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Today's Bible Reading :: Genesis 38 - 40 (ESV)

Genesis 38Listen to the passage

Genesis 39Listen to the passage

Genesis 40Listen to the passage

Genesis 38

Judah and Tamar

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:1

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:1 - It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:2

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:2 - There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her,

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:3

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:3 - and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:4

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:4 - She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:5

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:5 - Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah[fn] was in Chezib when she bore him.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:6

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:6 - And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:7

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:7 - But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:8

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:8 - Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:9

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:9 - But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:10

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:10 - And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:11

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:11 - Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:12

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:12 - In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:13

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:13 - And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:14

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:14 - she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:15

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:15 - When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:16

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:16 - He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:17

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:17 - He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:18

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:18 - He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:19

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:19 - Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:20

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:20 - When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:21

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:21 - And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute[fn] who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:22

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:22 - So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:23

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:23 - And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:24

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:24 - About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral.[fn] Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.”[fn] And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:25

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:25 - As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:26

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:26 - Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:27

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:27 - When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:28

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:28 - And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:29

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:29 - But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez.[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 38:30

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 38:30 - Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
ESV Footnotes
Hebrew He
Hebrew sacred woman; a woman who served a pagan deity by prostitution; also verse 22
Or has committed prostitution
Or by prostitution
Perez means a breach

Genesis 39

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:1

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:1 - Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:2

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:2 - The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:3

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:3 - His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:4

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:4 - So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:5

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:5 - From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:6

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:6 - 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 handsome in form and appearance.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:7

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:7 - And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:8

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:8 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:9

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:9 - 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 sin against God?”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:10

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:10 - And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:11

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:11 - But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house,

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:12

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:12 - she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:13

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:13 - And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house,

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:14

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:14 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:15

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:15 - 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:16

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:16 - Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home,

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:17

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:17 - and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:18

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:18 - But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:19

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:19 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:20

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:20 - And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:21

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:21 - But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:22

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:22 - And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 39:23

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 39:23 - The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

Genesis 40

Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners’ Dreams

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:1

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:1 - Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:2

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:2 - And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:3

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:3 - and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:4

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:4 - The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:5

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:5 - And one night they both dreamed—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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:6

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:6 - When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:7

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:7 - So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:8

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:8 - They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:9

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:9 - So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me,

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:10

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:10 - and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:11

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:11 - 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:12

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:12 - Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:13

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:13 - In 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:14

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:14 - Only remember 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:15

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:15 - For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:16

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:16 - 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,

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:17

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:17 - 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:18

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:18 - And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:19

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:19 - In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:20

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:20 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:21

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:21 - He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:22

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:22 - But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 40:23

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 40:23 - Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
See the ESV Preface
ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2025 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

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