Genesis 37
1 Now Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father sojourned.
And Jacob lived in the land where his father sojourned, in the land of Chanaan.
2 And these are his generations. Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, when he was still a boy. And he was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the wives of his father. And he accused his brothers to their father of a most sinful crime.
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 above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven 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 Then his brothers, seeing that he was loved by his father more than all his other sons, hated him, and they were not able to say anything peacefully 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 it also happened that he recounted the vision of a dream to his brothers, for which reason a greater hatred began to be nurtured.
And Joseph dreamt a dream, and reported it to his brethren.
6 And he said to them, “Listen to my dream that I saw.
And he said to them, Hear this dream which I have dreamt.
7 I thought we were binding sheaves in the field. And my sheaf seemed to rise up and stand, and your sheaves, standing in a circle, reverenced 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 responded: “Would you be our king? Or will we be subject to your dominion?” Therefore, this matter of his dreams and words provided kindling to their envy and hatred.
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 Likewise, he saw another dream, which he explained to his brothers, saying, “I saw by a dream, as if the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars were reverencing 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 And when he had related this to his father and brothers, his father rebuked him, and he said: “What does it mean to you, this dream that you have seen? Should I, and your mother, and your brothers reverence you upon the earth?”
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 Therefore, his brothers were envious of him. Yet truly, his father considered the matter silently.
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 And while his brothers were lodging at Shechem, pasturing their father’s flocks,
And his brethren went to feed the sheep of their father to Sychem.
13 Israel said to him: “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” And when he answered,
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 “I am ready,” he said to him, “Go, and see if everything is prospering with your brothers and the cattle, and report to me what is happening.” So, having been sent from the valley of Hebron, he arrived at 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 And a man found him wandering in a field, and he asked him what he was seeking.
And a man found him wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seek you?
16 So he responded: “I seek my brothers. Tell me where they pasture the flocks.”
And he said, I am seeking my brethren; tell me where they feed [their flocks].
17 And the man said to him: “They have withdrawn from this place. But I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” Therefore, Joseph continued on after his brothers, and he 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 And, when they had seen him from afar, before he approached them, they decided 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 And they said one to another: “Behold, the dreamer approaches.
And each said to his brother, Behold, that dreamer comes.
20 Come, let us kill him and cast him into the old cistern. And let us say: ‘an evil wild beast has devoured him.’ And then it will become apparent what his dreams will do for him.”
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 But Reuben, on hearing this, strove to free him from their hands, and he said:
And Ruben having heard it, rescued him out of their hands, and said, Let us not kill him.
22 “Do not take away his life, nor shed blood. But throw him into this cistern, which is in the wilderness, and so keep your hands harmless.” But he said this, wanting to rescue him from their hands, so as to 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 And so, as soon as he came to his brothers, they very quickly stripped him of his tunic, which was ankle-length and woven of many colors,
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 cast him into an old cistern, which held no water.
And they took him and cast him into the pit; and the pit was empty, it had not water.
25 And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ishmaelites, travelers coming from Gilead, with their camels, carrying spices, and resin, and oil of myrrh into 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 Therefore, Judah said to his brothers: “What will it profit us, 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 It is better that he be sold to the Ishmaelites, and then our hands will not be defiled. For he is our brother and our flesh.” His brothers agreed to his words.
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 And when the Midianite merchants were passing by, they drew him from the cistern, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And these led him 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 And Reuben, returning to the cistern, did not find the boy.
And Ruben returned to the pit, and sees not Joseph in the pit; and he tore his garments.
30 And rending his garments, he went to his brothers and said, “The boy is not present, and so where shall I go?”
And he returned to his brethren and said, The boy is not; and I, whither am I yet to go?
31 Then they took his tunic, and they dipped it in the blood of a young goat, which they had killed,
And having taken the coat of Joseph, they killed a kid of the goats, and stained the coat with the blood.
32 sending those who carried it to their father, and they said: “We found this. See whether it is the tunic of your son 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 And when the father acknowledged it, he said: “It is the tunic of my son. An evil wild beast has eaten him; a beast has devoured Joseph.”
34 And tearing his garments, he was clothed in haircloth, mourning his son for a long time.
And Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Then, when all of his sons gathered together to ease their father’s sorrow, he was not willing to accept consolation, but he said: “I will descend in mourning to my son in the underworld.” And while he persevered in weeping, (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 the Midianites in Egypt sold Joseph to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, instructor of the soldiers.
And the Madianites sold Joseph into Egypt; to Petephres, the eunuch of Pharao, captain of the guard.
