Children in 1st through 5th grade were offered this text this week to provide them with some context before moving on to Genesis 40.
1st-3rd grade version:
| א) וְיוסֵף, הורד מִצְריְמָה; וַיִקנֵהו פוטִיפַר סְריס פַרעֹה שַר הַטַבָחִים, אִיש מִצְרי, מִיַד הַיִשְמְעֵאלִים, אֲשֶר הורדהו שָמָה | 1) Yosef was brought down to Egypt. An Egyptian called Potiphar, a chief guard of Par’oh, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. |
| ב) וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוסֵף, וַיְהִי אִיש מַצְלִיחַ; וַיְהִי, בְבֵית אֲדנָיו הַמִצְרי ג) וַיַרא אֲדנָיו, כִי יְהוָה אִתו; וְכֹל אֲשֶר-הוא עֹשֶה, יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ בְיָדו ד) וַיִמְצָא יוסֵף חֵן בְעֵינָיו, וַיְשָרת אֹתו; וַיַפְקדהו, עַל-בֵיתו, וְכָל-יֶש-לו, נָתַן בְיָדו | 2) Adonai was with Yosef, and he was successful (good at everything he did). 3) His master saw that Adonai was with Yosef, and that Adonai made him successful at everything he did. 4) So Yosef served him, and his master liked him, and gave him big responsibilities in his house. He let him take care of everything. |
| ה) וַיְהִי מֵאָז הִפְקיד אֹתו בְבֵיתו, וְעַל כָל-אֲשֶר יֶש-לו, וַיְבָרְ יְהוָה אֶת-בֵית הַמִצְרי, בִגְלַל יוסֵף; וַיְהִי בִרכַת יְהוָה, בְכָל-אֲשֶר יֶש-לו–בַבַיִת, ובַשָדה | 5) And when he had made him responsible for the house and let him take care of everything, Adonai blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Yosef. The b’racha הָרכְב of Adonai was on everything in his house and in his field. |
| ו) וַיַעֲזֹב כָל-אֲשֶר-לו, בְיַד-יוסֵף, וְלא-יָדע אִתו מְאומָה, כִי אִם-הַלֶחֶם אֲשֶר-הוא אוכֵל | 6) He left Yosef in charge of everything, and he didn’t pay attention to anything at all except for the bread he ate. |
| וַיְהִי יוסֵף, יְפֵה-תֹאַר וִיפֵה מַראֶה ז) וַיְהִי, אַחַר הַדְבָרים הָאֵלֶה, וַתִשָא אֵשֶת-אֲדנָיו אֶת-עֵינֶיהָ, אֶל-יוסֵף; וַתֹאמֶר, שִכְבָה עִמִי | Now, Yosef was very good-looking. 7) One day, his master’s wife noticed him. She said, “Come close to me.” |
| ח) וַיְמָאֵן–וַיֹאמֶר אֶל-אֵשֶת אֲדנָיו, הֵן אֲדנִי לא-יָדע אִתִי מַה-בַבָיִת; וְכֹל אֲשֶר-יֶש-לו, נָתַן בְיָדי ט) אֵינֶנו גָדול בַבַיִת הַזֶה, מִמֶנִי, וְלא-חָשְַ מִמֶנִי מְאומָה, כִי אִם-אותְָ בַאֲשֶר אַתְ-אִשְתו; וְאֵיְ אֶעֱשֶה הָרעָה הַגְדלָה, הַזֹאת, וְחָטָאתִי, לֵאלהִים | 8) Yosef said to his master’s wife, “No. My master trusts me with his whole house, and has given me so much responsibility. 9) He has shared everything he has with me, but he expects me to leave you personal space, because you are married to him and not me. I do not want to do something inappropriate – it would be wrong, and how could I do something God says I shouldn’t?” |
| י) וַיְהִי, כְדבְרה אֶל-יוסֵף יום יום; וְלא-שָמַע אֵלֶיהָ לִשְכַב אֶצְלָה, לִהְיות עִמָה | 10) She kept asking him every day, but he would not come close to her or be near her. |
| יא) וַיְהִי כְהַיום הַזֶה, וַיָבֹא הַבַיְתָה לַעֲשות מְלַאכְתו; וְאֵין אִיש מֵאַנְשֵי הַבַיִת, שָם—בַבָיִת יב) וַתִתְפְשֵהו בְבִגְדו לֵאמֹר, שִכְבָה עִמִי; וַיַעֲזֹב בִגְדו בְיָדה, וַיָנָס וַיֵצֵא הַחוצָה | 11) One day he came to the house to do his work, and no one else who lived there was home. 12) She grabbed hold of his cloak and said, “Come close to me!” He escaped, leaving his cloak in her hands, and ran outside. |
| יג) וַיְהִי, כִראותָה, כִי-עָזַב בִגְדו, בְיָדה; וַיָנָס, הַחוצָה יד) וַתִקרא לְאַנְשֵי בֵיתָה, וַתֹאמֶר לָהֶם לֵאמֹר, ראו הֵבִיא לָנו אִיש עִבְרי, לְצַחֶק בָנו: בָא אֵלַי לִשְכַב עִמִי, וָאֶקרא בְקול גָדול טו) וַיְהִי כְשָמְעו, כִי-הֲרימֹתִי קולִי וָאֶקרא; וַיַעֲזֹב בִגְדו אֶצְלִי, וַיָנָס וַיֵצֵא הַחוצָה | 13) When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hands when he escaped outside, 14) she called out to the people who lived in the house, “Hey, this Hebrew man he brought is not being respectful to us. He tried to come close to me. 15) When he heard how I raised my voice and yelled, he left his cloak next to me and ran away and escaped. |
| טז) וַתַנַח בִגְדו, אֶצְלָה, עַד-בוא אֲדנָיו, אֶל-בֵיתו יז) וַתְדבֵר אֵלָיו, כַדְבָרים הָאֵלֶה לֵאמֹר: בָא-אֵלַי הָעֶבֶד הָעִבְרי, אֲשֶר-הֵבֵאתָ לָנו–לְצַחֶק בִי יח) וַיְהִי, כַהֲרימִי קולִי וָאֶקרא; וַיַעֲזֹב בִגְדו אֶצְלִי, וַיָנָס הַחוצָה | 16) She kept the cloak with her until his master came home, 17) and she told him the same thing. She said, “The Hebrew slave you bought us came and treated me disrespectfully. 18) When I raised my voice and yelled, he left his cloak next to me and ran away and escaped. |
| יט) וַיְהִי כִשְמֹעַ אֲדנָיו אֶת-דִבְרי אִשְתו, אֲשֶר דִבְרה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר, כַדְבָרים הָאֵלֶה, עָשָה לִי עַבְדֶָ; וַיִחַר, אַפו כ) וַיִקַח אֲדנֵי יוסֵף אֹתו, וַיִתְנֵהו אֶל-בֵית הַסֹהַר–מְקום, אֲשֶר-אסורי (אֲסִירי) הַמֶלְֶ אֲסורים; וַיְהִי-שָם, בְבֵית הַסֹהַר | 19) When he heard what his wife told him about his slave, he got red-hot angry. 20) Yosef’s master took Yosef and put him in prison, in the place where the king’s prisoners were kept. |
| כא) וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוסֵף, וַיֵט אֵלָיו חָסֶד; וַיִתֵן חִנו, בְעֵינֵי שַר בֵית-הַסֹהַר כב) וַיִתֵן שַר בֵית-הַסֹהַר, בְיַד-יוסֵף, אֵת כָל-הָאֲסִירם, אֲשֶר בְבֵית הַסֹהַר; וְאֵת כָל-אֲשֶר עֹשִים שָם, הוא הָיָה עֹשֶה כג) אֵין שַר בֵית-הַסֹהַר, ראֶה אֶת-כָל-מְאומָה בְיָדו, בַאֲשֶר יְהוָה, אִתו; וַאֲשֶר-הוא עֹשֶה, יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ | 21) Adonai was with Yosef and helped him in prison. He made the prison guard like Yosef. 22) The prison guard made Yosef responsible for all the other prisoners, and Yosef was in charge of everything that happened there. 23) The prison guard didn’t pay attention to anything and trusted him, because Adonai was with Yosef, and Adonai made him successful at everything he did. |
4th-5th grade version:
| א) וְיוסֵף, הורד מִצְריְמָה; וַיִקנֵהו פוטִיפַרסְריס פַרעֹה שַר הַטַבָחִים, אִיש מִצְרי, מִיַד הַיִשְמְעֵאלִים, אֲשֶר הורדהו שָמָה | 1) Yosef was brought down to Egypt. An Egyptian called Potiphar, a chief guard of Par’oh, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. |
| ב) וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוסֵף, וַיְהִי אִיש מַצְלִיחַ;וַיְהִי, בְבֵית אֲדנָיו הַמִצְרי ג) וַיַרא אֲדנָיו, כִי יְהוָה אִתו; וְכֹל אֲשֶר-הוא עֹשֶה, יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ בְיָדו ד) וַיִמְצָא יוסֵף חֵן בְעֵינָיו, וַיְשָרת אֹתו; וַיַפְקדהו, עַל-בֵיתו, וְכָל-יֶש-לו, נָתַן בְיָדו | 2) Adonai was with Yosef, and he was successful (good at everything he did). 3) His master saw that Adonai was with Yosef, and that Adonai made him successful at everything he did. 4) So Yosef served him, and his master liked him, and gave him big responsibilities in his house. He let him take care of everything. |
| ה) וַיְהִי מֵאָז הִפְקיד אֹתו בְבֵיתו, וְעַל כָל-אֲשֶריֶש-לו, וַיְבָרְ יְהוָה אֶת-בֵית הַמִצְרי, בִגְלַל יוסֵף; וַיְהִי בִרכַת יְהוָה, בְכָל-אֲשֶר יֶש-לו– בַבַיִת, ובַשָדה | 5) And when he had made him responsible for the house and let him take care of everything, Adonai blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Yosef. The b’racha הָרכְב of Adonai was on everything in his house and in his field. |
| ו) וַיַעֲזֹב כָל-אֲשֶר-לו, בְיַד-יוסֵף, וְלא-יָדע אִתומְאומָה, כִי אִם-הַלֶחֶם אֲשֶר-הוא אוכֵל | 6) He left Yosef in charge of everything, and he didn’t pay attention to anything at all except for the bread he ate. |
| וַיְהִי יוסֵף, יְפֵה-תֹאַר וִיפֵה מַראֶהז) וַיְהִי, אַחַר הַדְבָרים הָאֵלֶה, וַתִשָא אֵשֶת-אֲדנָיו אֶת-עֵינֶיהָ, אֶל-יוסֵף; וַתֹאמֶר, שִכְבָה עִמִי | Now, Yosef was very good-looking. 7) One day, his master’s wife noticed him. She said, “Lie here with me.” |
| ח) וַיְמָאֵן–וַיֹאמֶר אֶל-אֵשֶת אֲדנָיו, הֵן אֲדנִילא-יָדע אִתִי מַה-בַבָיִת; וְכֹל אֲשֶר-יֶש-לו, נָתַן בְיָדי ט) אֵינֶנו גָדול בַבַיִת הַזֶה, מִמֶנִי, וְלא-חָשְַ מִמֶנִי מְאומָה, כִי אִם-אותְָ בַאֲשֶר אַתְ-אִשְתו; וְאֵיְ אֶעֱשֶה הָרעָה הַגְדלָה, הַזֹאת, וְחָטָאתִי, לֵאלהִים | 8) But he refused. Yosef said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master trusts me so much that I know better than he does what is in his own house. 9) There’s no one more important than me in this house. There isn’t a single thing he has withheld from me, except you, because you’re his wife. How could I do this terrible thing and sin before God?” |
| י) וַיְהִי, כְדבְרה אֶל-יוסֵף יום יום; וְלא-שָמַעאֵלֶיהָ לִשְכַב אֶצְלָה, לִהְיות עִמָה | 10) Day after day, Potiphar’s wife asked him again, and he would not listen to her. |
| יא) וַיְהִי כְהַיום הַזֶה, וַיָבֹא הַבַיְתָה לַעֲשותמְלַאכְתו; וְאֵין אִיש מֵאַנְשֵי הַבַיִת, שָם—בַבָיִת יב) וַתִתְפְשֵהו בְבִגְדו לֵאמֹר, שִכְבָה עִמִי; וַיַעֲזֹב בִגְדו בְיָדה, וַיָנָס וַיֵצֵא הַחוצָה | 11) One day he came to the house to do his work, and there were no other men in the house. 12) She grabbed hold of his cloak and said, “Lie here with me!” He left his cloak in her hands and fled outside. |
| יג) וַיְהִי, כִראותָה, כִי-עָזַב בִגְדו, בְיָדה; וַיָנָס,הַחוצָה יד) וַתִקרא לְאַנְשֵי בֵיתָה, וַתֹאמֶר לָהֶם לֵאמֹר, ראו הֵבִיא לָנו אִיש עִבְרי, לְצַחֶק בָנו: בָא אֵלַי לִשְכַב עִמִי, וָאֶקרא בְקול גָדול טו) וַיְהִי כְשָמְעו, כִי-הֲרימֹתִי קולִי וָאֶקרא; וַיַעֲזֹב בִגְדו אֶצְלִי, וַיָנָס וַיֵצֵא הַחוצָה | 13) When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hands when he fled outside, 14) she called out to the people who lived in the house, “Hey, this Hebrew man he [Potiphar] brought is not being respectful to us. He came over to lie with me, but I called out in a loud voice. 15) When he heard how I raised my voice and called out, he left his cloak with me and fled outside.” |
| טז) וַתַנַח בִגְדו, אֶצְלָה, עַד-בוא אֲדנָיו,אֶל-בֵיתו יז) וַתְדבֵר אֵלָיו, כַדְבָרים הָאֵלֶה לֵאמֹר: בָא-אֵלַי הָעֶבֶד הָעִבְרי, אֲשֶר-הֵבֵאתָ לָנו– לְצַחֶק בִי יח) וַיְהִי, כַהֲרימִי קולִי וָאֶקרא; וַיַעֲזֹב בִגְדו אֶצְלִי, וַיָנָס הַחוצָה | 16) She kept the cloak with her until his master came home, 17) and she told him the same thing. She said, “The Hebrew slave you bought us came and treated me disrespectfully. 18) When I raised my voice and yelled, he left his cloak with me and fled outside.” |
| יט) וַיְהִי כִשְמֹעַ אֲדנָיו אֶת-דִבְרי אִשְתו, אֲשֶרדִבְרה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר, כַדְבָרים הָאֵלֶה, עָשָה לִי עַבְדֶָ; וַיִחַר, אַפו כ) וַיִקַח אֲדנֵי יוסֵף אֹתו, וַיִתְנֵהו אֶל-בֵית הַסֹהַר–מְקום, אֲשֶר-אסורי (אֲסִירי) הַמֶלְֶ אֲסורים; וַיְהִי-שָם, בְבֵית הַסֹהַר | 19) When he heard what his wife told him about his slave, he was furious. 20) Yosef’s master took Yosef and put him in prison, in the place where the king’s prisoners were kept. |
| כא) וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוסֵף, וַיֵט אֵלָיו חָסֶד; וַיִתֵןחִנו, בְעֵינֵי שַר בֵית-הַסֹהַר כב) וַיִתֵן שַר בֵית-הַסֹהַר, בְיַד-יוסֵף, אֵת כָל-הָאֲסִירם, אֲשֶר בְבֵית הַסֹהַר; וְאֵת כָל-אֲשֶר עֹשִים שָם, הוא הָיָה עֹשֶה כג) אֵין שַר בֵית-הַסֹהַר, ראֶה אֶת-כָל-מְאומָה בְיָדו, בַאֲשֶר יְהוָה, אִתו; וַאֲשֶר-הוא עֹשֶה, יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ | 21) Adonai was with Yosef and helped him in prison. He made the prison guard like Yosef. 22) The prison guard made Yosef responsible for all the other prisoners, and Yosef was in charge of everything that happened there. 23) The prison guard didn’t pay attention to anything and trusted him, because Adonai was with Yosef, and Adonai made him successful at everything he did. |
