Genesis 37
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
Jacob lived in the land where his father was staying, 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 were the events concerning Jacob. Joseph, who was a young man seventeen years old, was guarding the flock with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought an unfavorable report about them to 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 all his sons because he was the son of his old age. He made him a beautiful garment.
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.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. They hated him and would not speak kindly 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.
Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told his brothers about it. They hated him even more.
6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I 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.
Behold, we were tying bundles of grain in the field and behold, my bundle rose and stood upright, and behold, your bundles came around and bowed down to my bundle.”
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.
His brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us? Will you actually rule over us?” They hated him even 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.
He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream: The sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed 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 it to his father just as to his brothers, and his father rebuked him. He said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come to bow down to the ground to you?”
11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
His brothers went to tend 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:
Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” Joseph said to him, “I am ready.”
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:
He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and Joseph went to Shechem.
15 And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
A certain man found Joseph. Behold, Joseph was wandering in a field. The man asked him, “What do you seek?”
16 But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks.
Joseph said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are tending the 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.
The man said, “They left this place, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'” Joseph went 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.
They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they plotted against him to kill him.
19 And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
His brothers said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is approaching.
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, let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits. We will say, 'A wild animal has devoured him.' We will see what will become of his dreams.”
21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
Reuben heard it and rescued him from their hand. He said, “Let us not 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.
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to bring him back 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:
It came about that when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his beautiful garment.
24 And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
They took him and threw him into the pit. 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.
They sat down to eat bread. They lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh. They were traveling to carry them down to Egypt.
26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it 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, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands upon him. For he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened 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.
The Midianite merchants passed by. His brothers drew Joseph up and lifted him up out of the pit. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites carried Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
Reuben returned to the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. 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?
He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! And I, where can I go?”
31 And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
They slaughtered a goat and then took Joseph's garment and dipped it into 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.
Then they brought it to their father and said, “We found this. Please see whether it is your son's clothing 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.
Jacob recognized it and said, “It is my son's clothing. A wild animal has devoured him. Joseph has certainly been torn to pieces.”
34 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth upon his loins. He 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 rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “Indeed I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
The Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard.
