Genesis 37
1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
Jacob lived in the land where his father was staying, 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 were the events concerning Jacob. Joseph, who was a young man seventeen years old, was guarding the flock with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought an unfavorable report about them to 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 all his sons because he was the son of his old age. He made him a beautiful garment.
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.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. They hated him and would not speak kindly to him.
5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told his brothers about it. They hated him even more.
6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I 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.”
Behold, we were tying bundles of grain in the field and behold, my bundle rose and stood upright, and behold, your bundles came around and bowed down to my bundle.”
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.
His brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us? Will you actually rule over us?” They hated him even 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.”
He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream: The sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed 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?”
He told it to his father just as to his brothers, and his father rebuked him. He said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come to bow down to the ground to you?”
11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12 Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
His brothers went to tend 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.
Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” Joseph said to him, “I am ready.”
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,
He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and Joseph went to Shechem.
15 a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
A certain man found Joseph. Behold, Joseph was wandering in a field. The man asked him, “What do you seek?”
16 “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
Joseph said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are tending the 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.
The man said, “They left this place, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'” Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they plotted against him to kill him.
19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
His brothers said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is approaching.
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!”
Come now, therefore, let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits. We will say, 'A wild animal has devoured him.' We will 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.
Reuben heard it and rescued him from their hand. He said, “Let us not 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.
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to bring him back 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—
It came about that when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his beautiful garment.
24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty with no water in it.
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.
They sat down to eat bread. They lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh. They were traveling to carry 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?
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up 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 and not lay our hands upon him. For he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
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.
The Midianite merchants passed by. His brothers drew Joseph up and lifted him up out of the pit. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites carried Joseph into Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
Reuben returned to the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. He tore his clothes.
30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! And I, where can I go?”
31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
They slaughtered a goat and then took Joseph's garment and dipped it into 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.”
Then they brought it to their father and said, “We found this. Please see whether it is your son's clothing 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!”
Jacob recognized it and said, “It is my son's clothing. A wild animal has devoured him. Joseph has certainly been torn to pieces.”
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth upon his loins. He 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)
All his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “Indeed I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” 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.
The Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard.
