< Genesis 37 >

1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
Iaakob nowe dwelt in the lande, wherein his father was a stranger, in the lande 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.
These are the generations of Iaakob, when Ioseph was seuenteene yeere olde: he kept sheepe with his brethren, and the childe was with the sonnes of Bilhah, and with the sonnes of Zilpah, his fathers wiues. And Ioseph brought vnto their father their euill saying.
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.
Nowe Israel loued Ioseph more then all his sonnes, because he begate him in his old age, and he made him a coat of many colours.
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.
So when his brethren sawe that their father loued him more then all his brethren, then they hated him, and could not speake peaceably vnto 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.
And Ioseph dreamed a dreame, and told his brethren, who hated him so much the more.
6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
For he saide vnto them, Heare, I pray you, this dreame which I haue dreamed.
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.
Beholde nowe, wee were binding sheues in the middes of the field: and loe, my shefe arose and also stoode vpright, and behold, your sheues compassed rounde about, and did reuerence to my shefe.
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.
Then his brethren saide to him, What, shalt thou reigne ouer vs, and rule vs? or shalt thou haue altogether dominion ouer vs? And they hated him so much the more, for his dreames, and for his wordes.
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.
Againe hee dreamed an other dreame, and tolde it his brethren, and saide, Behold, I haue had one dreame more, and beholde, the Sunne and the Moone and eleuen starres did reuerence 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?
Then he tolde it vnto his father and to his brethren, and his father rebuked him, and saide vnto him, What is this dreame, which thou hast dreamed? shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren come in deede and fall on the ground before thee?
11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
And his brethren enuied him, but his father noted the saying.
12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
Then his brethren went to keepe their fathers sheepe in Shechem.
13 Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
And Israel said vnto Ioseph, Doe not thy brethren keepe in Shechem? come and I will send thee to them.
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:
And he answered him, I am here. Then he saide vnto him, Goe now, see whether it bee well with thy brethren, and how the flocks prosper, and bring me word againe. so hee sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
Then a man found him: for lo, hee was wandring in the fielde, and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks.
And he answered, I seeke my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they keepe sheepe.
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.
And the man said, they are departed hece: for I heard them say, Let vs goe vnto Dothan. Then went Ioseph after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18 And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.
And when they sawe him a farre off, euen before he came at them, they conspired against him for to slay him.
19 And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
For they sayd one to another, Behold, this dreamer commeth.
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 therefore, and let vs slay him, and cast him into some pitte, and wee will say, A wicked beast hath deuoured him: then wee shall see, what will come of his dreames.
21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
But when Reuben heard that, he deliuered him out of their handes, and saide, Let vs not kill him.
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.
Also Reuben saide vnto them, Shed not blood, but cast him into this pitte that is in the wildernesse, and lay no hande vpon him. Thus he said, that he might deliuer him out of their hand, and restore him to his father againe.
23 And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
Now when Ioseph was come vnto his brethren, they stript Ioseph out of his coate, his particoloured coate that was vpon him.
24 And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
And they tooke him, and cast him into a pit, and the pit was emptie, without 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.
Then they sate them downe to eate bread: and they lift vp their eyes and looked, and behold, there came a companie of Ishmeelites from Gilead, and their camels laden with spicerie, and balme, and myrrhe, and were going to cary it downe into Egypt.
26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
Then Iudah said vnto his brethren, What auaileth it, if we slay our brother, though wee keepe his blood secret?
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 and let vs sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our handes be vpon him: for he is our brother and our flesh: and his brethren obeyed.
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.
Then the Midianites marchant men passed by, and they drewe foorth, and lift Ioseph out of the pit, and solde Ioseph vnto the Ishmeelites for twentie pieces of siluer: who brought Ioseph into Egypt.
29 And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
Afterwarde Reuben returned to the pit, and beholde, Ioseph was not in the pit: then he rent his clothes,
30 And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?
And returned to his brethren, and said, The childe is not yonder, and I, whither shall I goe?
31 And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
And they tooke Iosephs coate, and killed a kidde of the goates, and dipped the coate in the 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.
So they sent that particoloured coat, and they brought it vnto their father, and saide, This haue we founde: see nowe, whether it be thy sonnes coate, or no.
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.
Then he knewe it and said, It is my sonnes coate: a wicked beast hath deuoured him: Ioseph is surely torne in pieces.
34 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
And Iaakob rent his clothes, and put sackecloth about his loynes, and sorowed for his sonne a long season.
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)
Then all his sonnes and all his daughters rose vp to comfort him, but he woulde not be comforted, but said, Surely I will go downe into the graue vnto my sonne mourning: 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.
And the Midianites solde him into Egypt vnto Potiphar an Eunuche of Pharaohs, and his chiefe stewarde.

< Genesis 37 >