< Genesis 37 >

1 And Jacob dwelt in the land in which his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
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 evil report.
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 loved Joseph 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 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 loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak a kind word to him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Now Joseph had 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 listen to this dream I had:
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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?
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 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept thinking about the matter.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near 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].
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 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.
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 And a certain man found him, and behold [he was] wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
And a man found him, and look, he was wandering in the field. And 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 pasturing the flock."
17 And the man said, They have departed hence: 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 heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph 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.
Now they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they plotted against him to kill him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer is coming.
And they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming.
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, 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 And Reuben heard [it], and he delivered him from their hands: and said, Let us not kill him.
But Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hands, 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 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 And it came to pass when Joseph had come to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, [his] 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 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 cistern. (Now 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.
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 And Judah said to his brethren, What profit [is it] if we slay 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 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, and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our flesh." And his brothers agreed.
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.
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 And Reuben returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit: and he rent his clothes.
And Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph wasn't in the cistern; and he tore his clothes.
30 And he returned to his brethren, and said, The child [is] not: and I, whither shall I go?
He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone. Now, what am I to do?"
31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, 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 And they sent the coat of [many] colors, and they brought [it] to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it [is] thy 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 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.
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 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, 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 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. And he said, "Indeed, I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning." And 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.
Now the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

< Genesis 37 >