Genesis 37
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, 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.
This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
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 colors.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
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.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6 He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
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.”
We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
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.
“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
9 He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing 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 dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
11 His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
12 His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near 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.”
Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
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.
Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
15 A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
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.
“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
19 They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
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.”
“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
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.
“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him;
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
24 and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
25 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.
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up 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, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
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.
So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
30 He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
32 They took the tunic of many colors, 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.”
They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
33 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
34 Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for 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)
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So 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.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
