, chief Iram: these are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of the Edomites.
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And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
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These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father.
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Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.
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And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
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And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
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And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
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for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
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And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
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And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
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And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
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And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
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And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
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And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
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And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
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And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
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And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding
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the flock.
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, a chamberlain of Pharaoh, the captain of the life-guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down thither.
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And Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
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And his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
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And Joseph found favour in his eyes, and attended on him; and he set him over his house, and all that he had he gave into his hand.
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And it came to pass from the time he had set him over his house and all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of Jehovah was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
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And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and took cognizance of nothing with him, save the bread that he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful form and of a beautiful countenance.
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And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and said, Lie with me!
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But he refused, and said to his master's wife, Behold, my master takes cognizance of nothing with me: what is in the house, and all that he has, he has given into my hand.
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There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he withheld anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife; and how should I do this great wickedness, and sin againstGod?
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And it came to pass as she spoke to Joseph day by day and he hearkened not to her, to lie with her [and] to be with her,
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that on a certain day he went into the house to do his business, and there was none of the men of the house there in the house.
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Then she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me! But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran out.
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And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled forth,
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that she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, See, he has brought in a Hebrew man to us, to mock us: he came in to me, to lie with me; and I cried with a loud voice;
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and it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went out.
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And she laid his garment by her until his lord came home.
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And she spoke to him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew bondman that thou hast brought to us came in to me to mock me;
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and it came to pass as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled forth.
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And it came to pass when his lord heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, After this manner did thy bondman to me, that his wrath was kindled.
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And Joseph's lord took him and put him into the tower-house, [the] place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the tower-house.
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And Jehovah was with Joseph, and extended mercy to him, and gave him favour in the eyes of the chief of the tower-house.
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And the chief of the tower-house committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the tower-house; and whatever they had to do there he did.
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The chief of the tower-house looked not to anything under his hand, because Jehovah was with him; and what he did, Jehovah made it prosper.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
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And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Petephres the eunuch of Pharao, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ismaelites, who brought him down thither.
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And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house with his lord the Egyptian.
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And his master knew that the Lord was with him, and the Lord prospers in his hands whatsoever he happens to do.
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And Joseph found grace in the presence of his lord, and was well-pleasing to him; and he set him over his house, and all that he had he gave into the hand of Joseph.
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And it came to pass after that he was set over his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all his possessions in the house, and in his field.
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And he committed all that he had into the hands of Joseph; and he knew not of anything that belonged to him, save the bread which he himself ate. And Joseph was handsome in form, and exceedingly beautiful in countenance.
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And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie with me.
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But he would not; but said to his master's wife, If because of me my master knows nothing in his house, and has given into my hands all things that belong to him:
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and in this house there is nothing above me, nor has anything been kept back from me, but thou, because thou art his wife—how then shall I do this wicked thing, and sin against God?
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And when she talked with Joseph day by day, and he hearkened not to her to sleep with her, so as to be with her,
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it came to pass on a certain day, that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and there was no one of the household within.
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And she caught hold of him by his clothes, and said, Lie with me; and having left his clothes in her hands, he fled, and went forth.
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And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his clothes in her hands, and fled, and gone forth,
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that she called those that were in the house, and spoke to them, saying, See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew servant to mock us—he came in to me, saying, Lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
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And when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, having left his clothes with me, he fled, and went forth out.
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So she leaves the clothes by her, until the master came to his house.
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And she spoke to him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, whom thou broughtest in to us, came in to me to mock me, and said to me, I will lie with thee.
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And when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, having left his clothes with me, he fled and departed forth.
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And it came to pass, when his master heard all the words of his wife, that she spoke to him, saying, Thus did thy servant to me, that he was very angry.
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And his master took Joseph, and cast him into the prison, into the place where the king's prisoners are kept, there in the prison.
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And the Lord was with Joseph, and poured down mercy upon him; and he gave him favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison.
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And the chief keeper of the prison gave the prison into the hand of Joseph, and all the prisoners as many as were in the prison; and all things whatsoever they do there, he did them.
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Because of him the chief keeper of the prison knew nothing, for all things were in the hand of Joseph, because the Lord was with him; and whatever things he did, the Lord made them to prosper in his hands.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
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Igitur Ioseph ductus est in Ægyptum, emitque eum Putiphar eunuchus Pharaonis, princeps exercitus, vir Ægyptius, de manu Ismaelitarum, a quibus perductus erat.
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Fuitque Dominus cum eo, et erat vir in cunctis prospere agens: habitavitque in domo domini sui,
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qui optime noverat Dominum esse cum eo, et omnia, quæ gerebat, ab eo dirigi in manu illius.
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Invenitque Ioseph gratiam coram domino suo, et ministrabat ei, a quo præpositus omnibus gubernabat creditam sibi domum, et universa quæ ei tradita fuerant:
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benedixitque Dominus domui Ægyptii propter Ioseph, et multiplicavit tam in ædibus quam in agris cunctam eius substantiam:
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nec quidquam aliud noverat, nisi panem quo vescebatur. Erat autem Ioseph pulchra facie, et decorus aspectu.
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Post multos itaque dies iniecit domina sua oculos suos in Ioseph, et ait: Dormi mecum.
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Qui nequaquam acquiescens operi nefario, dixit ad eam: Ecce dominus meus, omnibus mihi traditis, ignorat quid habeat in domo sua:
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nec quidquam est quod non in mea sit potestate, vel non tradiderit mihi, præter te, quæ uxor eius es: quo modo ergo possum hoc malum facere, et peccare in Deum meum?
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Huiuscemodi verbis per singulos dies et mulier molesta erat adolescenti: et ille recusabat stuprum.
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Accidit autem quadam die ut intraret Ioseph domum, et operis quippiam absque arbitris faceret:
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et illa, apprehensa lacinia vestimenti eius, diceret: Dormi mecum. Qui relicto in manu eius pallio fugit, et egressus est foras.
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Cumque vidisset mulier vestem in manibus suis, et se esse contemptam,
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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,
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et audisset vocem meam, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.
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In argumentum ergo fidei retentum pallium ostendit marito revertenti domum,
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et ait: Ingressus est ad me servus Hebræus quem adduxisti ut illuderet mihi:
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cumque audisset me clamare, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.
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His auditis dominus, et nimium credulus verbis coniugis, iratus est valde:
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tradiditque Ioseph in carcerem, ubi vincti regis custodiebantur, et erat ibi clausus.
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Fuit autem Dominus cum Ioseph, et misertus illius dedit ei gratiam in conspectu principis carceris.
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Qui tradidit in manu illius universos vinctos qui in custodia tenebantur: et quidquid fiebat, sub ipso erat.
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Nec noverat aliquid, cunctis ei creditis: Dominus enim erat cum illo, et omnia opera eius dirigebat.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there.
2
The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3
His master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did prosper in his hand.
4
Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
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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 LORD’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.
6
He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.
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After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
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But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.
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No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10
As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11
About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.
12
She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.
13
When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside,
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she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
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When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
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She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
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She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me,
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and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
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When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled.
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Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.
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But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22
The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it.
23
The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him; and that which he did, the LORD made it prosper.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
And Joseph hath been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, head of the executioners, an Egyptian man, buyeth him out of the hands of the Ishmaelites who have brought him thither.
2
And Jehovah is with Joseph, and he is a prosperous man, and he is in the house of his lord the Egyptian,
3
and his lord seeth that Jehovah is with him, and all that he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper in his hand,
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and Joseph findeth grace in his eyes and serveth him, and he appointeth him over his house, and all that he hath he hath given into his hand.
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And it cometh to pass from the time that he hath appointed him over his house, and over all that he hath, that Jehovah blesseth the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of Jehovah is on all that he hath, in the house, and in the field;
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and he leaveth all that he hath in the hand of Joseph, and he hath not known anything that he hath, except the bread which he is eating. And Joseph is of a fair form, and of a fair appearance.
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And it cometh to pass after these things, that his lord's wife lifteth up her eyes unto Joseph, and saith, `Lie with me;'
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and he refuseth, and saith unto his lord's wife, `Lo, my lord hath not known what <FI>is<Fi> with me in the house, and all that he hath he hath given into my hand;
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none is greater in this house than I, and he hath not withheld from me anything, except thee, because thou <FI>art<Fi> his wife; and how shall I do this great evil? --then have I sinned against God.'
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And it cometh to pass at her speaking unto Joseph day <FI>by<Fi> day, that he hath not hearkened unto her, to lie near her, to be with her;
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and it cometh to pass about this day, that he goeth into the house to do his work, and there is none of the men of the house there in the house,
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and she catcheth him by his garment, saying, `Lie with me;' and he leaveth his garment in her hand, and fleeth, and goeth without.
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And it cometh to pass when she seeth that he hath left his garment in her hand, and fleeth without,
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that she calleth for the men of her house, and speaketh to them, saying, `See, he hath brought in to us a man, a Hebrew, to play with us; he hath come in unto me, to lie with me, and I call with a loud voice,
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and it cometh to pass, when he heareth that I have lifted up my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth, and goeth without.'
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And she placeth his garment near her, until the coming in of his lord unto his house.
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And she speaketh unto him according to these words, saying, `The Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us, hath come in unto me to play with me;
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and it cometh to pass, when I lift my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth without.'
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And it cometh to pass when his lord heareth the words of his wife, which she hath spoken unto him, saying, `According to these things hath thy servant done to me,' that his anger burneth;
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and Joseph's lord taketh him, and putteth him unto the round-house, a place where the king's prisoners <FI>are<Fi> bound; and he is there in the round-house.
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And Jehovah is with Joseph, and stretcheth out kindness unto him, and putteth his grace in the eyes of the chief of the round-house;
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and the chief of the round-house giveth into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who <FI>are<Fi> in the round-house, and of all that they are doing there, he hath been doer;
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the chief of the round-house seeth not anything under his hand, because Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> with him, and that which he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).