Genesis 37
1 Jacob [Supplanter] lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan [Humbled].
Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
2 This is the history of the generations of Jacob [Supplanter]. Joseph [May he add], being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah [Bashful] and Zilpah [Frailty], his father’s wives. Joseph [May he add] brought an evil report of them to their father.
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.
3 Now Israel [God prevails] 'ahav ·affectionately loved· Joseph [May he add] more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors.
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.
4 His brothers saw that their father 'ahav ·affectionately loved· him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.
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.
5 Joseph [May he add] dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
6 He said to them, “Please sh'ma ·hear obey· this dream which I have dreamed:
He said to them, "Please listen to this dream I had:
7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
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."
8 His brothers said to him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
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.
9 He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
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."
10 He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to you to the earth?”
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?"
11 His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept thinking about the matter.
12 His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem.
13 Israel [God prevails] said to Joseph [May he add], “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
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."
14 He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
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.
15 A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
And a man found him, and look, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, "What are you looking for?"
16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
He said, "I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock."
17 The man said, “They have left here, for I sh'ma ·heard obeyed· them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” Joseph [May he add] went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
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.
18 They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
Now they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they plotted against him to kill him.
19 They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
And they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming.
20 Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
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."
21 Reuben [See, a son!] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
But Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hands, and said, "Let's not take his life."
22 Reuben [See, a son!] 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 hand, 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 on him"—that he might deliver him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.
23 When Joseph [May he add] came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph [May he add] of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;
It happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the long ornamented robe that he was wearing.
24 and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.
And they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the pit was empty. There was no water in it.)
25 They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites [Pays attention God] was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt [Abode of slavery].
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.
26 Judah [Praised] said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites [Pays attention God], and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers sh'ma ·heard obeyed· him.
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.
28 Midianites [Descendants of Strife] who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph [May he add] out of the pit, and sold Joseph [May he add] to the Ishmaelites [Pays attention God] for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Joseph [May he add] into Egypt [Abode of slavery].
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.
29 Reuben [See, a son!] returned to the pit; and saw that Joseph [May he add] was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
And Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph wasn't in the cistern; and he tore his clothes.
30 He teshuvah ·completely returned· to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone. Now, what am I to do?"
31 They took Joseph [May he add]’s coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood.
They took Joseph's robe and killed a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
32 They took the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, whether it is your son’s coat or not.”
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."
33 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s coat. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph [May he add] is without doubt torn in pieces.”
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."
34 Jacob [Supplanter] tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth around his waist, 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. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol ·Place of the dead· to my son mourning.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
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)
36 The Midianites [Descendants of Strife] sold him into Egypt [Abode of slavery] to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
Now the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
