Genesis 37
1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
And Jacob lived in the land where his father sojourned, in the land of Chanaan.
2 This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
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 his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe 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 colors.
4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word 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 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and reported it to his brethren.
6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
And he said to them, Hear this dream which I have dreamed.
7 We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
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 “Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
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 Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
And he dreamed another dream, and related it to his father, and to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream: as it were the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars did me reverence.
10 He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream which you have dreamed? shall indeed both I and your mother and your brethren come and bow before you to the earth?
11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
And his brethren went to feed the sheep of their father to Sychem.
13 Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
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 Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in 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 man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
And a man found him wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seek you?
16 “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
And he said, I am seeking my brethren; tell me where they feed [their flocks].
17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at 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 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted 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 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
And each said to his brother, Behold, that dreamer comes.
20 “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes 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 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
And Ruben having heard it, rescued him out of their hands, and said, Let us not kill him.
22 “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return 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 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
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. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
And they took him and cast him into the pit; and the pit was empty, it had not water.
25 And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way 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 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
And Judas said to his brethren, What profit is it if we kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
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 So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to 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 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
And Ruben returned to the pit, and sees not Joseph in the pit; and he tore his garments.
30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
And he returned to his brethren and said, The boy is not; and I, whither am I yet to go?
31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
And having taken the coat of Joseph, they killed a kid of the goats, and stained the coat with the blood.
32 They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
And they sent the coat of many colors; 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 recognized it, and said, It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast has devoured him; a wild beast has carried off Joseph.
33 His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around 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 daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
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 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
And the Madianites sold Joseph into Egypt; to Petephres, the eunuch of Pharao, captain of the guard.
