< Genesis 37 >

1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourning, in 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.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers; and he was as a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought evil reports of them unto his father.
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 all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat 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.
And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto 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 Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have 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.
And, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also remained standing upright; and, behold, your sheaves placed themselves round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
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.
And his brothers said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
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.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers; and he said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance 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?
And he told it to his father, and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall we indeed come, I and thy mother, and thy brothers, to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth.
11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
And his brothers envied him; but his father noted the matter [in his mind].
12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
And his brothers went to feed their father's flocks 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 unto Joseph, Do not thy brothers feed [the flocks] in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
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 said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brothers, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he 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.
And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering astray in the field; 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 said, I seek my brothers; tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding 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.
And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers, 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 saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19 And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
And they said one to another, Behold, here comes this man of dreams.
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:
And now, come and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
And when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hand; and he said, Let us not put him to death.
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.
And Reuben said unto them, Do not shed blood; but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hand upon him; —in order that he might deliver him out of their hand, to bring him back again 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:
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brothers, that they stript Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;
24 And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
And they took him, and cast him into the pit; and the pit was empty; there was 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 they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead; and their camels were bearing spicery, and balm, and lotus, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
And Judah said unto his brothers, What profit will it be if we slay our brother, and conceal 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, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let our hand not be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers hearkened to him.
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.
And when the Midianitish men, merchants, passed by, they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
And when Reuben returned unto the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit, 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 he returned unto his brothers, and said, The child is not there; and I, whither shall I go?
31 And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat 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.
And they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found: acknowledge, we pray thee, whether it be thy son's coat 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.
And he recognized it, and said, it is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is surely torn in pieces.
34 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, 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)
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I must go down unto my son, mourning, into the grave; thus 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 sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guards.

< Genesis 37 >