Genesis 37
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land in which his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
Jacob [Supplanter] lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan [Humbled].
2 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 to his father their bad report.
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.
3 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.
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.
4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
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.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Joseph [May he add] dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
6 And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
He said to them, “Please sh'ma ·hear obey· this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood around, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
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.”
8 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.
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.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to 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.
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.”
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said to 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?
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?”
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said to Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
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.”
14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
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.
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
17 And the man said, They have departed from here; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
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.
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near to them, they conspired against him to slay him.
They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer is coming.
They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
20 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.
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.”
21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him from their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
Reuben [See, a son!] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
22 And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might deliver him from their hands, to bring him back to his father.
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.
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
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;
24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry them down to Egypt.
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].
26 And Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Judah [Praised] said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother our flesh. And his brethren were content.
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.
28 Then there passed by Midianites merchants; and they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
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].
29 And Reuben returned to the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
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.
30 And he returned to his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, where shall I go?
He teshuvah ·completely returned· to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
They took Joseph [May he add]’s coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood.
32 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 is thy son’s coat or not.
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.”
33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.
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.”
34 And Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Jacob [Supplanter] tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 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 to my son mourning. Thus 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. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol ·Place of the dead· to my son mourning.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.
The Midianites [Descendants of Strife] sold him into Egypt [Abode of slavery] to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
