shame. But the most distinguished of the Midianites rebuked
Joseph, saying, "Thou art no slave, thy appearance
betrayeth thee," and he threatened him with death unless he
acknowledged the truth. Joseph, however, was steadfast,
he would not act treacherously toward his brethren.

Arrived in Egypt, the owners of Joseph could come to no
agreement regarding him. Each desired to have sole and
exclusive possession of him. They therefore decided to
leave him with a shopkeeper until they should come back to
Egypt again with their merchandise. And God let Joseph
find grace in the sight of the shopkeeper. All that he had,
his whole house, he put into Joseph's hand, and therefore
the Lord blessed him with much silver and gold, and Joseph
remained with him for three months and five days.

At that time there came from Memphis the wife of Potiphar,
and she cast her eyes upon Joseph, of whose comeliness
of person she had heard from the eunuchs. She
told her husband how that a certain shopkeeper had grown
rich through a young Hebrew, and she added: "But it is
said that the youth was stolen away out of the land of
Canaan. Go, therefore, and sit in judgment upon his owner,
and take the youth unto thy house, that the God of the
Hebrews may bless thee, for the grace of heaven rests upon
the youth."

Potiphar summoned the shopkeeper, and when he appeared
before him, he spoke harshly to him, saying: "What
is this I hear? that thou stealest souls from the land of