Genesis 37
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
2 And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father’s wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
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.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.
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.
4 And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
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.
5 Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7 I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.
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.”
8 His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
“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.
9 He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.
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.”
10 And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?
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?”
11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
13 Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
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.
14 I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
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,
15 And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks.
“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17 And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
“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.
18 And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
19 And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
20 Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:
“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!”
21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
22 Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
“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.
23 And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
24 And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
25 And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.
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.
26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
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.
28 And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.
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.
29 And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
30 And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?
returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
32 Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son’s coat, or not.
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.”
33 And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son’s coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.
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 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, (Sheol h7585)
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)
36 The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
