< Genesis 37 >
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and Joseph brought the evil report of them to their father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made for him a coat of many colors.
4 And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. And they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed.
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright. And, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brothers said to him, Shall thou indeed reign over us? Or shall thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers. And said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream again. And, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream that thou have dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brothers indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
12 And his brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said to Joseph, Are not thy brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee to them. And he said to him, Here I am.
14 And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with thy brothers, and well with the flock, and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, What do thou seek?
16 And he said, I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding.
17 And the man said, They are departed from here, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
18 And they saw him afar off. And before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer comes.
20 Come now therefore, and let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits. And we will say, An evil beast has devoured him. And we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.
22 And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood. Cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him, that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him,
24 and they took him, and cast him into the pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat bread. And they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers hearkened to him.
28 And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen, and they drew and lifted Joseph up out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned to the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes,
30 and he returned to his brothers, and said, The child is not, and I, where shall I go?
31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood.
32 And they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, We have found this. Know now whether it is thy son's coat or not.
33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat. An evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.
34 And Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said, For I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning. And his father wept for him. (Sheol )
36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard.
