Genesis 37
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father sojourned — in the land of Canaan.
Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.
2 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.
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.
3 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.
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.
4 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.
His brothers saw that their father 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 told [it] to his brethren, and they hated him yet the more.
Joseph dreamt 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 dreamt:
He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamt:
7 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.
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, 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.
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.
9 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.
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.”
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 which thou hast dreamt? Shall we indeed come, I and thy mother and thy brethren, 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 dreamt? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father kept 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 at 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] at Shechem? Come, that I may send thee to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
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.”
14 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.
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 man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the country; 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 am seeking 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 removed from this; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them at Dothan.
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.
18 And when they saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to put him to death.
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, there comes that dreamer!
They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
20 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.
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 delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.
Reuben heard 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 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.
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.
23 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;
When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colours that was on him;
24 and they took him and cast him into the pit; now 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 caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead; and their camels bore tragacanth, and balsam, and ladanum — going to carry [it] down to Egypt.
They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it that we kill our brother and secrete his blood?
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; but let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened [to him].
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.
28 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.
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.
29 And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his garments,
Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
30 and returned to his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, where shall I go?
He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
31 And they took Joseph's vest, and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the vest in the blood;
They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
32 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.
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.”
33 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!
He recognised it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Jacob 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 said, For I will go down to my son into Sheol 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 to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Potiphar, a chamberlain of Pharaoh, the captain of the life-guard.
The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
