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Genesis 39

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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 Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand.

4 Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5 It happened from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Yahweh blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of Yahweh 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.

7 It happened after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph; and she said, "Lie with me."

8 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.

9 He isn't greater in this house than I, neither has he 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,

14 she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, "Behold, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.

15 It happened, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside."

16 She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.

17 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,

18 and it happened, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside."

19 It happened, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your servant did to me," that his wrath was kindled.

20 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.

21 But Yahweh 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 Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 5035

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5035. 'And Joseph's lord took him' means temptation coming from the natural. This is clear from what follows immediately after this, for the narrative goes on to refer to the committal of Joseph to the prison-house, describing in the internal sense the temptation of spiritual good within the natural. This being the implication of the words 'Joseph's lord took him', it is also their spiritual meaning. There are two kinds of temptations - those which involve truths and those which involve forms of good. Temptations involving truths are the work of spirits, but those involving forms of good are the work of genii. Spirits in the next life are distinguished from genii by the fact that spirits act upon the understanding part of the mind, and so upon matters of faith, whereas genii act upon the will part and so upon matters of love. That is to say, such spirits allow themselves to be seen, and also reveal themselves by making utterances, but genii make themselves inconspicuous and do not reveal themselves except by their entry into a person's passions and desires. They also exist separated in the next life, for the evil or hellish spirits appear in front and to either side beneath the lower earth, whereas the evil or hellish genii are beneath and to the rear, deep down at the back underneath the lower earth. Temptations involving truths are the work, as stated, of evil spirits, but temptations involving forms of good are the work of evil genii. From here onwards the subject is temptations - those which are the work of evil spirits, and so ones that involve false-speaking against good. These temptations are milder than those which are the work of evil genii; they also arise before the latter kind do.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.