< Genesis 37 >

1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.
And Jacob dwelt in the land in which his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
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.
These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, and the lad [was] with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought to his father their evil report.
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.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he [was] the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of [many] colors.
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 when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
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 behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
For behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood around and made 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, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? and they hated him yet the 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 dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more: and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
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 he told [it] to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said to him, what [is] this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee 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 their father's flock in Shechem.
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 thy brethren feed [the flock] in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee to them. And he said to him, Here [am I].
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 he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
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 certain man found him, and behold [he was] wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, 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, They have departed hence: for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan.
18 They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near to them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19 They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer is coming.
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.”
Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit; and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
And Reuben heard [it], and he delivered him from 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 Reuben said to them, Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that [is] in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might deliver him from their hands, to bring him back 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 had come to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, [his] coat of [many] colors that [was] on 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 a pit: and the pit [was] empty; [there was] no water in it.
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 they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, going to carry [them] down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
And Judah said to his brethren, What profit [is it] if we slay 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, 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 brethren were content.
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.
Then there passed by Midianites, merchants; and they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty [pieces] of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
And Reuben returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit: and he rent his clothes.
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 child [is] not: and I, whither shall I go?
31 They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in 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] colors, and they brought [it] to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it [is] thy son's coat or not.
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.”
And he knew it, and said, [It is] my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
34 Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
And Jacob rent 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 all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave to my son mourning: Thus 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 Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, [and] captain of the guard.

< Genesis 37 >