Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

Now after three moneths, one tolde Iudah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the whore, and lo, with playing the whore, she is great with childe. Then Iudah saide, Bring ye her foorth and let her be burnt.

When she was brought foorth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, vnto whom these things pertaine, am I with childe: and saide also, Looke, I pray thee, whose these are, the seale, and the cloke, and the staffe.

Then Iudah knewe them, and said, She is more righteous then I: for she hath done it because I gaue her not to Shelah my sonne. So he lay with her no more.

Now, when the time was come that she should be deliuered, beholde, there were twinnes in her wombe.

And when she was in trauell, the one put out his hand: and the midwife tooke and bound a red threde about his hand, saying, This is come out first.

But when he plucked his hand backe againe, loe, his brother came out, and the midwife said, How hast thou broken the breach vpon thee? and his name was called Pharez.

And afterward came out his brother that had the red threde about his hande, and his name was called Zarah.

Now Ioseph was brought downe into Egypt: and Potiphar an Eunuche of Pharaohs (and his chiefe stewarde an Egyptian) bought him at the hande of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him thither.

And the Lord was with Ioseph, and he was a man that prospered and was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

And his master sawe that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that hee did to prosper in his hande.

So Ioseph founde fauour in his sight, and serued him: and he made him ruler of his house, and put all that he had in his hand.

And from that time that he had made him ruler ouer his house and ouer all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Iosephs sake: and the blessing of the Lord was vpon all that he had in the house, and in the fielde.

Therefore he left all that he had in Iosephs hand, and tooke accompt of nothing, that was with him, saue onely of the bread, which he did eate. And Ioseph was a faire person, and well fauoured.

Nowe therefore after these thinges, his masters wife cast her eyes vpon Ioseph, and saide, Lye with me.

But he refused and said to his masters wife, Beholde, my master knoweth not what he hath in the house with me, but hath committed all that he hath to mine hande.

There is no man greater in this house then I: neither hath he kept any thing from me, but only thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickednes and so sinne against God?

And albeit she spake to Ioseph day by day, yet he hearkened not vnto her, to lye with her, or to be in her company.

Then on a certaine day Ioseph entred into the house, to doe his businesse: and there was no man of the houshold in the house:

Therefore she caught him by his garmet, saying, Sleepe with me: but he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got him out.

Nowe when she sawe that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled out,

She called vnto the men of her house, and tolde them, saying, Beholde, he hath brought in an Ebrewe vnto vs to mocke vs: who came in to me for to haue slept with me: but I cryed with a loude voyce.

And when he heard that I lift vp my voice and cryed, he left his garment with me, and fled away, and got him out.

So she layde vp his garment by her, vntill her lord came home.

Then she tolde him according to these words, saying, The Ebrew seruat, which thou hast brought vnto vs, came in to me, to mocke me.

But assoone as I lift vp my voyce and cried, he left his garment with me, and fled out.