Genesis 37
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
So Jacob dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father, —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, when seventeen years old, was shepherding with his brethren among the flocks, and, he, being a youth, was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah wives of his father, —so then Joseph brought in the talk about them—something bad, unto their 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 any of his sons, because he was to him, the son of his old age, and he had made him, a long tunic.
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 his brethren saw that their father loved him, more than any of his brethren, and they hated him, and could not bid him prosper,
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 told it to his brethren, and they went on yet more to hate him.
6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
And he said unto them, Hear ye 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.
Lo! then, we, were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, when lo my sheaf rose up, yea and took its stand, —and lo! round about came your sheaves, and bowed themselves down 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 brethren said to him, Shalt thou, reign, over us, shalt thou, have dominion over us? So they went on yet more to hate him, because of his dreams and because of 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.
Then dreamed he, yet another, dream, and related it to his brethren, and said: —Lo! I have dreamed a dream, yet again, Lo! then, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, were bowing themselves 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?
So he related it unto his father, and unto his brethren, —and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream which thou hast dreamed? Shall we, indeed come in, I, and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow ourselves down to thee to the earth?
11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
Then were his brethren jealous of him, but his father, marked the word.
12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
Now his brethren went their way, —to feed their father’s flock 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:
So Israel said unto Joseph Are not, thy brethren, feeding the flock in Shechem? Come on! and let me send thee unto them. And he said to him Behold me!
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:
So he said to him—Go, I pray thee, look after the welfare of thy brethren, and the welfare of the flock, and bring me back word. And he sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came in towards Shechem.
15 And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
And a man found him, and lo! he was wandering about in the field, so 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, My brethren, am, I, seeking, —do tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding their flock.
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 have broken up from hence, for I heard them saying Let us go our way towards Dothan. So Joseph went 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 they saw him afar off, —and, ere yet he drew near unto them, they conspired against him, to put him to death.
19 And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
And they said each man unto his brother, Lo! that master of dreams yonder, coming in!
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:
Now, therefore, come! let us slay him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say A cruel beast, hath devoured him, —And let us see what will become of his dreams.
21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
And Reuben heard it, and rescued him out of their hand, and said Let us not smite him, so as to take his life!
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! Cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, but put not forth, a hand, against him! that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him unto 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 it came to pass, when Joseph had come in unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph of his tunic, the long tunic which was upon him,
24 And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
and took him, and cast him into the pit, but the pit, was empty, there was in it no water.
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 when they had sat down to eat bread, they lifted up their eyes and looked, and lo! a caravan of Ishmaelites, coming in from Gilead, —and, their camels, were bearing tragacanth gum, and balsam and cistus-gum, they were going their way, to take them down to Egypt.
26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
So Judah said unto his brethren, —What profit that 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 not, our own hand, be upon him, for our own brother, our own flesh, is he And his brethren hearkened.
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 there passed by certain Midianites travelling merchants, so they drew forth and uplifted 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 Reuben returned unto the pit, and lo Joseph was not in the pit, so 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 unto his brethren, and said, —The, lad, is not! And, I, oh where can 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 tunic, —and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the tunic 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 sent the long tunic and brought it in unto their father, and said This, have we found! Examine, we pray thee, whether it is the tunic of thy son, 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.
So he examined it, and said—The tunic of my son! A cruel beast hath devoured him, —torn in pieces—torn in pieces, is Joseph!
34 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, —and mourned over 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 console him but he refused to be consoled, and said—Surely I will go down unto my son mourning to hades! And his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
Now, the Midianites, sold him into Egypt, —to Potiphar courtier of Pharaoh, chief of the royal executioners.
