As she went out, there ran in a young man, one of Potipherah's
servants, and said, "My lord, Joseph is just stopping before our
gates." So Potipherah and his wife and all their retinue rose and
went forth to meet Joseph; and the gates of the court towards the
east were thrown open, and the chariot drove in, drawn by four
milk-white horses with harness of gold; and in the chariot stood
Joseph, clad in a tunic of white linen and a blood-red mantle shot
with gold. On his head was a crown with twelve great gems, and above
each gem was a ray of gold; in his hand was an olive branch with
leaves and fruit. But fairer than all his equipment was his face, for
he was more beautiful than any of the sons of men. And just as all
the young nobles of Egypt were mad about Aseneth, so all the ladies
of Egypt were in love with Joseph; but he had not a word to say to
any of them, for they were all worshippers of idols, and Joseph
worshipped the true God--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
So the chariot entered the courtyard of Poti-pherah's palace, and the
gates were shut. Now Aseneth stood at her window, and when she saw
Joseph and the beauty of his countenance, she was smitten to the
heart, her knees trembled, and she almost swooned. A great fear came
upon her, and she heaved a deep sigh and said, "Alas, alas, what have
I said? what have I done? Pity me, O God of Joseph, for it was in
ignorance that I spoke against him. Did I not call him a Canaanitish
labourer's son? and lo, now he has come into our house like the sun
out of heaven. Fool that I was to rail against him as I did! If only
my father would give me to him as his slave and drudge, I would serve
him till I dropped dead at his feet."
Meanwhile Joseph, who had caught sight of Aseneth standing at her
window, had come into the house, and they had washed his feet and set
a table for him by himself (for Joseph would not eat with the
Egyptians). And he said to Potipherah, "Who was the woman whom I saw
looking out of the window when I came in? Some stranger? If so, she
must leave this house." "Nay, my lord," said Potipherah, "she is our
daughter." And he went on to tell how Aseneth disliked the company of
men, and indeed had hardly seen a strange man before that day; and
Joseph was glad to hear that she hated strange men, and said, "If she
be your daughter, I will love her from this day forth as a sister."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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