< Genesis 37 >

1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, tended the flock with his brothers; he was an assistant to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report about them to their father.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he had been born to him in his old age. And he made a long ornamented robe for him.
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 colours.
4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak a kind word to him.
And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 He said to them, "Please listen to this dream I had:
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 And look, we were binding sheaves in the field, and look, my sheaf arose and also stood upright. And look, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf."
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 Then his brothers said to him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed rule over us?" So they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said.
And his brethren 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 And he had another dream, and told it to his father and to his brothers, and said, "Look, I had yet another dream, and look, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me."
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 When he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you had? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come and bow down to the ground in front of you?"
And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept thinking about the matter.
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem.
And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said to Joseph, "Aren't your brothers pasturing the flock near Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "I am ready."
And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 So he said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and report back to me." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a man found him, and look, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, "What are you looking for?"
And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 He said, "I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock."
And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17 The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18 Now they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they plotted against him 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 they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming.
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
20 Come now, and let's kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, and we will say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams."
Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 But Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hands, and said, "Let's not take his life."
And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
22 Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him"—that he might deliver him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.
And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
23 It happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the long ornamented robe that he was wearing.
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
24 And they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the pit was empty. There was no water in it.)
And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat a meal. And they looked up, and look, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh on their way to carry them down to Egypt.
And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our flesh." And his brothers agreed.
Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
28 So the Midianites merchants passed by, and they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the cistern, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt.
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph wasn't in the cistern; and he tore his clothes.
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30 He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone. Now, what am I to do?"
And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
31 They took Joseph's robe and killed a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
32 And they sent the long ornamented robe and they brought it to their father, and said, "We found this. Please examine it to see whether it is your son's robe or not."
And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.
33 And he recognized it, and said, "It is my son's robe. A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces."
And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Indeed, I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning." And his father wept for him. (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 will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 Now the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

< Genesis 37 >