Genesis 37
1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
So Jacob dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father, —in the land of Canaan.
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.
These, are the generations of Jacob—Joseph, when seventeen years old, was shepherding with his brethren among the flocks, and, he, being a youth, was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah wives of his father, —so then Joseph brought in the talk about them—something bad, unto their father.
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.
Now, Israel, loved Joseph more than any of his sons, because he was to him, the son of his old age, and he had made him, a long tunic.
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.
So his brethren saw that their father loved him, more than any of his brethren, and they hated him, and could not bid him prosper,
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 told it to his brethren, and they went on yet more to hate him.
6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
And he said unto them, Hear ye I pray you, 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.”
Lo! then, we, were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, when lo my sheaf rose up, yea and took its stand, —and lo! round about came your sheaves, and bowed themselves down 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, Shalt thou, reign, over us, shalt thou, have dominion over us? So they went on yet more to hate him, because of his dreams and because of 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.”
Then dreamed he, yet another, dream, and related it to his brethren, and said: —Lo! I have dreamed a dream, yet again, Lo! then, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, were bowing themselves down to me.
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?”
So he related it unto his father, and unto his brethren, —and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream which thou hast dreamed? Shall we, indeed come in, I, and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow ourselves down to thee to the earth?
11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
Then were his brethren jealous of him, but his father, marked the word.
12 Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
Now his brethren went their way, —to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
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.
So Israel said unto Joseph Are not, thy brethren, feeding the flock in Shechem? Come on! and let me send thee unto them. And he said to him Behold me!
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,
So he said to him—Go, I pray thee, look after the welfare of thy brethren, and the welfare of the flock, and bring me back word. And he sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came in towards Shechem.
15 a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
And a man found him, and lo! he was wandering about in the field, so the man asked him saying—What seekest thou?
16 “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
And he said, My brethren, am, I, seeking, —do tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding their flock.
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, They have broken up from hence, for I heard them saying Let us go our way towards Dothan. So Joseph went after his brethren, and found them, in Dothan.
18 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
And they saw him afar off, —and, ere yet he drew near unto them, they conspired against him, to put him to death.
19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
And they said each man unto his brother, Lo! that master of dreams yonder, coming in!
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, therefore, come! let us slay him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say A cruel beast, hath devoured him, —And let us see what will become of his dreams.
21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
And Reuben heard it, and rescued him out of their hand, and said Let us not smite him, so as to take his life!
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 Reuben said unto them Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, but put not forth, a hand, against him! that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him unto his father.
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
So it came to pass, when Joseph had come in unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph of his tunic, the long tunic which 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 took him, and cast him into the pit, but the pit, was empty, there was in it no 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 when they had sat down to eat bread, they lifted up their eyes and looked, and lo! a caravan of Ishmaelites, coming in from Gilead, —and, their camels, were bearing tragacanth gum, and balsam and cistus-gum, they were going their way, to take them down to Egypt.
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
So Judah said unto his brethren, —What profit that we slay 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 and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not, our own hand, be upon him, for our own brother, our own flesh, is he And his brethren hearkened.
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 there passed by certain Midianites travelling merchants, so they drew forth and uplifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites, for twenty pieces of silver, —and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
And Reuben returned unto the pit, and lo Joseph was not in the pit, so he rent his clothes;
30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
and returned unto his brethren, and said, —The, lad, is not! And, I, oh where can I, go?
31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
And they took Joseph’s tunic, —and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the tunic in 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 sent the long tunic and brought it in unto their father, and said This, have we found! Examine, we pray thee, whether it is the tunic of thy son, or not!
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!”
So he examined it, and said—The tunic of my son! A cruel beast hath devoured him, —torn in pieces—torn in pieces, is Joseph!
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, —and mourned over 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 all his daughters rose up to console him but he refused to be consoled, and said—Surely I will go down unto 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.
Now, the Midianites, sold him into Egypt, —to Potiphar courtier of Pharaoh, chief of the royal executioners.
