Genesis 37
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.
So Jacob dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father, —in the land of Canaan.
2 This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
These, are the generations of Jacob—Joseph, when seventeen years old, was shepherding with his brethren among the flocks, and, he, being a youth, was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah wives of his father, —so then Joseph brought in the talk about them—something bad, unto 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 tunic of many colours.
Now, Israel, loved Joseph more than any of his sons, because he was to him, the son of his old age, and he had made him, a long tunic.
4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.
So his brethren saw that their father loved him, more than any of his brethren, and they hated him, and could not bid him prosper,
5 Joseph dreamt a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brethren, and they went on yet more to hate him.
6 He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamt:
And he said unto them, Hear ye I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
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.”
Lo! then, we, were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, when lo my sheaf rose up, yea and took its stand, —and lo! round about came your sheaves, and bowed themselves down to my sheaf.
8 His brothers asked him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou, reign, over us, shalt thou, have dominion over us? So they went on yet more to hate him, because of his dreams and because of his words.
9 He dreamt yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamt yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
Then dreamed he, yet another, dream, and related it to his brethren, and said: —Lo! I have dreamed a dream, yet again, Lo! then, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, were bowing themselves 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 dreamt? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
So he related it unto his father, and unto his brethren, —and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream which thou hast dreamed? Shall we, indeed come in, I, and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow ourselves down to thee to the earth?
11 His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
Then were his brethren jealous of him, but his father, marked the word.
12 His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
Now his brethren went their way, —to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13 Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
So Israel said unto Joseph Are not, thy brethren, feeding the flock in Shechem? Come on! and let me send thee unto them. And he said to him Behold me!
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, I pray thee, look after the welfare of thy brethren, and the welfare of the flock, and bring me back word. And he sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came in towards 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 lo! he was wandering about in the field, so the man asked him saying—What seekest thou?
16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
And he said, My brethren, am, I, seeking, —do tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding their flock.
17 The man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
And the man said, They have broken up from hence, for I heard them saying Let us go our way towards Dothan. So Joseph went after his brethren, 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.
And they saw him afar off, —and, ere yet he drew near unto them, they conspired against him, to put him to death.
19 They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
And they said each man unto his brother, Lo! that master of dreams yonder, coming in!
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.”
Now, therefore, come! let us slay him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say A cruel beast, hath devoured him, —And let us see what will become of his dreams.
21 Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
And Reuben heard it, and rescued him out of their hand, and said Let us not smite him, so as to take his life!
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 hand, to restore him to his father.
And Reuben said unto them Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, but put not forth, a hand, against him! that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him unto his father.
23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colours that was on him;
So it came to pass, when Joseph had come in unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph of his tunic, the long tunic which was upon him,
24 and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.
and took him, and cast him into the pit, but the pit, was empty, there was in it no water.
25 They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
And when they had sat down to eat bread, they lifted up their eyes and looked, and lo! a caravan of Ishmaelites, coming in from Gilead, —and, their camels, were bearing tragacanth gum, and balsam and cistus-gum, they were going their way, to take them down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
So Judah said unto his brethren, —What profit that we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not, our own hand, be upon him, for our own brother, our own flesh, is he And his brethren hearkened.
28 Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.
And there passed by certain Midianites travelling merchants, so they drew forth and uplifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites, for twenty pieces of silver, —and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
And Reuben returned unto the pit, and lo Joseph was not in the pit, so he rent his clothes;
30 He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
and returned unto his brethren, and said, —The, lad, is not! And, I, oh where can I, go?
31 They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
And they took Joseph’s tunic, —and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood;
32 They took the tunic of many colours, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, and see if it is your son’s tunic or not.”
and sent the long tunic and brought it in unto their father, and said This, have we found! Examine, we pray thee, whether it is the tunic of thy son, or not!
33 He recognised it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
So he examined it, and said—The tunic of my son! A cruel beast hath devoured him, —torn in pieces—torn in pieces, is Joseph!
34 Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, —and mourned over 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 to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to console him but he refused to be consoled, and said—Surely I will go down unto my son mourning to hades! And his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
Now, the Midianites, sold him into Egypt, —to Potiphar courtier of Pharaoh, chief of the royal executioners.
