Saadia · Bereshit 39
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- Bereshit 39:1
וְיוֹסֵף הוּרַד מִצְרָיְמָה וַיִּקְנֵהוּ פּוֹטִיפַר סְרִיס פַּרְעֹה שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים אִישׁ מִצְרִי מִיַּד הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים אֲשֶׁר הוֹרִדֻהוּ שָׁמָּה
. . . . .
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the chief of the executioners, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Bedouins who had brought him down there.
- Bereshit 39:2
וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוֹסֵף וַיְהִי אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ וַיְהִי בְּבֵית אֲדֹנָיו הַמִּצְרִי
. . .
And God was with him; and he was a successful man; and he settled in the house of his Egyptian master.
- Bereshit 39:3
וַיַּרְא אֲדֹנָיו כִּי יְהוָה אִתּוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-הוּא עֹשֶׂה יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ
. . .
And when his master saw that God was with him, and that everything he did, God made succeed in his hand,
- Bereshit 39:4
וַיִּמְצָא יוֹסֵף חֵן בְּעֵינָיו וַיְשָׁרֶת אֹתוֹ וַיַּפְקִדֵהוּ עַל-בֵּיתוֹ וְכָל-יֶשׁ-לוֹ נָתַן בְּיָדוֹ
. .
he found favor with him, and served him; and he appointed him over his household, and all that he had he placed in his hand.
- Bereshit 39:5
וַיְהִי מֵאָז הִפְקִיד אֹתוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ וְעַל כָּל-אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ-לוֹ וַיְבָרֶךְ יְהוָה אֶת-בֵּית הַמִּצְרִי בִּגְלַל יוֹסֵף וַיְהִי בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה בְּכָל-אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ-לוֹ--בַּבַּיִת וּבַשָּׂדֶה
. . .
And from the time he appointed him over his household and all that he had — God blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; and the blessing of God was upon all that he had, in the houses and in the fields.
- Bereshit 39:6
וַיַּעֲזֹב כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ בְּיַד-יוֹסֵף וְלֹא-יָדַע אִתּוֹ מְאוּמָה כִּי אִם-הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר-הוּא אוֹכֵל וַיְהִי יוֹסֵף יְפֵה-תֹאַר וִיפֵה מַרְאֶה
. . .
And he left all that he had in his hand; and he did not concern himself with anything that was with him, except the food which he ate. And Joseph was beautiful both of form and of appearance.
- Bereshit 39:7
וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַתִּשָּׂא אֵשֶׁת-אֲדֹנָיו אֶת-עֵינֶיהָ אֶל-יוֹסֵף וַתֹּאמֶר שִׁכְבָה עִמִּי
. . .
And after these things, the eyes of his master's wife were upon Joseph; and she said: 'Lie with me.'
- Bereshit 39:8
וַיְמָאֵן--וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-אֵשֶׁת אֲדֹנָיו הֵן אֲדֹנִי לֹא-יָדַע אִתִּי מַה-בַּבָּיִת וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-יֶשׁ-לוֹ נָתַן בְּיָדִי
. . .
But he refused, and said to her: 'Behold, my master does not concern himself with me as to what is in the house; and all that he has, he has placed in my hand.
- Bereshit 39:9
אֵינֶנּוּ גָדוֹל בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה מִמֶּנִּי וְלֹא-חָשַׂךְ מִמֶּנִּי מְאוּמָה כִּי אִם-אוֹתָךְ בַּאֲשֶׁר אַתְּ-אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֵיךְ אֶעֱשֶׂה הָרָעָה הַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת וְחָטָאתִי לֵאלֹהִים
. . . ]] .
And he is no greater in this house than I; and he has not withheld anything from me, except you — for you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'
- Bereshit 39:10
וַיְהִי כְּדַבְּרָהּ אֶל-יוֹסֵף יוֹם יוֹם וְלֹא-שָׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ לִשְׁכַּב אֶצְלָהּ לִהְיוֹת עִמָּהּ
. .
And as she spoke to him day by day, and he did not accept from her — to sleep beside her, to be with her —
- Bereshit 39:11
וַיְהִי כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיָּבֹא הַבַּיְתָה לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלַאכְתּוֹ וְאֵין אִישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁי הַבַּיִת שָׁם--בַּבָּיִת
. . .
it was on a certain day, that he came into the house to do some work that was his; and no man of the household was there.
- Bereshit 39:12
וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂהוּ בְּבִגְדוֹ לֵאמֹר שִׁכְבָה עִמִּי וַיַּעֲזֹב בִּגְדוֹ בְּיָדָהּ וַיָּנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה
. . .
And she caught hold of his shirt, saying: 'Lie with me.' And he left his shirt in her hand; and he fled, and went out into the street.
- Bereshit 39:13
וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹתָהּ כִּי-עָזַב בִּגְדוֹ בְּיָדָהּ וַיָּנָס הַחוּצָה
. .
And when she saw that he had left his shirt in her hand and fled into the street,
- Bereshit 39:14
וַתִּקְרָא לְאַנְשֵׁי בֵיתָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לֵאמֹר רְאוּ הֵבִיא לָנוּ אִישׁ עִבְרִי לְצַחֶק בָּנוּ בָּא אֵלַי לִשְׁכַּב עִמִּי וָאֶקְרָא בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל
. . . .
she called to the people of her household, and said to them: 'Look — how he has brought us a Hebrew man to make sport of us! He came to me, to lie with me; and I called out with a loud voice.
- Bereshit 39:15
וַיְהִי כְשָׁמְעוֹ כִּי-הֲרִימֹתִי קוֹלִי וָאֶקְרָא וַיַּעֲזֹב בִּגְדוֹ אֶצְלִי וַיָּנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה
. . .
And when he heard me lifting my voice and calling, he left his shirt in my hand and fled, and went out into the street.'
- Bereshit 39:16
וַתַּנַּח בִּגְדוֹ אֶצְלָהּ עַד-בּוֹא אֲדֹנָיו אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ
.
And she set his shirt by her, until his master came home.
- Bereshit 39:17
וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלָיו כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר בָּא-אֵלַי הָעֶבֶד הָעִבְרִי אֲשֶׁר-הֵבֵאתָ לָּנוּ--לְצַחֶק בִּי
. . .
And she said to him: 'In just this manner came to me the Hebrew slave whom you brought us, to make sport of me.
- Bereshit 39:18
וַיְהִי כַּהֲרִימִי קוֹלִי וָאֶקְרָא וַיַּעֲזֹב בִּגְדוֹ אֶצְלִי וַיָּנָס הַחוּצָה
. .
And when I lifted up my voice and called, he left his shirt in my hand, and fled into the street.'
- Bereshit 39:19
וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ אֲדֹנָיו אֶת-דִּבְרֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרָה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה עָשָׂה לִי עַבְדֶּךָ וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ
.
And when he heard her words which she said to him: 'Thus did your slave do to me' — his anger flared.
- Bereshit 39:20
וַיִּקַּח אֲדֹנֵי יוֹסֵף אֹתוֹ וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ אֶל-בֵּית הַסֹּהַר--מְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-אסורי (אֲסִירֵי) הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲסוּרִים וַיְהִי-שָׁם בְּבֵית הַסֹּהַר
. .
And he took him, and placed him in the prison — the place where the king's captives were held; and he stayed there in the prison.
- Bereshit 39:21
וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוֹסֵף וַיֵּט אֵלָיו חָסֶד וַיִּתֵּן חִנּוֹ בְּעֵינֵי שַׂר בֵּית-הַסֹּהַר
. . .
But God was with him; and He inclined kindness toward him, and granted him favor in the eyes of the chief of the prison.
- Bereshit 39:22
וַיִּתֵּן שַׂר בֵּית-הַסֹּהַר בְּיַד-יוֹסֵף אֵת כָּל-הָאֲסִירִם אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית הַסֹּהַר וְאֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עֹשִׂים שָׁם הוּא הָיָה עֹשֶׂה
. . .
Until the chief of the prison set under his hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; and all that they did there, he was the one to manage it.
- Bereshit 39:23
אֵין שַׂר בֵּית-הַסֹּהַר רֹאֶה אֶת-כָּל-מְאוּמָה בְּיָדוֹ בַּאֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אִתּוֹ וַאֲשֶׁר-הוּא עֹשֶׂה יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ
. . .
And the chief of the prison would see nothing wrong with him in anything; for God was with him; and whatever he did, God made succeed.
English is a working draft — author revising