בְּרֵאשִׁית 37
| וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מְגוּרֵ֣י אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃ | 1 |
Jacob settled down and lived in Canaan as his father had done.
| אֵ֣לֶּה ׀ תֹּלְדֹ֣ות יַעֲקֹ֗ב יֹוסֵ֞ף בֶּן־שְׁבַֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֨ה רֹעֶ֤ה אֶת־אֶחָיו֙ בַּצֹּ֔אן וְה֣וּא נַ֗עַר אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י בִלְהָ֛ה וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י זִלְפָּ֖ה נְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֵ֥א יֹוסֵ֛ף אֶת־דִּבָּתָ֥ם רָעָ֖ה אֶל־אֲבִיהֶֽם׃ | 2 |
This is the story of Jacob and his family. Joseph was seventeen, and helped look after the flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph told his father about some of the bad things his brothers were doing.
| וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָהַ֤ב אֶת־יֹוסֵף֙ מִכָּל־בָּנָ֔יו כִּֽי־בֶן־זְקֻנִ֥ים ה֖וּא לֹ֑ו וְעָ֥שָׂה לֹ֖ו כְּתֹ֥נֶת פַּסִּֽים׃ | 3 |
Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him when he was already old. He made a colorful robe with long sleeves for Joseph.
| וַיִּרְא֣וּ אֶחָ֗יו כִּֽי־אֹתֹ֞ו אָהַ֤ב אֲבִיהֶם֙ מִכָּל־אֶחָ֔יו וַֽיִּשְׂנְא֖וּ אֹתֹ֑ו וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ דַּבְּרֹ֥ו לְשָׁלֹֽם׃ | 4 |
When his brothers noticed that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and had nothing good to say about him.
| וַיַּחֲלֹ֤ם יֹוסֵף֙ חֲלֹ֔ום וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאֶחָ֑יו וַיֹּוסִ֥פוּ עֹ֖וד שְׂנֹ֥א אֹתֹֽו׃ | 5 |
Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more.
| וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֕א הַחֲלֹ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָלָֽמְתִּי׃ | 6 |
“Listen to this dream I had,” he told them.
| וְ֠הִנֵּה אֲנַ֜חְנוּ מְאַלְּמִ֤ים אֲלֻמִּים֙ בְּתֹ֣וךְ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֛ה קָ֥מָה אֲלֻמָּתִ֖י וְגַם־נִצָּ֑בָה וְהִנֵּ֤ה תְסֻבֶּ֙ינָה֙ אֲלֻמֹּ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וַתִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖יןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִֽי׃ | 7 |
“We were tying up bundles of grain out in the fields when all of a sudden my bundle stood up, and your bundles came over and bowed down to it.”
| וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לֹו֙ אֶחָ֔יו הֲמָלֹ֤ךְ תִּמְלֹךְ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ אִם־מָשֹׁ֥ול תִּמְשֹׁ֖ל בָּ֑נוּ וַיֹּוסִ֤פוּ עֹוד֙ שְׂנֹ֣א אֹתֹ֔ו עַל־חֲלֹמֹתָ֖יו וְעַל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃ | 8 |
“Do you really think you're going to be our king?” they asked. “Do you honestly believe you're going to rule over us?” They hated him even more because of his dream and how he described it.
| וַיַּחֲלֹ֥ם עֹוד֙ חֲלֹ֣ום אַחֵ֔ר וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר אֹתֹ֖ו לְאֶחָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֨ה חָלַ֤מְתִּֽי חֲלֹום֙ עֹ֔וד וְהִנֵּ֧ה הַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵ֗חַ וְאַחַ֤ד עָשָׂר֙ כֹּֽוכָבִ֔ים מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֖ים לִֽי׃ | 9 |
Then he had another dream told his brothers about it. “Listen, I had another dream,” he explained. “The sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down before me.”
| וַיְסַפֵּ֣ר אֶל־אָבִיו֮ וְאֶל־אֶחָיו֒ וַיִּגְעַר־בֹּ֣ו אָבִ֔יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֹ֔ו מָ֛ה הַחֲלֹ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָלָ֑מְתָּ הֲבֹ֣וא נָבֹ֗וא אֲנִי֙ וְאִמְּךָ֣ וְאַחֶ֔יךָ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֥ת לְךָ֖ אָֽרְצָה׃ | 10 |
He also told his father as well as his brothers, and his father told him off, saying, “What's this dream that you've had? Are we—I and your mother and brothers—really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?”
| וַיְקַנְאוּ־בֹ֖ו אֶחָ֑יו וְאָבִ֖יו שָׁמַ֥ר אֶת־הַדָּבָֽר׃ | 11 |
Joseph's brothers became jealous of him, but his father puzzled over the meaning of the dream.
| וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְעֹ֛ות אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ | 12 |
One day Joseph's brothers took their father's flocks to graze near Shechem.
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יֹוסֵ֗ף הֲלֹ֤וא אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם לְכָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לֹ֖ו הִנֵּֽנִי׃ | 13 |
Israel told Joseph, “Your brothers are looking after the sheep near Shechem. Get ready because I want you to go and see them.” “I'll do it,” Joseph replied.
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֹ֗ו לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁלֹ֤ום אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁלֹ֣ום הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְרֹ֔ון וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃ | 14 |
So he told him, “Off you go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and come back and let me know.” So he sent him off. Joseph set out from the Hebron Valley,
| וַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר מַה־תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ | 15 |
and arrived in Shechem. A man there found him wandering about in the field, so he asked him, “What are you looking for?”
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י אֵיפֹ֖ה הֵ֥ם רֹעִֽים׃ | 16 |
“I'm looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they're looking after the flock?”
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָאִישׁ֙ נָסְע֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵלְכָ֖ה דֹּתָ֑יְנָה וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יֹוסֵף֙ אַחַ֣ר אֶחָ֔יו וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן׃ | 17 |
“They've already left,” the man replied. “I heard them say, ‘Let's go to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers and caught up with them at Dothan.
| וַיִּרְא֥וּ אֹתֹ֖ו מֵרָחֹ֑ק וּבְטֶ֙רֶם֙ יִקְרַ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּֽתְנַכְּל֥וּ אֹתֹ֖ו לַהֲמִיתֹֽו׃ | 18 |
But they saw him coming way off in the distance, and before he got to them, they made plans to kill him.
| וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו הִנֵּ֗ה בַּ֛עַל הַחֲלֹמֹ֥ות הַלָּזֶ֖ה בָּֽא׃ | 19 |
“Look, here comes the Lord of Dreams!” they said to each other.
| וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּרֹ֔ות וְאָמַ֕רְנוּ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ וְנִרְאֶ֕ה מַה־יִּהְי֖וּ חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו׃ | 20 |
“Come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We'll say that some wild animal has eaten him. Then we'll see what happens to his dreams!”
| וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃ | 21 |
When Reuben heard all this, he tried to save Joseph from them.
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם ׀ רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹתֹ֗ו אֶל־הַבֹּ֤ור הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ־בֹ֑ו לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתֹו֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַהֲשִׁיבֹ֖ו אֶל־אָבִֽיו׃ | 22 |
“Let's not attack and kill him,” he suggested. “Don't murder him, just throw him into this pit here in the desert. You don't need to be guilty of violence.” Reuben said this so that he could come back later and rescue Joseph from them and take him home to his father.
| וֽ͏ַיְהִ֕י כּֽ͏ַאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א יֹוסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ אֶת־יֹוסֵף֙ אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתֹּ֔ו אֶת־כְּתֹ֥נֶת הַפַּסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ | 23 |
So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off his robe—the colorful long-sleeved robe he was wearing—
| וַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹתֹ֖ו הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבֹּ֣ור רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בֹּ֖ו מָֽיִם׃ | 24 |
grabbed him and threw him into a pit. (The pit was empty—it didn't have any water in it.)
| וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הֹולְכִ֖ים לְהֹורִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃ | 25 |
They were just sitting down to have a meal when they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying aromatic spices, balm, and myrrh to take to Egypt.
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֹֽו׃ | 26 |
“What's the point of killing our brother?” Judah asked his brothers. “Then we'd have to cover up his death!
| לְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים וְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אַל־תְּהִי־בֹ֔ו כִּֽי־אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו׃ | 27 |
Instead, why don't we sell him to these Ishmaelites? We don't have to kill him. After all he's our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
| וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים מִדְיָנִ֜ים סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים וַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּ אֶת־יֹוסֵף֙ מִן־הַבֹּ֔ור וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת־יֹוסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־יֹוסֵ֖ף מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃ | 28 |
So when the Ishmaelites (who were traders from Midian) came by, they pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.
| וַיָּ֤שָׁב רְאוּבֵן֙ אֶל־הַבֹּ֔ור וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵין־יֹוסֵ֖ף בַּבֹּ֑ור וַיִּקְרַ֖ע אֶת־בְּגָדָֽיו׃ | 29 |
When Reuben came back later and looked into the pit, Joseph was gone. He tore his clothes in grief.
| וַיָּ֥שָׁב אֶל־אֶחָ֖יו וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַיֶּ֣לֶד אֵינֶ֔נּוּ וַאֲנִ֖י אָ֥נָה אֲנִי־בָֽא׃ | 30 |
He returned to his brothers. “The boy's gone!” he moaned. “What am I going to do now?”
| וַיִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת יֹוסֵ֑ף וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ שְׂעִ֣יר עִזִּ֔ים וַיִּטְבְּל֥וּ אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֖נֶת בַּדָּֽם׃ | 31 |
They slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph's robe in the blood.
| וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֞וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת הַפַּסִּ֗ים וַיָּבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶל־אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ זֹ֣את מָצָ֑אנוּ הַכֶּר־נָ֗א הַכְּתֹ֧נֶת בִּנְךָ֛ הִ֖וא אִם־לֹֽא׃ | 32 |
Then they sent the colorful robe to their father with the message, “We found this. Please examine it and see if it's your son's robe or not.”
| וַיַּכִּירָ֤הּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כְּתֹ֣נֶת בְּנִ֔י חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף יֹוסֵֽף׃ | 33 |
His father recognized it right away and said, “This is my son's robe! Some wild animal must have eaten him. Poor Joseph has been ripped to pieces, no doubt about it!”
| וַיִּקְרַ֤ע יַעֲקֹב֙ שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו וַיָּ֥שֶׂם שַׂ֖ק בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל עַל־בְּנֹ֖ו יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃ | 34 |
Jacob tore his clothes in grief and dressed in sackcloth. He mourned the death of his son for a long time.
| וַיָּקֻמוּ֩ כָל־בָּנָ֨יו וְכָל־בְּנֹתָ֜יו לְנַחֲמֹ֗ו וַיְמָאֵן֙ לְהִתְנַחֵ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כִּֽי־אֵרֵ֧ד אֶל־בְּנִ֛י אָבֵ֖ל שְׁאֹ֑לָה וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ אֹתֹ֖ו אָבִֽיו׃ (Sheol h7585) | 35 |
All his sons and daughters tried to console him, but he rejected their attempts. “No,” he said, “I will go down into my grave mourning for my son.” So Joseph's father went on weeping for him. (Sheol h7585)
| וְהַ֨מְּדָנִ֔ים מָכְר֥וּ אֹתֹ֖ו אֶל־מִצְרָ֑יִם לְפֹֽוטִיפַר֙ סְרִ֣יס פַּרְעֹ֔ה שַׂ֖ר הַטַּבָּחִֽים׃ פ | 36 |
In the meantime the Ishmaelites had arrived in Egypt and had sold Joseph to Potiphar. Potiphar was one of Pharaoh's officers, the captain of the guard.
