Genèse 37
1 Jacob demeura dans le pays des pérégrinations de son père, dans le pays de Canaan.
And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father sojourned — in the land of Canaan.
2 Voici l’histoire de la descendance de Jacob. Joseph, âgé de dix sept ans, menait paître les brebis avec ses frères. Passant son enfance avec les fils de Bilha et ceux de Zilpa, épouses de son père, Joseph débitait sur leur compte des médisances à leur père.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, fed the flock with his brethren; and he was doing service with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought to his father an evil report of them.
3 Or Israël préférait Joseph à ses autres enfants parce qu’il était le fils de sa vieillesse; et il lui avait fait une tunique à rayures.
And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was son of his old age; and he made him a vest of many colours.
4 Ses frères, voyant que leur père l’aimait de préférence à eux tous, le prirent en haine et ne purent se résoudre à lui parler amicalement.
And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, and they hated him, and could not greet him with friendliness.
5 Joseph, ayant eu un songe, le conta à ses frères et leur haine pour lui s’en accrut encore.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told [it] to his brethren, and they hated him yet the more.
6 II leur dit: "Écoutez, je vous prie, ce songe que j’ai eu.
And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream, which I have dreamt:
7 Nous composions des gerbes dans le champ, soudain ma gerbe se dressa; elle resta debout et les vôtres se rangèrent à l’entour et s’inclinèrent devant la mienne."
Behold, we were binding sheaves in the fields, and lo, my sheaf rose up, and remained standing; and behold, your sheaves came round about and bowed down to my sheaf.
8 Ses frères lui dirent: "Quoi! Régnerais-tu sur nous? Deviendrais-tu notre maître?" Et ils le haïrent plus encore, pour ses songes et pour ses propos.
And his brethren said to him, Wilt thou indeed be a king over us? wilt thou indeed rule over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Il eut encore un autre songe et le raconta à ses frères en disant: "J’Ai fait encore un songe où j’ai vu le soleil, la lune et onze étoiles se prosterner devant moi."
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamt another dream, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.
10 II le répéta à son père et à ses frères. Son père le blâma et lui dit: "Qu’est ce qu’un pareil songe? Eh quoi! Nous viendrions, moi et ta mère et tes frères, nous prosterner à terre à tes pieds!"
And he told [it] to his father and to his brethren. And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream which thou hast dreamt? Shall we indeed come, I and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 Les frères de Joseph le jalousèrent; mais son père retint l’affaire.
And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying.
12 Un jour ses frères étaient allés conduire les troupeaux de leur père à Sichem.
And his brethren went to feed their father's flock at Shechem.
13 Israël dit à Joseph: "Tes frères font paître les troupeaux à Sichem. Viens donc, je veux t’envoyer auprès d’eux." II lui répondit: "Je suis prêt."
And Israel said to Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed [the flock] at Shechem? Come, that I may send thee to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 Il reprit: "Va voir, je te prie, comment se portent tes frères, comment se porte le bétail et rapporte m’en des nouvelles." II l’envoya ainsi de la vallée d’Hébron et Joseph se rendit à Sichem.
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see after the welfare of thy brethren, and after the welfare of the flock; and bring me word again. And he sent him out of the vale of Hebron; and he came towards Shechem.
15 Un homme le rencontra errant dans la campagne; cet homme lui demanda: "Que cherches-tu?"
And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the country; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 II répondit: "Ce sont mes frères que je cherche. Veuille me dire où ils font paître leur bétail."
And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed [their flocks].
17 L’Homme dit: "Ils sont partis d’ici, car je les ai entendus dire: ‘Allons à Dothan’." Joseph s’en alla sur les pas de ses frères et il les trouva à Dothan.
And the man said, They have removed from this; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them at Dothan.
18 Ils l’aperçurent de loin; et, avant qu’il fût près d’eux, ils complotèrent de le faire mourir.
And when they saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to put him to death.
19 Ils se dirent l’un à l’autre: "Voici venir l’homme aux songes.
And they said one to another, Behold, there comes that dreamer!
20 Or çà, venez, tuons le, jetons le dans quelque citerne, puis nous dirons qu’une bête féroce l’a dévoré. Nous verrons alors ce qui adviendra de ses rêves!"
And now come and let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast has devoured him; and we will see what becomes of his dreams.
21 Ruben l’entendit et voulut le sauver de leurs mains; il se dit: "N’Attentons point à sa vie."
And Reuben heard [it], and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.
22 Ruben leur dit donc: "Ne versez point le sang! Jetez le dans cette citerne qui est dans le désert, mais ne portez point la main sur lui." C’Était pour le sauver de leurs mains et le ramener à son père.
And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood: cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness; but lay no hand upon him — in order that he might deliver him out of their hand, to bring him to his father again.
23 En effet, lorsque Joseph fut arrivé près de ses frères ils le dépouillèrent de sa robe, de la tunique à rayures dont il était vêtu;
And it came to pass when Joseph came to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his vest, the vest of many colours, which he had on;
24 et ils le saisirent et ils le jetèrent dans la citerne. Cette citerne était vide et sans eau.
and they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty — there was no water in it.
25 Comme ils étaient assis pour prendre leur repas, ils levèrent les yeux et virent une caravane d’Ismaélites, laquelle venait de Galaad; leurs chameaux étaient chargés d’aromates, de baume et de lotus qu’ils allaient transporter en Égypte.
And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead; and their camels bore tragacanth, and balsam, and ladanum — going to carry [it] down to Egypt.
26 Juda dit à ses frères: "Quel avantage, si nous tuons notre frère et si nous scellons sa mort?
And Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it that we kill our brother and secrete his blood?
27 Venez, vendons le aux Ismaélites et que notre main ne soit pas sur lui, car il est notre frère, notre chair!" Et ses frères consentirent.
Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened [to him].
28 Or, plusieurs marchands madianites vinrent à passer, qui tirèrent et firent remonter Joseph de la citerne, puis le vendirent aux Ismaélites pour vingt pièces d’argent. Ceux ci emmenèrent Joseph en Égypte.
And Midianitish men, merchants, passed by; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver-pieces; and they brought Joseph to Egypt.
29 Ruben revint à la citerne et voyant que Joseph n’y était plus, il déchira ses vêtements,
And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his garments,
30 retourna vers ses frères et dit: "L’Enfant n’y est plus et moi, où irai je?"
and returned to his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, where shall I go?
31 Ils prirent la robe de Joseph, égorgèrent un chevreau et trempèrent la robe dans son sang;
And they took Joseph's vest, and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the vest in the blood;
32 puis ils envoyèrent cette tunique à rayures, qu’on apporta à leur père en disant: "Voici ce que nous avons trouvé; examine si c’est la tunique de ton fils ou non."
and they sent the vest of many colours and had it carried to their father, and said, This have we found: discern now whether it is thy son's vest or not.
33 II la reconnut et s’écria: "La tunique de mon fils! Une bête féroce l’a dévoré! Joseph, Joseph a été mis en pièces!"
And he discerned it, and said, [It is] my son's vest! an evil beast has devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces!
34 Et Jacob déchira ses vêtements et il mit un cilice sur ses reins et il porta longtemps le deuil de son fils.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Tous ses fils et toutes ses filles se mirent en devoir de le consoler; mais il refusa toute consolation et dit: "Non! Je rejoindrai, en pleurant, mon fils dans la tombe!" Et son père continua de le pleurer. (Sheol h7585)
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and said, For I will go down to my son into Sheol mourning. Thus his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 Quant aux Madianites, ils le vendirent en Égypte à Putiphar, officier de Pharaon, chef des gardes.
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Potiphar, a chamberlain of Pharaoh, the captain of the life-guard.
