Genesis 37
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.
And Jacob lived in the land where his father sojourned, in the land of Chanaan.
2 This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
And these are the generations of Jacob. And Joseph was seventeen years old, feeding the sheep of his father with his brethren, being young; with the sons of Balla, and with the sons of Zelpha, the wives of his father; and Joseph brought to Israel their father their evil reproach.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of many colors.
And Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was to him the son of old age; and he made for him a coat of many colours.
4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
And his brethren having seen that his father loved him more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak anything peaceful to him.
5 Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
And Joseph dreamt a dream, and reported it to his brethren.
6 He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
And he said to them, Hear this dream which I have dreamt.
7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
I thought you were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, and my sheaf stood up and was erected, and your sheaves turned round, and did obeisance to my sheaf.
8 His brothers asked him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
And his brethren said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you indeed be lord over us? And they hated him still more for his dreams and for his words.
9 He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
And he dreamt another dream, and related it to his father, and to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamt another dream: as it were the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars did me reverence.
10 He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream which you have dreamt? shall indeed both I and your mother and your brethren come and bow before you to the earth?
11 His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
And his brethren went to feed the sheep of their father to Sychem.
13 Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
And Israel said to Joseph, Do not your brethren feed their flock in Sychem? Come, I will send you to them; and he said to him, Behold, I [am here].
14 He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your 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.
And Israel said to him, Go and see if your brethren and the sheep are well, and bring me word; and he sent him out of the valley of Chebron, and he came to Sychem.
15 A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
And a man found him wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seek you?
16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
And he said, I am seeking my brethren; tell me where they feed [their flocks].
17 The man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
And the man said to him, They have departed hence, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothaim; and Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothaim.
18 They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
And they spied him from a distance before he drew near to them, and they wickedly took counsel to kill him.
19 They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
And each said to his brother, Behold, that dreamer comes.
20 Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
Now then come, let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits; and we will say, An evil wild beast has devoured him; and we shall see what his dreams will be.
21 Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
And Ruben having heard it, rescued him out of their hands, and said, Let us not kill him.
22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
And Ruben said to them, Shed not blood; cast him into one of these pits in the wilderness, but do not lay [your] hands upon him; that he might rescue him out of their hands, and restore him to his father.
23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him;
And it came to pass, when Joseph came to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his many-coloured coat that was upon him.
24 and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.
And they took him and cast him into the pit; and the pit was empty, it had not water.
25 They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
And they sat down to eat bread; and having lifted up their eyes they saw, and behold, Ismaelitish travellers came from Galaad, and their camels were heavily loaded with spices, and resin, and myrrh; and they went to bring them to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
And Judas said to his brethren, What profit is it if we kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
Come, let us sell him to these Ismaelites, but let not our hands be upon him, because he is our brother and our flesh; and his brethren listened.
28 Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.
And the men, the merchants of Madian, went by, and they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ismaelites for twenty pieces of gold; and they brought Joseph down into Egypt.
29 Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
And Ruben returned to the pit, and sees not Joseph in the pit; and he tore his garments.
30 He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
And he returned to his brethren and said, The boy is not; and I, whither am I yet to go?
31 They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
And having taken the coat of Joseph, they killed a kid of the goats, and stained the coat with the blood.
32 They took the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, and see if it is your son’s tunic or not.”
And they sent the coat of many colours; and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know if it be your son's coat or no. And he recognised it, and said, It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast has devoured him; a wild beast has carried off Joseph.
33 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
34 Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
And Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, "For I will go down to Sheol (Sheol h7585) to my son, mourning." His father wept for him.
And all his sons and his daughters gathered themselves together, and came to comfort him; but he would not be comforted, saying, I will go down to my son mourning to Hades; and his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
And the Madianites sold Joseph into Egypt; to Petephres, the eunuch of Pharao, captain of the guard.
