Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

1 ^hNow Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, ⁱthe captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the ^jIshmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was ^kwith Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 ^lHis master saw that the Lord was with him ^mand that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and ⁿhe made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, ^othe 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. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

Now Joseph was ^phandsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, ^q“Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and ^rsin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and ^snone of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 ^tshe caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” ^uBut he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh ^vat me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and ^wput him into ^xthe prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him ^yfavor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison ^zput Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, ^abecause the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners’ Dreams

1 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, ^bin the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

5 And one night they both ^cdreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were ^dtroubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and ^ethere is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, ^f“Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the ^gthree branches are three days. 13 ^hIn three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only ⁱremember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For ^jI was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and ^khere also I have done nothing that they should ^lput me into the pit.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. ^mAnd the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not ⁿremember Joseph, but forgot him.

Messengers from John the Baptist

1 ^bWhen Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

2 Now when John heard in ^cprison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you ^dthe one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John ^ewhat you hear and see: 5 ^fthe blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers¹ are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and ^gthe poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ^hinto the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man² dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A ⁱprophet?³ Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is ^kleast in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 ^lFrom the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,⁴ and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, ^mhe is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear,⁵ let him hear.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

18 For John came neither ⁿeating nor ^odrinking, and they say, ^p‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a ^qfriend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ^rYet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”⁶

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

20 ^sThen he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be ^tmore bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be ^uexalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in ^vSodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

25 ^wAt that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the ^xwise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.⁷ 27 ^yAll things have been handed over to me by my Father, and ^zno one knows the Son except the Father, and ^ano one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to ^breveal him. 28 ^cCome ^dto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and ^eI will give you rest. 29 Take my ^fyoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will ^gfind rest for your souls. 30 For ^hmy yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”